How has the Class of 2020 been celebrating their commencements this year? We’ve put together a new video gallery to show you what virtual ceremonies, Baccalaureate Masses and toasts at Jesuit colleges and universities look like online! Click on the videos below to learn more.
Baccalaureate Masses & Degree Conferral Ceremonies
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Canisius University: Virtual Degree Conferral Ceremony
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Creighton University: Virtual Degree Conferral Ceremony
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Saint Joseph’s University: Commencement Opening Ceremony
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Fordham University: Baccalaureate Mass
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Georgetown University: Musical Performance During Baccalaureate Mass
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Le Moyne College: Virtual Rendition of Alma Mater
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Loyola University New Orleans: Virtual Commencement Ceremony “Party with the Pack”
Toasts from Presidents, Administrators, Alumni & Special Guests
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Gonzaga University
President Thayne Mculloh
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Loyola Marymount University
President Timothy Law Snyder
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Rockhurst University
President Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J.
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University of Detroit Mercy
President Antoine M. Garibaldi
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Santa Clara University
Governor Gavin Newsom ’89 (D-CA)
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Saint Peter’s University
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
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John Carroll University
Featuring NFL Hall of Famer & JCU Alum, London Fletcher & Friends
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Regis University: President Rev. John Fitzgibbons, S.J. & Administrators
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Loyola University Chicago: President Jo Ann Rooney & Administrators
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Saint Louis University: Billikens of the Last Decade Advisory Board
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Seattle University: President Rev. Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J. & Administrators
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Xavier University: President Rev. Michael J. Graham, S.J.
Who’s Who in the Class of 2020
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Boston College: Congratulations to the Class of 2020
Fairfield University: Celebration of the Class of 2020
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Spring Hill College: Celebration of Seniors
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College of the Holy Cross: Student Reflections
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Loyola University Maryland: Salute to Seniors
Marquette University: Class of 2020, Yesterday and Today
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University of San Francisco: Class of 2020 by the Numbers
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The University of Scranton: Class of 2020, Presented by Family and Friends
From Wednesday, May 13 through Friday, May 22, the College of the Holy Cross hosted a Senior Celebration Series, featuring Senior Exit Talks, a virtual tour of “hidden gems” on campus, and much more each day. On Friday, May 15, Creighton University hosted School and College virtual degree ceremonies, followed by an all-University event on Saturday, May 16. John Carroll University hosted a Liturgy and virtual Class Toast on Saturday, May 16, and a virtual Conferring of Degrees on Sunday, May 17.
On Friday, May 15, Fordham University live-streamed its Baccalaureate Mass, featuring best-selling author, Rev. James Martin, S.J., as homilist. Fr. Martin also received an honorary degree from Fordham: his eighteenth from a Jesuit college or university. Fordham hosted a videocast commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16.
Canisius University recorded a virtual degree conferral for graduate students on Wednesday, May 13, which is now available to view on YouTube. A virtual degree conferral ceremony was later recorded for undergraduate students; click here to learn more about Canisius’ support for the class of 2020. Fairfield University live-streamed its Baccalaureate Mass on Sunday, May 17. The University also created a “social celebration” livestream of celebratory posts across various social media channels.
Georgetown University live-streamed a degree conferral ceremony featuring remarks from the University’s president, provost and prominent alumni, and a performance of the alma mater by a virtual choir on Saturday, May 16. Georgetown also compiled a video featuring greetings to graduates from family and friends across the world.
Gonzaga University compiled tributes for a congratulatory video from parents and family members of Gonzaga seniors. The University also created a webpage featuring resources for graduates and profiles from the Class of 2020. Spring Hill College created a video celebrating seniors, featuring greetings from SHC’s president and other members of the campus community.
Marquette University collected images of graduating seniors as children and as adults for a daily series on Twitter. The University also created a congratulatory video featuring well-wishes from campus administrators, available on Facebook. Le Moyne College created a dedicated commencement page, featuring a congratulatory video from Le Moyne administrators, and a virtual performance of the College’s alma mater.
The University of Detroit Mercy compiled a series of student spotlight stories, including an Iraq War veteran, who graduated this year with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and is currently giving back to his local community by making 3-D printed face masks through his own non-profit organization. Rockhurst University created a YouTube playlist, featuring videos of four “Outstanding Grads” of the Class of 2020; additional profiles of graduates are featured on Rockhurst’s website.
Loyola Marymount University hosted three virtual celebrations for its graduating students: undergraduates on Saturday, May 9; graduate students on Sunday, May 10; and law students on Sunday, May 17. LMU also hosted a week of virtual events for undergraduates from Friday, May 8 through Friday, May 15; click here to learn more about the Class of 2020 at LMU.
Members of the senior class at Loyola University Chicago participated in a video capstone project to share their thoughts on graduating in the midst of the pandemic; the video is available to view on Instagram. Faculty and staff from Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business also turned to video to share their messages of congratulations to their graduating students. For more information on Loyola’s commencement plans, please click here.
The University of San Francisco created a virtual Commencement Hub, featuring video greetings from USF’s president and administrators of its academic colleges, as well as information on upcoming virtual celebrations. USF also shared a story on its efforts to ship caps and gowns to graduates; click here to learn more. Loyola University Maryland conferred degrees to more than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students in a ceremony that was livestreamed from Loyola’s website on Saturday, May 16. Learn more about this year’s graduates in a new celebratory video.
Click here to view it online. Saint Joseph’s University hosted a virtual conferral of degrees on Saturday, May 16. The ceremony was live-streamed and made available to view on social media channels; click here to learn more. On Saturday, May 9, Loyola University New Orleans hosted a virtual celebration, streamed on YouTube, featuring a message from Loyola’s president, along with student performances and even a few celebrity guests!
Xavier University’s Vice President for Mission and Identity and Chief Mission Officer shared a video in cap-and-gown, offering four characteristics in leadership for Jesuit-educated students; click here to view it on Twitter. Click here for a special website dedicated to the Class of 2020, featuring information on online events, including a virtual celebration that was held on Saturday, May 16.
Additional Jesuit colleges and universities posted information (including letters from presidents) on plans for future commencement ceremonies on their websites: Boston College, Regis University, Saint Louis University, Saint Peter’s University, Santa Clara University, Seattle University and The University of Scranton.