Katia Passerini delivered the keynote urging graduates to lead with integrity and service before beginning tenure as President of Gonzaga University. Erin E. Barno of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania delivered the valedictory address, drawing inspiration from Popes Francis and Leo XIV. President Monsignor Reilly emphasized resilience, service and the enduring mission of Catholic education.
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Seton Hall University celebrated its 169th Baccalaureate Commencement on Monday, May 19, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with Katia Passerini, Ph.D., the outgoing provost and senior executive vice president, delivering the keynote address.
Dressed in Pirate blue and surrounded by the pageantry of the occasion, the University conferred baccalaureate degrees on 1,380 students, including 791 graduating with honors. An additional 821 students earned master's and doctoral degrees this commencement season, bringing the total number of graduates to 2,201.
Vice President of University Relations Matthew Borowick '89/M.B.A. '94 opened the ceremony to enthusiastic applause, welcoming the Class of 2025 before formally beginning the proceedings. "It is the custom at Seton Hall University to begin the commencement procession with a pipe band, to honor the Scottish origins of its namesake and patroness, Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton," he said.
Outgoing Faculty Senate Chair and Professor of History Nathaniel Knight led the academic procession. Rahyna Clarke-Lucas, a music performance major with a concentration in voice, performed the national anthem.
The master of ceremonies was Deputy Provost, Chief Administration Officer and Executive Vice President Erik Lillquist, J.D.
Invocation and Introduction by Cardinal Tobin
Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark and University Chair, Board of Trustees and President, University Board of Regents, delivered the Invocation to the Class of 2025. "Heavenly Father, we gather today to honor the graduates of a great Catholic university named for your faithful servant, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Through her intercession, we ask you to bless these graduates and all who have supported them through their years of study."
He prayed that the graduates' Seton Hall experiences would enrich their lives, "personally, professionally and spiritually," and called on God to bless honorary degree recipient Katia Passerini.
Cardinal Tobin also prayed for Pope Leo XIV, asking God to give him, "strength and wisdom to guide us in paths of hope." He continued, "God of love and mercy, we pray for an end to violence, whether in our own neighborhoods or in faraway lands." Naming Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Haiti and Sudan, Cardinal Tobin asked that they may, "know the lasting peace."
He continued by praying that the Seton Hall community may remain faithful to its mission and be, "transformed by the power of Your grace into faithful citizens of Your kingdom of justice and peace."
He concluded by connecting today's celebration to the selection of Pope Leo XIV and the challenges of technological innovation that graduates will face in the world such as artificial intelligence.
'Francis and Clare… Reilly and Passerini'
After receiving her Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Passerini delivered the keynote address. Introducing Passerini, President Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., compared his friendship with Passerini as akin to Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, "They had a deep respect and regard for each other. They shared a friendship as well as a vision for renewal and a genuine faith in God."
Monsignor Reilly summed up Passerini's service to Seton Hall: "In her five years on campus, she has made us a far better University—more inquisitive, more scholarly, more international and more faithful. I appreciate her innovative approach and unwavering dedication to student and faculty success. Every decision she made was rooted in faith and wisdom, placing the best interests of Seton Hall first."
Keynote
In her final address as provost and senior executive vice president, Katia Passerini, Ph.D., delivered a heartfelt and mission-centered keynote to the Class of 2025.
Drawing upon her journey in academia, faith and even her own personal experience as a Seton Hall student, Passerini emphasized the importance of integrating knowledge with compassion, achievement with service and leadership with humility.
"Learning and education – these are tools that empower us to avoid repeating the same errors, and they help us create an informed and ethically grounded future," she said.
Passerini, who will soon begin her tenure as president of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, encouraged the graduates to let the values they built at Seton Hall guide their future endeavors.
At the heart of her message were three guiding principles that graduates could choose to put their education at the service of themselves, at the service of others, or at the service of God.
Passerini closed her remarks by charging the Class of 2025 to be agents of change and carriers of hope.
Valedictory Address
Erin E. Barno, a double major in Chemistry and Religion from Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, delivered the Valedictory Address. A member of the University Honors Program, Barno served as president and secretary of the Pre-Dental Society, held four officer positions in Alpha Omicron Pi and conducted research in the Murphy Lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. After graduation, she will attend Touro College of Dental Medicine to pursue a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
Quoting the late Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Barno began: "'We are all brothers and sisters journeying together in this world. We need to build a global family, where no one is excluded, and everyone is cared for.'"
That spirit of kinship anchored throughout her address, painting a personal portrait of the student experience at Seton Hall. Reflecting on the journey of the Class of 2025, Barno spoke of the strength found in community, diversity and shared perseverance. She credited the, "Seton Hall family," for fostering an environment where students grew not only intellectually, but also morally and spiritually.
"Our family has challenged us to think more broadly, to behave more ethically and to develop personally and professionally into values-centered leaders," she said.
