A Legacy of Faith and Learning
The newly renovated Church Lawn at the Church of the Incarnation offers a serene space
where the University of Dallas community gathers for contemplation, conversation,
and prayer. Through the Seats of Wisdom campaign, you can create a lasting legacy
that honors the integration of faith and reason at the heart of UD's mission.
Create Your Legacy
A gift of $5,000 sponsors a Seat of Wisdom—a beautiful stone bench adorned with a personalized bronze plaque. Your gift will:
- Preserve beauty for generations
Maintain the Church Lawn as a place of reflection and community - Honor a loved one
Commemorate a family member, beloved professor, graduate, or friend - Celebrate a milestone
Mark a graduation, anniversary, or significant life event - Support UD's mission
Strengthen the university's commitment to the pursuit of wisdom in the Catholic intellectual tradition
A Place of Encounter
Surrounding the entrance to the Church of the Incarnation, these seats serve as gathering spaces for outdoor classes, conversations between lectures and Mass, and quiet moments of reflection. Here, students and faculty experience the beauty of a campus where faith and learning meet—sometimes sitting in class on the very seats where they later pause in prayer.
The plaques are made of bronze cast metal, measuring 5 x 3 inches with a 5/16 inch depth. With up to 3 lines of text (approximately 45-60 characters total), each plaque can be customized with:
- Names of those honored
- Class years or dates
- Brief personal inscriptions (scripture verses, Latin/Greek phrases, or meaningful quotes)
Why "Seat of Wisdom"?
The name carries a profound double meaning that unites the University of Dallas's academic mission with its Catholic identity.
The Pursuit of Wisdom
The name reflects the University's foundational commitment to wisdom, truth and virtue as the primary ends of education. These benches become dwelling places for wisdom in the richest sense—spaces where the campus community engages in the deepest intellectual inquiry and cultivates understanding that transcends mere knowledge.
Honoring Mary, Sedes Sapientiae
The name also honors the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title Sedes Sapientiae (Latin for "Seat of Wisdom"). Mary bears this ancient title because she carried Christ—the Wisdom of God Incarnate—in her womb and on her lap. For thirty years, she lived in intimate conversation with Divine Wisdom itself, learning directly from the source of all truth. As St. John Henry Newman wrote, through this closeness to her Son, Mary's knowledge "excelled the greatest of philosophers... and theologians."
Where Heaven Meets Earth
Just as Mary was the dwelling place of Wisdom Incarnate, these seats aspire to be places where students and faculty encounter wisdom in its fullness—intellectual, moral and spiritual. Here, the pursuit of truth leads to Truth Himself, and the Catholic intellectual tradition comes alive in the daily rhythms of campus life.
Seats of Wisdom Seating Chart
Click to download full seating chart.
The Seats of Wisdom create a permanent presence on campus—a place where your family's
story becomes woven into the fabric of University of Dallas for generations to come.
