The Lily, Mast & Mascle
The Lily, Mast & Mascle Fellowship Society of St Mary’s College was established in 2025 as an affiliated body of both St Mary’s College and St Mary’s Society at the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. The Fellowship is dedicated to the ideals of the College and its founders, to the enduring vitality of its mission, and to the timeless pursuit of meaning and enlightenment. It is formed of alumni, faculty, students and friends dedicated to preserving and promoting the academic, spiritual and historic legacy of St Mary’s.
The Fellowship draws inspiration from the symbols of the College crest, in keeping with the vision of its founders, Archbishops James Beaton and John Hamilton. Symbolically rooted in its name, it reflects three guiding principles:
The Lily – We are guided, in purity of purpose
The Mast – We go forth in honour
The Mascle – We honour the legacy of those before us
The Fellowship is committed to furthering the foundational ideals set forth by the founders and preserving the College’s role as a community of ‘saints’ and ‘scholars’. Members will work to foster fellowship and service, celebrate achievements and milestones, and strengthen engagement and mentorship. Ultimately, the mission is to inspire, encourage and enlighten.
Alumna and founding member Rebecca Riebe is a descendant of Archbishop Beaton, who graduated from the University nearly five centuries before her. James Beaton became Archbishop of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and Primate of Scotland in 1522 and established and endowed the ‘New College’ of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, the Divinity College of St Mary’s, for the study of divinity, civil and canon law, medicine, and other disciplines. The New College was confirmed in February 1538 and was extended and completed by Beaton’s successor, Archbishop Hamilton,16 years later.
Rebecca said of the founding of the Lily, Mast & Mascle:
“The beauty of all that is St Mary’s and its enormous importance must continue. We are guided. Over time, I realised the honour granted to me, both as a student and a descendant, carries a direct purpose. It is my privilege to help uphold the legacy of our ancestors, centuries on.”
The Lily, Mast & Mascle affirms the enduring influence of St Mary’s and its vital role in the pursuit of wisdom and meaning throughout centuries of change.
The School of Divinity is delighted to launch the Lily, Mast & Mascle as a worldwide St Mary’s Alumni Association. All alumni, friends, faculty and supporters of St Mary’s College are invited to join the Association to keep up to date with news and future alumni events, and to receive future editions of our newsletter, The Holm Oak. If you would like to be informed about upcoming events organised by the Association, both online and in person, please email StMarysAlumni@st-andrews.ac.uk to register your interest and to be added to the mailing list.
Excitingly, St Mary’s has managed to secure a method of donating directly to St Mary’s College, as opposed to the general University fund. This money will be used for international fellowships, funding student conferences and events, and renovations and refurbishments.
Online donations can be made through the donation webpage at /development/support/ways-to-donate/single-and-regular-donations
After selecting the country from which you are donating, you will need to specify that you are donating to either the School of Divinity International Fellowship Scheme or to the St Mary’s Operational Fund (by clicking other and completing this manually) to ensure that your donation reaches the right location.
If you are donating by cheque via the post, please make it payable to the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø (or the University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø American Foundation if donating from the US) and send it to the address below. Please enclose a note of your details and that you wish to support St Mary’s College, to ensure the donation reaches the correct fund.
US Donors:
University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø American Foundation
c/o Susan Donald, Development Officer (Operations)
Development
University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
91 North Street
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
KY16 9AJ
UK
UK & Worldwide Donors:
Susan Donald, Development Officer (Operations)
Development
University of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
91 North Street
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
KY16 9AJ
UK