As ACCU member colleges and universities prepare for graduation, commencement speakers prepare inspiring addresses. This year, Catholic colleges and universities have invited a diverse range of commencement speakers, from craft brewers to the first lady of the Republic of Ghana. Below you’ll find a list of colleges and universities that invited speakers engaged in social justice issues.
Cabrini College: The Rev. Daniel Groody, immigration advocate and professor at the University of Notre Dame
College of the Holy Cross: Bryan A. Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, nonprofit organization providing legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners denied fair and just treatment in the legal system
Emmanuel College and Seton Hall University: Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston and pro-life advocate
Gonzaga University and University of San Diego: The Rev. Greg Boyle, Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, which provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women
Marquette University: Sister Margaret O’Neill, founder of El Centro Arte Para la Paz, which develops and promotes a culture of peace through the arts, creativity, imagination and cultural exchange
Misericordia University: Sister Eileen M. Campbell, former head of the Mercy Volunteer Corps, which invites women and men to service with people who are economically poor or marginalized
Rosemont College of the Holy Child Jesus: Sister Ann M. Durst, founder of Casa Cornelia Law Center, a public interest law firm providing quality pro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations
Saint Mary’s College: Sister Rosemary Connelly, executive director of Misericordia Home in Chicago, which provides a home for 600 children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities
Saint Michael’s College: Bernard Lafayette, civil rights activist
Saint Vincent College: Carolyn Woo, president of Catholic Relief Services
Trocaire College: Myron Glick, founder of Jericho Road Community Health Center, a culturally sensitive medical home, especially for refugee and low-income community members
University of Saint Thomas: Mark Crea, president of Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit
Walsh University: The Rev. Walter S. Moss, project director for the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence, a partnership of law enforcement, social service agencies, and the community to reduce gun violence in the City of Youngstown, Ohio
Xavier University: Kevin Fleming, Liberia Peace Corps director
For a more comprehensive list of commencement speakers at Catholic colleges and universities, see what Crux has compiled.
ACCU Peace and Justice 