March 30, 2026
Our Saint Mary's Equinox
In her March letter, President Conboy reflects on the the delicate balance of light and darkness that mirrors the lives of two groups of students: seniors, who stand on the threshold of departure, carrying hard-won confidence, deep friendships, and the ache of endings; and prospective students, who gaze toward possibility, wrestling with hope and uncertainty. Through the timeless symbol of The Avenue, she explores the art of welcome and release, echoing Sister Madeleva Wolff, CSC's, notion of a “relaxed grasp.” In the midst of Holy Week, President Conboy invites every member of the Saint Mary's community to relax their grasps, and trust in the unfolding journey that holds us with an open hand.
February 24, 2026
The Transformative Power of Grace
In her February letter, President Katie Conboy offers a poignant reflection on one of the most pressing questions of our time: what it truly means to "live well together in a fractured world." After a visit to Washington, DC, and attending a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy, her reflection on "Love" feels especially urgent. Echoing the cardinal's message, President Conboy challenges readers to reimagine February not merely as a celebration of individual affection, but as a call to radical, communal love—love which has the power to heal and illuminate paths forward in a divided world.
January 30, 2026
Widening the Circle of Opportunity
In her monthly letter, President Conboy reflects on the recent opening of the Prikkel Advising, Career, and Experience (PACE) Center. Here, she's finds herself reflecting on "how often important moments in the life of the College reveal something larger than the occasion itself." Read how the opening of the PACE Center reflects something essential about Saint Mary's: "We are not standing still. We are building with clarity and confidence—making judicious investments on behalf of our students."
December 11, 2025
Living Signs of Hope
In her monthly letter, President Conboy is thinking about what gives us hope today. Her wish? "May the light that will begin to grow in the winter weeks after the solstice, strengthen all of us for the work ahead."
November 24, 2025
Giving Thanks for the Poets and Plumbers
In every kind of organization, "poetry and plumbing" must be present. One offers us direction and heart, and the other gives us strength and endurance. In her monthly letter, President Conboy gives thanks to every member of our community—for the poetry that lifts our spirits and the plumbing that keeps our shared life flowing.
October 31, 2025
A Song for Autumn
With the campus bathed in late season light, President Conboy reflects upon patterns big and small, and how their continuity fortifies the College and its mission rooted in learning, faith, community, and justice.
September 30, 2025
Creating Community
In her monthly letter, President Conboy encourages us to use this moment in time to encounter each other more fully, to listen more generously, and to disagree without contempt. In doing so, she writes, we will model something urgently needed in our polarized world: a way of living together that is about seeking truth and building a common life that serves the common good.
August 29, 2025
Learning How to Live
As a new academic year begins, President Conboy brings forth several ideas by Michel de Montaigne, a thought leader from the 16th century. In her monthly letter, Conboy explores the act, in Montaigne's words, 'of learning how to live'.
July 31, 2025
Everything Matters
In her monthly letter, President Conboy explores questions about randomness and chance—and what these might have to do with the largest enrollment class at Saint Mary's in close to 30 years.