The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota community will celebrate Founders’ Day on
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, on its Winona Campus.
Founders’ Day celebrates the founding of our university over 100 years ago by the Most Reverend Patrick Heffron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona, and the founding of the De La Salle Christian Brothers over 300 years ago by Saint John Baptist de La Salle.
All faculty, staff, and students are invited to join in the festivities.
Mass – 10:45 a.m. — Saint Thomas More Chapel
Convocation — 1:15 p.m. — Page Theatre
Reception — 2:45 p.m. — Page Theatre Lobby
(There will be a truncated class schedule on the Winona Campus for the day.)
The Founders’ Day Convocation will honor the Bishop Patrick Heffron Award recipient, the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award recipient, the nominees for the 2026 Outstanding Senior Male and Outstanding Senior Female Students as well as the selected 2026 Outstanding Senior Male Student and the 2026 Outstanding Senior Female Student.
For those of you unable to join us in person on the Winona Campus, you are cordially invited to watch the livestream of the Convocation.
We hope that you will join us for this special day!
