A Masters, or Two

Our family celebrated Sapientia et Doctrina this weekend at Fordham University's 167th annual commencement. What a joy!

Dominic and his classmates: His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Tony Bennett and Phylicia Rashad graduated on Saturday morning on Edward's Parade in front of Keating Hall.

To clarify, Mr. Bennett, Cardinal Dolan and Ms. Rashad were earning honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters. In 2001, Tony Bennett founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria with his wife, Susan Benedetto, a graduate of Fordham University. Phylicia Rashad is Fordham's inaugural Denzel Washington Professor of Theater. And as Archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan is the ninth archbishop to succeed Fordham's founder, Archbishop John Hughes. I digress...

Dominic shocked us all with his entrance:

None of us knew he would be the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Banner Bearer, but it sure did make him easy to spot! Dominic's school is represented by the owl of Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom and rational inquiry.

After the procession, we sat back to enjoy the invocation by the Associate Director for Campus Ministry. I couldn't see her, but I recognized her voice from a graduate school prayer group we attended on a weekly basis last year.

John Brennan (a 1977 Fordham grad) delivered the commencement address. When the university gave him his honorary doctorate, the following was read:

Millions of Americans depend on John Brennan to keep their country safe, our nation's leader among them. As Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor, Brennan reports to President barack Obama on a wide range of issues - from terrorist threats to environmental disasters. 

He did a nice job. I don't remember much of what he said, except that his last piece of advice for the graduates was to spend more time with their families.

Tom, Peg and I moved from the lawn to University Church where Dominic's school was awarded their diplomas.

Tom, Dom and Dr. Schwabenberg, the IPED program director

Tom and Peg celebrated the weekend with us. We enjoyed sights from Ellis Island to St. Patrick's Cathedral, sounds including an Armenian/Russian concert, and visits including a post-graduation brunch with Dominic's classmates and a road trip to New Jersey to see a dear family friend named Father Bob. It was an exciting visit and an excellent opportunity to reconnect. 

Dominic graduated with his IPED degree this weekend. He will finish his Economics degree comprehensive exams in early June. We welcome your prayers as we prepare for what the future holds.