As is our tradition at the University of Notre Dame, let us begin with a prayer.
Almighty God, as we gather with family, friends, and classmates to celebrate our final moments as students at Our Lady’s University, we thank You for putting us on a path that brought the Class of 2022 together, and for guiding all of us to answer the calling to pursue higher education at the University of Notre Dame. We are grateful for the learning environment that nurtured our minds, bodies, and spirits, allowing us to mature and find our purpose. Thank You for Your grace and patience as we adjusted and found our roles in our new community. We are thankful, now, for the challenges that strengthened our minds and forced us to ask questions, for the moral tests that bolstered our character, and for the strength to persevere with faith, integrity, and grace.
We thank You for keeping our support systems strong and for putting extraordinary people on our paths who guided us here; for families who provided comfort and direction; for friends, roommates, and classmates who knew when to offer support, push us to work harder, or take us out for a meal when we needed it most; for professors who shared their passion and enthusiasm for knowledge and showed us what is possible; and for rectors and hall staff who provided a safe space in failure and triumph.
Dear God, continue to guide us so that we may never be blind to the world’s poverty, oppression, and injustices. Help us seek ways to assist others and have the wisdom to know when we need help ourselves. May we embody the pillars of a Holy Cross education as we find our purpose and share the spirit of Notre Dame. Help us use the tools that Our Lady’s University gave us for good, and to always keep service and faith, regardless of creed, at the forefront of our decision making. May God bless our Class of 2022, including our newly commissioned military officers, and may the lessons learned, and the grace of Our Lady’s University guide us as we embark on the challenges that lie ahead.
Please be seated