More than 1,200 students to graduate from area Catholic colleges in May

Criterion staff report

Students, families, friends and educators will join in the celebration as the three Catholic colleges in the archdiocese hold their graduation ceremonies in May.

Here is a glimpse of each ceremony.

Marian University

Marian University in Indianapolis will award a record 965 degrees during two commencement ceremonies on May 4.

A record 798 undergraduate and graduate students will receive bachelor and master’s degrees, while 167 future doctors will graduate from the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Undergraduates will receive their degrees during a 10 a.m. ceremony in the university’s new arena/convocation center.

The commencement address at the undergraduate ceremony will be shared by James Hallett, chairman and chief executive officer of KAR Auction Services, Inc., and owner of the Indy Fuel hockey team.

Graduate students and medical students will receive their degrees during a 3 p.m. ceremony at the center. The commencement speaker at this ceremony will be Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marian County Public Health Department and associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division.

During the undergraduate commencement, Hallett will receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree.

Five other individuals will also receive honorary degrees during the undergraduate ceremony: Tom Morales will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Business degree, while Chuck and Mary Welch and Len and Sue Strom will receive honorary Doctor of Philanthropy degrees.

During the ceremony for graduate and medical students, Caine will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. Dr. Tim Brown will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Health degree.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods will celebrate its commencement on May 11 when 195 graduates of the Class of 2019 will receive their associate, bachelor or master’s degree.

The Baccalaureate Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. in the college’s

Church of the Immaculate Conception. The commencement ceremony will begin at 1:15 p.m. in the college’s Jeanne Knoerle Sports & Recreation Center.

The commencement speaker will be Teresa Lubbers, commissioner of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Lubbers, who will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, previously served in the Indiana State Senate for 17 years.                        

Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology

Forty-nine students are expected to graduate when Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad holds its graduation ceremony on May 11.

The ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Central Time in St. Bede Theater on the Saint Meinrad campus. The commencement address will be delivered by Bishop Joseph M. Siegel of the Diocese of Evansville, Ind.

Mass for the graduates and their guests will be at 10:30 a.m. Central Time in the Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln. †