Detroit Mercy Law Unveils Jesuit and Mercy Founder Portraits

Detroit Mercy Law unveiled portraits of the Jesuit and Mercy religious founders—St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Society of Jesus) and Venerable Catherine McAuley (founder of the Sisters of Mercy)—on Thursday, November 7, 2024. 

The Most Reverend Robert J. Fisher '83, auxiliary bishop of Detroit, blessed the portraits. Several members of the Sisters of Mercy and Society of Jesus attended the blessing ceremony organized by Deacon Kurt Godfryd '84, '87, '90, Associate Dean for Finance and Operations. 

The portraits are on display in the east hallway outside the prayer and reflection room. Daniel McAfee, local artist and retired Director of Worship for the Archdiocese of Detroit, painted the portraits. 

Detroit Mercy Law is the only cosponsored Jesuit and Mercy law school in the United States. The program of legal education is shaped by a history and mission rooted in Jesuit and Mercy traditions and infused with a unique set of charisms for educating the complete lawyer. Jesuit roots inform the school’s commitment to academic excellence, caring for the whole person, service, and leadership. The Mercy ways reinforce these values and virtues and further emphasize a commitment to compassion, justice, and inclusion of all people. 

The Jesuits founded University of Detroit, originally known as Detroit College, in 1877 as the first Catholic college in Detroit. In 1990, University of Detroit merged with Mercy College of Detroit, founded by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas in 1941, to form University of Detroit Mercy. 

To learn more, visit www.law.udmercy.edu. 

Image (Left to Right): Deacon Kurt Godfryd '84, '87, '90, Associate Dean for Finance and Operations; Nicholas Schroeck, Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Law.