Two historic firsts for Saint Vincent College during May 2007: The President of the United States visited our campus and a group of students went on a mission trip to Calcutta.

I am still hearing from graduates and their families about Commencement 2007 and how unforgettable it was. Our graduates - the largest class ever - showed so much class and maturity as they welcomed President George W. Bush with a Benedictine hospitality that would have made our founder, Boniface Wimmer, proud. It was no secret that some members of the Saint Vincent College community did not support the invitation to President Bush, including some members of the faculty who nonetheless attended the ceremonies and graciously welcomed our nation's commander in chief.

As I reflect on the events of three weeks ago, I am left with a sense of awe and gratitude to God. There was something magical about the day: the picture perfect weather; the Carey Center looking like it had never looked before; the landing of Marine One on the fields behind the residence halls and the greeting of President Bush by some of our students; his wonderful and challenging address to our graduates; the announcement that our School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing would be named after one of our finest and most prominent graduates, Herb Boyer; his humble words of gratitude; and most of all, the triumphant procession of our graduates on the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. I was privileged to shake the hands of each graduate and see in their eyes the pride of hard-earned accomplishment. What a delight that was!

Perhaps you have seen the media coverage of Graduation Day and the President's visit - our College was featured in stories ranging from the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and all of the state and local newspapers, to the network and cable television outlets. Many pointed out the grace and elegance of our Saint Vincent community and how the voices of dissent gave way to a respectful welcome for our nation's highest elected official and the office he represents.

Saint Vincent College sparkled in the national spotlight like a newly-discovered gem. What we have known about our College - its unique greatness and bedrock decency - were on display for all to see. It is no surprise we had a waiting list to get into Saint Vincent this fall, and I expect we will see the same thing for those seeking to enter in 2008. The word is getting out about this very well-kept secret. I am so thankful to Almighty God that I and my family have been grafted on to the family tree of Saint Vincent - a tree whose roots extend to the time of President Lincoln (by the way, he and I share being a 16th president - so you can be sure that my wife Mary and I have decided against attending evening theater performances at Carey! Come to think of it, Pope Benedict is a 16th, too. Are you getting chills?).

So many people at Saint Vincent did so much to make Commencement 2007 such a success. Our staff, volunteers, administrators, security folks, and most of all, our students. God bless each of you. Thank you!

But as memorable as Commencement 2007 was, the month would not have been complete without the trip to Calcutta that twelve of our students and I just made. We left a week after graduation. This mission trip spoke as eloquently about who Saint Vincent College is as our Commencement ceremony and its guest speaker did. Communications Professor Rebecca Dinning and her husband Matt joined our group for an unforgettable week in Calcutta. We went to see the people and places that unleashed Mother Teresa's legendary compassion, and we were not disappointed. Our students worked with severely handicapped children who had been abandoned, and other orphans, and some went and cared for the dying destitutes in Mother's Home for the Dying. Tim and Nancy Joyce, friends of mine who joined up with us in Calcutta, arranged a journey through the horrid, dark slums of one neighborhood to visit a self-help program run by Catholic Relief Services. That, too, left powerful images with all of us, and great memories of lovely people.

It was my 8th trip to Calcutta but the students made me experience it anew - their wonder and enthusiasm were contagious. Their hearts were stirred to such heights of generosity that when it was time to leave and return to the States, they decided to leave all of their clothes, shoes, and supplies behind for the nuns of Mother Teresa to distribute to the poor. That is what love can do with a willing heart! I was so proud of our 12 pioneers, and I can't wait to take a group next year. There were 60 students interested in going this year, and I suspect we'll have an even bigger applicant pool next year when word gets around about how incredible this mission trip was.

Calcutta is now connected to Saint Vincent, and this new bond of friendship will only grow stronger. The weather was punishing - the temperature each day was over 100 degrees with a "real feel" of about 130-140. No kidding. Our students handled this, and the sorrow and drama of the "City of Joy" with aplomb. They encountered Jesus in "His distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor" (Mother Teresa's words) and I am sure that the Lord has scattered many seeds in their hearts and souls, and with proper care and attention, these seeds will lead to much fruit in the years ahead. Matt brought a video camera and took some footage and we will have a video presentation of the Calcutta trip early next semester. If you see any of the students who went to Calcutta and London, ask them to tell you about it, ok? Saint Vincent is poised to greatly increase study abroad and foreign mission trip opportunities for her students, so stay tuned!

As I close this final blog until our Freshman arrive in August, I want to thank Our Lady, the mother of Jesus and the cause of our joy, for her powerful intercession for Saint Vincent College and for all of us, especially our students. The month of May is dedicated by the Church to the Blessed Mother, and today is the feast of the Visitation. Saint Luke's gospel recounts how Mary, pregnant with Jesus, went in haste to the hill country to care for her aged relative, Elizabeth, who also was with child. The words of Elizabeth's greeting are ones we should ponder: Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Mary put the interests of others ahead of her own. She is a sign of contradiction in a culture today that expounds a "me first" philosophy. Our students are swimming against the tide of the cultural currents that discount the poor, abandon the elderly, and threaten the lives of the unborn and dying. These twelve students who went to Calcutta showed great charity in their hidden acts of care and compassion in a far away country, just like Our Lady did in her care of Elizabeth. Blessed are they among students!

I am hoping this model of faith and love in action, particularly in service of the poor - a model that has existed at Saint Vincent for some time as students have gone to Brazil, Newark, Mobile, the Dominican Republic, New Orleans and many other places to help those in need - will continue to be part of the educational experience we offer students fortunate to enroll here. I am going to do all that I can to make sure this happens.

Have a great summer and see you in late August! God bless you.