“Mary’s place as the first disciple is an inspiration to all of us who seek to follow her instruction to ‘do whatever He tells you’(Jn 2:5),” said Ann and Joe O. Neuhoff School of Ministry Dean Ted Whapham.

The image of Mary has been a significant one for the Neuhoff School of Ministry. The school was instrumental in the establishment of the Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe on campus, and photographs of the shrine have graced many recent pieces promoting their programs. Now, they also have a statue of Mary to welcome visitors to their space in Catherine Hall; she stands four feet tall at the top of the stairs in the reception area as you enter the building.

The statue was presented to the University of Dallas by Ed Stanley, BA ’65, and his wife, Diane. The Stanleys’ sister-in-law, Jeanie Folzenlogen, of Longview, Texas, who attended UD for a semester prior to meeting her husband, was the creator of the piece; she had donated it to an auction gala for Christ the King Catholic School in Dallas, where the Stanleys' grandchildren attend. Folzenlogen has been creating mosaic sculptures like this one from bits and pieces of china — sometimes donated by people who appreciated that she could give their heirloom dishes new life once they had broken — for 20 or so years now. These are labors of love, which she most often donates to organizations close to her heart or to friends and loved ones; she is not paid to make them and does not take commissions.  

When the Stanleys were looking for a home for Folzenlogen’s newest creation, UD seemed like a fitting location, and bringing the statue here a good way of continuing their tradition of involvement with the university.

“We hope that the statue brings a bit of additional beauty to the campus and, at the same time, draws the students and faculty to reflect on the place that Mary has in their lives,” said Ed Stanley.

The Stanleys’ daughter, Christy, BA ’99, and her husband, Brannon, BS ’98, Marlowe are also UD alumni; when a dedication prayer for the statue, led by former UD trustee Monsignor Robert Rehkemper, was held on Dec. 18, Christy Marlowe attended with the Marlowes’ three children.  

“I was excited to learn that the statue would be placed in the Neuhoff School of Ministry building, formerly a residence hall,” said Christy Marlowe. “Catherine Hall was my first dorm at UD, and the place holds special memories for me. When I brought my kids to campus for the blessing of the statue, I was able to show them where my UD residential life started and share some of my memories of the place from my freshman year. Our family has had ties to the university from the beginning of its history when my grandfather did exploratory core drilling work on the land before the buildings were erected, and I feel very blessed that these ties are now continuing into a fourth generation.” 

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis describes Mary as the Mother of the New Evangelization: “There is a Marian ‘style’ to the church’s work of evangelization. Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong, who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves”(EG 288).

"Mary then represents well the Neuhoff School of Ministry’s call to train people to provide transformative service for the world and for the life of the church,” said Whapham. “It’s nice to have a striking, new piece of art, as you enter the Neuhoff School of Ministry, to more clearly define the nature of the school and the work we do here.”

In the photo: Monsignor Robert Rehkemper with the statue.