Mount Marty’s Residence Hall Named Rickenbach Suites

On Monday, November 16, Mount Marty University announced via a virtual ceremony that their newest residence hall would be henceforth known as Rickenbach Suites.

Rickenbach Suites derives its name from Maria Rickenbach, a monastery that sits high in the alps of Switzerland and is accessible by cable car. In 1874, five nuns left Maria Rickenbach to spread the Gospel in the United States. By 1889, this mission had brought the sisters to Yankton, South Dakota.

Sister Maribeth Wentzlaff, prioress of Sacred Heart Monastery, believes the name of Rickenbach speaks to the adventurous and pioneering spirit key to the history of Sacred Heart and MMU.

“Even though we are in a pretty flat prairie land, the height of the alps of Rickenbach remind us all to climb great heights as the momentum of Mount Marty University keeps us climbing and soaring,” she says. “At this time, the sisters want everyone to know that we are proud of Mount Marty and grateful for all that they do to spread education." 

Rickenbach Suites opened at the onset of the fall semester. Described as a living-learning community, this 96-bed residence hall for third- and fourth-year students contains partial kitchenettes and quiet learning spaces throughout. The building sits just southeast of the other new addition to the MMU campus, the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse.

“Having this space available on campus has already made such a difference,” says MMU senior Stephanie Faulhaber, a current resident of Rickenbach Suites. “One thing I really love about it is that it is super close to the fieldhouse, and it gives you a more individualized sense of living.”

This is Mount Marty University’s first suite-style residence hall. MMU president, Marc Long, believes that the name Rickenbach speaks to both a sense of growth, adaptation and change as well as the traditions and Benedictine core values that have guided the university since it was founded by the sisters in 1936.  

“This is an exciting moment on our campus, and I am so happy for our students,” says Long. “It’s truly a great time to be a Lancer.”

To watch the naming announcement in full or view newly released photos showing the interior of Rickenbach Suites, visit Mount Marty University’s Facebook page.