Seton Hall University grants an honorary degree in human sciences to Sister Raffaella Petrini
Working for the good of all
Sister Raffaella Petrini, General Secretary of the Governorate of Vatican City State, has received an honorary degree in human sciences from Seton Hall University. The official ceremony took place during the 168th Commencement ceremony on Tuesday, 21 May, in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, University Chair of the Board of Trustees and President of the University Board of Regents, introduced Sister Petrini to the teaching staff and to students.
The Cardinal called for hearts and minds to be joined in prayer: “Heavenly Father, we gather today to honour the graduates of a great Catholic university named for your faithful servant Elizabeth Ann Seton. Through her intercession we ask that you bless these graduates and all who have supported them through their years of study”.
The Cardinal then asked for prayers for peace, saying: “"God of love and mercy, we pray for an end to all violence – whether in our neighbourhoods or faraway lands. Help us to see that war is never the answer. That violence can never solve the problems in our society or among nations. We pray especially for the people of Ukraine, Israel, Palestine and Haiti – and for other war-torn nations. May they know lasting peace”. Lastly, the Cardinal prayed that the Lord may“help us work tirelessly to address the root causes of violence: poverty, addictions, mental illness and injustice”.
During her address at the Commencement, Sister Petrini noted that the presence of Saint Elizabeth Seton“is still evident” in “this beautiful campus”and called on graduates to become leaders who are not only attentive to tools, techniques and results, but leaders who are capable of listening, accompanying and guiding; leaders who care for people and things entrusted to them, who are constantly driven by the desire to work for the good of all”. Addressing the students, she encouraged them to“apply the knowledge and skills you have learned. Continue to develop your gifts and talents, grow as a person, but also give back by leading others in their own path to growth”.
The General Secretary stressed that “Catholic Social Thought makes it clear that structural changes can only be achieved through personal change”, adding that “the knowledge and skills acquired at Seton Hall University will facilitate your growth in awareness of the mutual responsibility of the human family”.
The festive ceremony began with a procession to the tune of bagpipes in honour of the Scottish roots of Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton.
At the end of the ceremony, President-elect Msgr Joseph R. Reilly led a thanksgiving prayer.
Seton Hall is one of the most distinguished Catholic universities in the United States of America. Founded in 1856 by James Roosevelt Bayley, it is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, the first U.S.-born saint, and boasts 90 academic programs. The academic excellence of Seton Hall has been recognized by prestigious publications, including The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.
The main campus spreads across 240,000 square meters and is located in the picturesque town of South Orange in New Jersey, some 14 miles from Manhattan.
The University’s Law School is located in Newark, New Jersey. A new Interprofessional Health Sciences campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. was inaugurated in July 2018 and houses Seton Hall’s College of Nursing, the School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
