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College Graduates Largest Class to Date

Australian Cardinal Presides; 80 Graduates Receive Diplomas

(Summer 2008 Newsletter)

At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, Thomas Aquinas College held its annual Baccalaureate Mass in the academic quadrangle in front of the Guadalupe Fountain. Here, in the shadow of the nearly-completed chapel of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, the College's 80 graduating seniors, their families and friends, students, faculty, members of the Board of Governors, and benefactors gathered for the Mass of the Holy Spirit offered by the Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, His Eminence George Cardinal Pell. Feelings of nostalgia as well as of anticipation filled the air, as graduates and guests alike realized that the Class of 2008 would be the last class to begin its commencement exercises outdoors-and that the Class of 2009 would be the first to have its Baccalaureate Mass offered in the magnificent new chapel just yards away.

For now, though, all were content with the open-air arrangements for Mass, at which it was an honor indeed to be graced with the presence of Australia's leading prelate, George Cardinal Pell. As he explained, he made the long journey to Southern California simply to show his support for Thomas Aquinas College and its mission: "I have come because for years I have known about Thomas Aquinas College, and I value deeply the work that is being done here. My visit is a sign of my own personal support for…this marvelous work."

Joining His Eminence at the altar for the Baccalaureate Mass were College chaplains Rev. Cornelius Buckley, S.J., Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P., and Rev. Charles Willingham, O.Praem. Also concelebrating were priests from neighboring parishes. In his homily, Cardinal Pell spoke to the graduates of the importance of listening to and heeding the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the years ahead. (For the full text of his sermon, click here.)

During Mass, the College Choir, under the direction of Mr. Dan Grimm ('76), inspired the congregation with William Byrd's Mass for Four Voices and various motets and hymns including Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus and a contemporary work by alumnus Stephen Grimm ('75), This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made. Nathan Reyes was selected from among the graduating seniors to sing as a solo the "Prayer of St. Richard of Chicester" by Clifford Boyd: "O holy Jesus, most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly."

Following Mass and a short break, the procession of Board members, faculty, and graduates-all dressed in academic regalia-was formed and made its way to the Commencement site on the quad to the accompaniment of a brass quartet.

After welcoming everyone to the event, President Dillon called the Senior Class Speaker, Mr. Joseph Thompson ('08), to the podium to deliver his address. In those remarks, Mr. Thompson spoke of the education he and his classmates had received, describing it as one that "would prepare us for wisdom" throughout the years to come. (For the full text of his talk, click here.)

A ceremony followed in which four new members were inducted into the Order of St. Albert the Great as a sign of the College's gratitude for their magnificent generosity. Receiving from Cardinal Pell a bronze bust of St. Albert the Great were Mr. and Mrs. R. Scott Turicchi; Mrs. Ann Noble Brown on behalf of her late brother and former member of the Thomas Aquinas College Board of Governors, Mr. Richard Noble; and Mr. Michael Cawley, Executive Director of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation of Ardmore, Oklahoma, on behalf of the Noble Foundation.

Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr. James Wensley explained, "St. Albert the Great was not only a renowned scientist and thinker, but also the teacher, friend, and defender of St. Thomas Aquinas, who would come to be known as the Universal Doctor and greatest theologian of the Church. Without St. Albert the Great, there would not be the St. Thomas that we know; likewise, without the Order of St. Albert the Great, there would not be the Thomas Aquinas College that we know. . . .For these benefactors have made the needs of the College their own, and because of them the College is flourishing today."

Cardinal Pell himself was then awarded the Saint Thomas Aquinas Medallion. In presenting the medallion, Mr. Wensley noted that it "had been established in 1975 as the College's highest award, as a means by which the College might recognize and honor those who have demonstrated, by their lives and work, an extraordinary dedication to God and His Church."

After receiving the award, Cardinal Pell delivered the Commencement Address, offering the graduates St. John Fisher as a model for their lives ahead. "St. John Fisher is remarkable for many reasons," said Cardinal Pell, "but one might begin with a group of new graduates by reminding them that he was truly wise." He then went on to describe the ways in which St. John Fisher also demonstrated courage, holiness, and a love of learning throughout his life. He closed his talk with the hope that the inspiration of this great saint would move them in their own lives "to some great and some good cause." (For the full text of Cardinal Pell's Commencement Address, click here.)

A record 80 seniors from around the country were then awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees in liberal arts and received from Cardinal Pell their diplomas. As is customary at the College, as a prayer of thanksgiving and humility, the graduates then intoned the hymn Non Nobis Domine, the English translation of which is "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory."

-- Qtrly Newsletter, Summer 2008