c o mm e n c e m e n t
Spiritual Speaker Adds Cardinal Value to Commencement Cardinal Timothy Dolan Offers Heartfelt Blessings at Manhattan College’s 170th Commencement.
O
n May 20, nearly 750 students joined the ranks of prestigious Manhattan College alumni — some opting to pursue advanced studies and others heading into the workforce — but all equipped with a degree in love. As seniors from the schools of Arts, Science, Business, Education and Health, and Engineering processed into Draddy Gymnasium for the 170th Commencement exercises, they were joined by a new Jasper — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker. “So here I trust, graduates, you’ve learned
36 N FALL 2012
to love,” he began. “Yes, you’ve learned to love friends, learning itself, New York City, life itself, your field of study, but also I trust you’ve learned to love even better God and other people.” Love was certainly evident on campus that morning, as families held hands during the Lord’s Prayer at Baccalaureate Mass, as students shook the hands of their favorite professors, as parents gathered excitedly around their soon-to-be graduates, helping to smooth gowns and readjust caps before the first notes of Pomp and Circumstance. Valedictorian Meredith Mayer ’12 shared