Remembering Beloved Brother Camillus Chavez with New Special Collection in the Saint Mary’s Library

The Saint Mary’s College of California Library will be showcasing its newest special collection on Wednesday, Nov. 1 with the unveiling of the new Brother Camillus Chavez Collection.

The collection, on the second floor of the library, honors Brother Camillus Chavez, FSC, who was a key presence on the Saint Mary’s campus for half a century. He shaped the lives of many generations of SMC students throughout his teaching of Psychology courses, leading meditation sessions, and advocating for students of color. He was a first-generation Mexican American and, through the example he set, showed the importance of serving others, the San Francisco Chronicle noted in a tribute earlier this year. He died in May at the age of 93.

The collection includes Spanish-language materials, including popular novels, children’s books, and works

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by undocumented populations, as well as non-fiction that is emblematic of the diverse experience of Latin American and U.S. Latino communities. 

The Brother Camillus Chavez Collection is an initiative by the Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies (ILaLS) and is supported by Mission and Ministry and SMC’s Psychology Department. 

“We’re lucky that we get to create and curate this collection of titles dedicated to Brother Camillus,” says Swetta Abeyta, associate librarian at the SMC Library. “It’s important to us that this library is an accessible and welcoming space to all. Brother Camillus really reflected these values.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Brother Camillus Chavez Collection will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, on the second floor of the library. For more information, please contact Swetta Abeyta, associate librarian, at sba2@stmarys-ca.edu.

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READ MORE: Remembering the Remarkable Life of Brother Camillus Chavez