Homecoming 2007 may be the greatest ever. I’m not exaggerating.

The weather will be picture perfect and at kick-off tomorrow it will be just under 70 degrees and clear skies, and a nationally-ranked team will try to spoil the first Saint Vincent Homecoming football party in 45 years. I don’t care what the score is – they can’t spoil a thing. Our football players are winners and their pioneering efforts, like the monks in 1846 who came to these verdant pastures and created a college from nothing, will bear much fruit in the years to come. We’ll have thousands in the stands and circling the fields. Get there early.

I just met in my office with two Class of 2004 alums – Michael Neal and Matt Olesnevich. They couldn’t get over how beautiful the campus is and how much has changed so quickly. They marveled about the Rogers Center and how quickly that masterpiece rose from the bare foundation of last spring. Mike works for the United States government in the department of Homeland Security. Matt is molding the lives of young men and women in Tallahassee, Florida at a new Catholic high school – he teaches, coaches, administers. They make their alma mater proud. Earlier in the week I met with Gus Klein, a wonderful alum. He and his wife Judy dropped by. He graduated in 1957 and all he wanted to talk about was the future of the College. Jim Valvano was here yesterday – class of ’55. He and Marie talked about their car trip in and how, as they approached the campus, they got tears in their eyes.

They are part of the procession back home – an annual passage of people longing to be with friends, familiar places, and the good company of Benedictine monks, faculty from yesteryear, and even their new president. Tonight hundreds of the members of the Saint Vincent family will gather to honor seven alums of distinction and one recent graduate for their tremendous contributions to the world. Their success is not simply measured in terms of money and titles – they all have distinguished careers – but is accentuated by their noble service and faithful love of God. Graduates like this are Saint Vincent’s ambassadors. They are part of the reason our College is gaining national acclaim and attracting a record number of applicants (on that front, we are ahead of last year’s record setting pace for applicants, and it looks likely that we will have another waiting list for admission to our campus).

I am leaving the office to go watch our women’s tennis team in their afternoon match. Tomorrow morning I will have breakfast with two groups of special guests – those celebrating their 25th and 50th graduation anniversaries. After that, I hope to catch some of the action when our Women’s Field Hockey team plays Kean University, and when our alums who played lacrosse square off with our current athletes. Just after noon we’ll have the introduction of the Homecoming Court and a parade down to Chuck Noll Field. The game will be followed by a carnival in the afternoon and the day is capped off with a tribute to Fr. Tom Devereux whose creative touch and sheer force of will helped generations of Saint Vincent students discover the magic of theater and drama.  By the time the fireworks go off tomorrow evening, exhaustion will set in. But that is always the case whenever there is a family reunion – and at Saint Vincent, that is what homecoming is. I hope you students come share in the joy of these events – there should be plenty of free food around, so crash any party that you see. Ok, I’m kidding on the last part, but I do hope you introduce yourself to our alums.

In my last blog I quoted the Byrds’ 60’s hit, Turn, Turn, Turn. These seasons of life – a time to be a Freshman, a time to be an alum; a time to pay tuition, a time to contribute to our annual fund (ok, I paraphrase a little) – add such beauty. 

It is the season of homecoming - Enjoy it!