GRAD ABOUT YOU!

On June 26, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany held its annual commencement ceremony at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The graduation was one of the few live commencements held in the Diocese due to COVID-19 restrictions and the first by a diocesan high school.
All 37 graduates and their families were required to wear face masks and practice social distancing; a limit was also placed on the amount of people allowed inside the Cathedral.

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger delivered a speech to the students and led the blessing of the diplomas. “I want you to know you are never alone, the Lord walks with you wherever you go,” said the Bishop.

Principal Michael Tolan spoke about the challenges of COVID-19 and the ongoing battle against racial injustice ravaging the world after the death of George Floyd. People begin to look for hope in dark times, Tolan said, and that very hope is going to be the Bishop Maginn class.

“You are the hope, you are the future, you are the ones going to get us out of this mess,” Tolan said. “I can’t wait to see what each of you do with your lives.”

Saratoga Central Catholic will hold its graduation ceremony at St. Clement’s Church on July 10, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School on July 11 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady, and Catholic Central High School on July 25 in Troy at the athletic fields. Christian Brothers Academy (June 25) and Academy of Holy Names (June 26) also celebrated their graduations last week, while La Salle Institute is scheduled for July 24.

The Evangelist’s special graduation issue will run on July 16 and feature a column from Giovanni Virgiglio, diocesan chancellor and superintendent of schools, names of all the graduates, the speeches of the valedictorian and the salutatorian of the diocesan high schools, photo pages of the diocesan and private high school graduation ceremonies and much more.