The Sacred Journey: The Beloved Community, Nov. 14

St. Mary's College of Maryland will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the award-winning

Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland with the observance of The Sacred Journey on Friday, November 1. The event will begin with a ceremony Honoring the Commemorative, followed by the Procession of Dignity, and conclude with the candlelit Reading of Names of the Enslaved at the College Waterfront. There is no cost to participate in the Sacred Journey, and the public is welcome.St. Mary's College of Maryland will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the award-winning

Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland with the observance of The Sacred Journey on Friday, November 1. The event will begin with a ceremony Honoring the Commemorative, followed by the Procession of Dignity, and conclude with the candlelit Reading of Names of the Enslaved at the College Waterfront. There is no cost to participate in the Sacred Journey, and the public is welcome.St. Mary's College of Maryland will celebrate the sixth anniversary of the award-winning Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland with the observance of The Sacred Journey on Friday, November 14. The event will begin with a ceremony Honoring the Commemorative, followed by the Procession of Dignity, and conclude with the candlelit Reading of Names of the Enslaved at the College Waterfront. There is no cost to participate in the Sacred Journey, and the public is welcome.

For the comfort of all guests and decorum, non-service animal pets are not permitted at the Sacred Journey.

PARKING INFORMATION: Lot T is closest to the Commemorative. Golf cart shuttles will be available for those unable to participate in the Procession of Dignity to the College Waterfront. For those only interested in attending the Waterfront Ceremony, parking is available in Lots E and F. Golf cart shuttles will be available back to Lot T parking. Campus Map.

The next day, on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, The String Queens will perform in concert at 7 p.m. at the Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center concert hall.  We hope that everyone will be able to attend this event in the spirit of the celebration of our common humanity. 

 About the Commemorative

The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland, the vision of St. Mary's College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD., provides visitors with the space to acknowledge and learn from the lives of those who once toiled here, while providing a place for reflection and introspection about the nature of slavery and its connections to modern society.  The Commemorative has been honored with the 2022 CODAaward for "Public Spaces" by CODAworx, and an honor award winner by the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD).  The College's Institutional Advancement unit received a Grand Award and Best of Show designation from the 2021 APEX Awards for the dedication ceremony for the Commemorative.  The 2021 Sacred Journey: Re-Making Our World Anew, celebrating the first anniversary of the Commemorative, received the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Gold Award. 

About the Sacred Journey

An emerging tradition at St. Mary's College of Maryland, the Sacred Journey invites students, faculty, staff and the community to physically walk the path taken by the enslaved who once toiled in our community.  The Sacred Journey also serves as a metaphorical path from the past to the present, a sojourn of redemption as we preserve the history of the enslaved, and recognize their essential contributions to our college, our community, and our shared culture. The Sacred Journey planning committee is comprised of students, faculty and staff.