STAFF REPORTS
WORCESTER, Mass. — David Call, of Springville, was one of 653 graduates to receive a degree during Assumption College’s 100th Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 14, held at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester, MA, in which speaker John L. Allen, Jr., editor of Crux, a publication that focuses on news of the Vatican and Catholic Church, delivered the Commencement address. Call received a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Allen–who is a senior Vatican analyst for CNN and served as correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter for 16 years–has written nine books on the Holy See and Catholic affairs, and is a popular speaker on Catholicism both in the United States and internationally. According to the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, his reporting is “possibly the best source of information on the Vatican published in the United States.” The London Tablet has called Allen “the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language,” and renowned papal biographer George Weigel has called him “the best Anglophone Vatican reporter ever.”
Allen went on to share stories of each of the three Popes, and one core life lesson to infer from each example. From John Paul II, the importance of courage, which was firmly rooted in his faith; from Pope Benedict XVI, that faith and reason belong together and that only truth can save the world; and from Pope Francis, choosing to live life through the eyes of mercy, and to make the Catholic Church a genuine community of mercy.
In addition to delivering the Commencement address, Allen received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was also conferred upon Mary Lou Jennings, executive director of the Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that empowers African-Americans to pursue their dream of a college degree. The mission of the foundation is to “establish the means by which to rekindle and enliven the hope and the opportunities that Catholic schools can offer to black children.” Under Jennings’ stewardship, the Foundation has provided scholarship assistance to approximately 200 African-American students to attend a Catholic college or university, including some who have attended Assumption College. The Foundation also supports single mothers who are managing the demands of motherhood and college classes.
Founded in 1904 by the Augustinians of the Assumption in Worcester, Mass., Assumption College is a Catholic liberal arts institution that offers undergraduate students 42 majors and 48 minors in the liberal arts, sciences, business, and professional studies; as well as master’s and continuing education degrees and professional certificate programs-each through an educational experience that is grounded in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition. The curriculum enables students to gain a depth and breadth of knowledge that leads to professional success and personal fulfillment. Students-whether on the Worcester campus or at the College’s Rome, Italy, campus-become engaged participants in Assumption’s classic liberal arts education, exploring new ideas and making connections across disciplines. To prepare for the workforce, students learn cutting-edge theory and best practices, conduct innovative research, and develop excellent communication and critical-analysis skills. Assumption graduates are also known for their thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service to their community.
For more information about Assumption College, please visit www.assumption.edu.
