St. Mary’s grows with a little help from friends

St. Mary’s University in Calgary’s ambitious expansion is well underway thanks to generous investments from two local families and the power of prayer. 

Donations from Greg and Joanne Martin and Steve and Irene Groch helped the Catholic liberal arts institution’s Building for Purpose Capital Campaign surpass its phase one goal of $15 million.

Realizing this target advances plans to build an athletics dome and on-campus student lodging. Additionally, the phase one campaign developed $1.8 million in student scholarships and bursaries 

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The Martins’ role in funding a facility for the St. Mary’s University Lightning Athletics program to train and compete will be immortalized as it will be called the MARTINDOME. The 22,000-square-foot facility, which will feature two full-sized basketball courts, is also expected to serve as recreational space for families in southeast Calgary when it opens next year. 

Scott Morrison, St. Mary’s president and vice-chancellor, put it in simple terms why the Martins felt called to bequeath their gift.

“Why did the Martins want to donate money here? Number one: we’re Catholic. Number two: they live close by. And number three: they are strong supporters of both athletics and recreation,” said Morrison. 

The Grochs’ gift will help transform the neighbouring Father Lacombe Care Centre into a 100-bed student residence by 2029. The timeline for this project is influenced by when the current occupants of the building, the Father Lacombe Care Society and Foundation, can relocate to its new care centre currently under construction. 

The Grochs felt inspired to help turn St. Mary’s from a commuter destination into a true on-campus living community. 

“Steve has a granddaughter who goes to St. Mary’s in her first year,” said Morrison. “He was reflecting on the need for residence when he was considering his own granddaughter, and the fact that even though they live in Calgary, they're up in the northwest, and she's going to be spending an hour on the road going each way to get to the university so that made him think that his granddaughter and all students need a place where they can live on campus.”

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The residential building will feature gathering spaces, classrooms and a chapel to foster a community that enriches the formation of the whole person. 

Faith, particularly prayer, is credited with cultivating the fruits being yielded at St. Mary’s, including an 11-per-cent growth rate at a time when many institutions are undergoing declining enrolment and revenue. The growth forecast for this upcoming year is even rosier at 13 per cent.

Benefactors are helping in other ways as well. Kimberly Cichon, a former student of St. Mary’s with a daughter now attending, who is also the mobilizing force behind the St. Mary’s Prayer Guild, with the support of Morrison and Calgary Bishop William McGrattan, has begun to visit parishes throughout Calgary to encourage Catholics to spiritually uplift St. Mary’s University.

“A great way to support is through our prayers and good words,” said Cichon. “There are areas at St. Mary’s that can definitely be leaning more into what Christ calls us to do as a Catholic institution, but that’s the moment to lean in and be supportive just like you would with a friend. It’s not a moment to say ‘well you’re not there yet so I’m not going to support you.’

“My driving force is ‘ let’s imagine what it could be and the good it can do and the change that has already happened through our small prayers’ We’ve totally been blessed.”

Morrison is also driven by what St. Mary’s could become. There is a stated goal for this school to ultimately emerge as the “preeminent Canadian Catholic university.” The university dimension of that goal requires offering in-demand academic programming, quality teaching and staffing resources, plus top-flight research development.

“We want to frame everything going on at the university through the lens of Catholic social teaching,” said Morrison. 

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Looking forward, phase two of the Building for Purpose Capital Campaign is raising $50 million for an academic hall that will feature additional classrooms, the university’s Bachelor of Education program and even more space for students to socialize and study. A significant lead donation has already been secured. The family behind the gift will remain anonymous until the public launch of phase two. Morrison said this will take place when 80 per cent of the target is attained.

Learn more at stmu.ca.

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)

A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "St. Mary’s grows with a little help from friends".