Catherine of Siena Hall & Michael McGivney Hall

Located on the north side of Pioneer Village, Catherine of Siena & Michael McGivney Halls house about 450 first-year students total, including the Honors Program.

Building Amenities  

• Two-bedroom pods  
• Study spaces 
• Laundry facilities  
• Lounges with kitchenettes  
• Crossover bridge/common area connecting the two halls  

Room Amenities  

• Desks (one per resident)  
• Chairs (one per resident)  
• Twin bed with built in dresser (one per resident)  
• Microfridge (one per room)  
• Full bathroom (one per pod)  
• Walk-in closet (one per pod)  
• Wireless internet access  
• Air conditioning/heating unit  

Meet the Staff

Riley Vandevord
Residence Hall Director
203-416-3213
vandevordr@sacredheart.edu 

Resident Success Assistant

• Maddie Mueller (SRSA)
• Tiffany Jablonski
• Tommy Foley
• Matt Meaney
• Erin Burnett
• Grace Anderson
• Afrodite Koulouris
• Dylan Dupre
• Ryan Lopes
• Hannah Lambert
• Nana Belmonte
• Colin Johnson
• Matheo Beauvoir
• Melania Korenovsky

Who is Catherine of Siena?  

Catherine of Siena
1347-1380 

A celebrated spiritual writer, Catherine of Siena devoted her whole life to God at a very young age. Born Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa on March 25, 1347, Catherine was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa of Siena, Italy. She is said to have her first vision of Jesus Christ when she was only six or seven years old. This vision drew her into a life of prayer and devotion, making a childhood vow to give her whole life to God.  

Catherine joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic where she served the poor and the sick and lived mostly a life of seclusion and prayer. At the age of 21, she had a powerful vision in which she entered a “mystical marriage” with Jesus. He appeared to her and placed a ring on her finger in the presence of the Virgin Mary and King David. While Catherine was the only one who could see the ring, it remained on her finger for the rest of her life. This inspired her to become even more active in ministering to the poor and sick.  

Catherine became active in politics during a time when there was upheaval between the Church and Italy, as well as fractioning in the Church itself. Her more than 400 letters to kings, queens, popes and other powerful political and religious figures are considered works of literature. Because of these works, Pope Paul VI proclaimed St. Catherine of Siena Doctor of the Church in 1970.  

“Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”  

Who is Michael McGivney?  

Michael McGivney 
1852-1890 

Founder of the Knights of Columbus, Michael McGivney was an advocate for social, financial, civic and societal issues. Born in Waterbury, CT, he was the eldest of 13 children, six of whom died at a very young age. Growing up, McGivney experienced firsthand the discrimination, social ostracism and poverty resulting from anti-Catholic prejudice. Despite these challenges, his Catholic faith remained strong, and he left home at the age of 16 to pursue the priesthood. After seminary, he was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, where he was said to be “a man of the people.” He maintained an active parish, drawing people in and keeping them in faith.  

In 1882, he established the Knights of Columbus, a fraternity for Catholic men to strengthen their faith and ensure financial protection for families should the sole wage earner pass. It still stands today on the principles of unity and charity with millions of members around the world.  

“Wherever I go, the memory of the people of St. Mary’s and their great kindness to me will always be upper-most in my heart.”

Launch Residential Halls – First-Year