For 180 years, Saint Xavier University has been a place where education, service and community have come together on Chicago’s South Side.
This fall, the university will celebrate that milestone by welcoming the community to campus for a special anniversary festival honoring its long history, the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy and the generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni and neighbors who have helped shape the university.
The celebration will take place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 10 on the Saint Xavier University campus and will feature live entertainment, family activities, food, interactive experiences, exhibits, games and opportunities to learn more about the university’s mission and history.
Founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University is Chicago’s oldest Catholic university and the first Mercy institution of higher learning in the United States. What began as a small ministry focused on education, compassion and social justice has grown into a university that continues to prepare students for purposeful lives while serving the greater community.
The anniversary celebration is about more than marking a date on the calendar. It is an opportunity to recognize the people who have carried the university’s mission forward for nearly two centuries.
“Celebrating 180 years is about much more than looking back,” said Imelda Macías, Ed.D., assistant vice president for the Office of Family and Community Engagement. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Sisters of Mercy, whose commitment to education, hospitality, compassion, and service continues to inspire everything we do nearly two centuries later. We also want to honor the generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who have helped shape Saint Xavier University while inviting our neighbors to help us imagine the next 180 years together.”
Designed as an experience for all ages, the festival will feature multiple activity zones, live music and entertainment, information about the university and its mission, service opportunities, local food vendors, exhibits, games and free treats to celebrate the milestone. A special nighttime finale will cap off the evening, honoring the university’s past while celebrating its future.
The event also marks the return of a beloved Saint Xavier tradition. For many years, the university hosted annual community picnics that welcomed neighbors, families, alumni and friends to campus for an evening of connection and celebration.
University leaders hope the anniversary festival will help reestablish that tradition as a signature annual event that reflects SXU’s commitment to being an engaged and welcoming community partner.
“Our campus has always been more than a place where classes are held,” said Macías. “For 180 years, Saint Xavier has been part of the fabric of Chicago’s South Side. This celebration will reflect the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy by welcoming our neighbors with open hearts, nurturing meaningful connections, and creating a joyful space of belonging.”
From its humble beginnings with the Sisters of Mercy in 1846 to its role today as a university serving generations of students, Saint Xavier’s story has always been rooted in people, those who learned, taught, served and built connections within the community.
As the university celebrates 180 years, the anniversary festival will serve as both a tribute to the past and a gathering place for the future, inviting neighbors old and new to experience the spirit of Mercy that has guided SXU for nearly two centuries.
The celebration is open to the public, and community members are invited to be part of this historic milestone.