The lessons acquired along the way, Barno reminded the crowd, are not without their ups and downs. She acknowledged the many real-world challenges faced by graduates, while emphasizing that these trials revealed the power of resilience and the enduring spirit of the Class of 2025.
Drawing from her own experiences in research, leadership and community, Barno pointed to the universal, but still uniquely personal, lessons shared by the Class of 2025, highlighting, "the power of resilience, innovation and togetherness within a community."
As she looked ahead, Barno drew inspiration from the words of our newly elected Holy Father and pontiff: "As we now go forward, let us be guided by the words of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV: 'The future of humanity depends not on power or profit, but on the courage to care, the wisdom to listen, and the will to serve.'"
She closed by thanking Seton Hall for the family it has given its students and for the opportunity to cultivate that legacy for generations to come.
The Charge to Graduates
University President Monsignor Joseph Reilly, an alumnus of the class of 1987, delivered the charge to the Class of 2025. Monsignor Reilly reflected on leadership, service and the enduring impact of a Seton Hall education.
Framing his address through the lens of two deeply personal letters, one read and one received, Monsignor Reilly invited graduates to consider the measure of a life well-lived. The first, a letter from a Jesuit priest written on the eve of his ordination, emphasized that education is about achievement and where one chooses to stand.
The second letter, sent by one of his former students who had served in Africa on a Habitat for Humanity mission, spoke of transformation through service. That student, Monsignor Reilly noted, is now president of a major philanthropic foundation, having discovered his vocation not through ambition, but through compassion.
From these letters, Monsignor Reilly offered two enduring lessons.
"Genuine leadership is embedded in service," he said. "What's more, leadership can't truly be understood apart from the context of service."
Monsignor Reilly spoke of his experience on a recent service trip to El Salvador with Seton Hall community members where this sentiment was reaffirmed, noting that leadership and service are inseparable.
"At Seton Hall, we hope everyone feels called to something greater than themselves. Called to make a unique contribution to the group — for the good of others, and according to God's will, plan and purpose."
His second charge was equally clear: that leadership is an act of sacrifice.
Quoting a recent article marking the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Monsignor Reilly noted, "'We live in a time where cynicism often passes for wisdom, and performative outrage drowns out genuine strength. Lincoln reminds us that greatness isn't found in posturing, but in perseverance. Not in sound bites, but in sacrifice.'"
As the graduates prepared to step beyond the University gates, Reilly left them with a final challenge:
"The legacy of your years with us isn't just a piece of paper," he said. "But rather, five or 10 years from now, will the values you learned here still a part of your life?"
"It's only demonstrated in how you act and live. Did the lessons take hold, and are you making a positive difference? We have faith you will," he continued.
Reilly concluded with a blessing for the journey ahead: "May God continue to bless you in all your worthy endeavors. Today, tomorrow, and throughout your lives."
Welcoming the Newest Alumni
President of the Alumni Board of Directors Paul Tyahla '03/M.B.A. '23 welcomed the Class of 2025 into the global Seton Hall alumni community. A two-time graduate, Tyahla reflected on the enduring pride and connection of being a Pirate for life.
"Commencement isn't merely a tribute to your hard work," he said. "It's a declaration of the bold future you're poised to create."
Tyahla reminded graduates that they are joining a family of more than 100,000 alumni worldwide: a network that is diverse, dynamic and always ready to offer support.
"This diverse yet close-knit community is here to support you through every challenge and every triumph," he said. "Know that all 100,000 of us are cheering for you today."
Encouraging the graduates to carry Seton Hall into every new chapter, he challenged them to see their alma mater not as something behind them, but as a vital part of who they are.
"It isn't simply, 'I went to Seton Hall,'" he said. "It's 'I am a Seton Hall alum.'"
Closing Prayer
With their tassels turned, the graduates turned their attention to the closing prayer, presented by Reverend Brian Muzás, Ph.D., minister to the priest community and member of the Board of Regents and Board of Trustees. He is also a professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations and was recently honored with the Excellence and Innovation in Teaching 21st-Century Skills award for this academic year.
Leading the crowd, he implored that graduates, "be lifelong learners, patient listeners, and courageous peacemakers – even when the Wi-Fi fails or the meetings could have been emails. And lest they drift off course amid shifting winds and treacherous currents, may they find among the treasures of their Pirate education an inner compass like Mother Seton's."
Following tradition, the Commencement ceremony then closed with the singing of the Alma Mater. This year, it was sung by graduating senior Tasiah Mayfield, who double majored in music (sound production and engineering) and Asian studies.
RISE and B.S. in Interprofessional Health Sciences Cohorts Graduate First Cohorts
This year's celebrations also marked a special milestone for the University: the Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship, and Excellence (RISE) and B.S. in Interprofessional Health Sciences programs graduated their inaugural cohorts.
The RISE program assists low-income, first-generation or students with disabilities persist and graduate from Seton Hall University through the Federal TRiO Student Support Services grant.
The B.S. in Interprofessional Health Sciences is the first undergraduate program in the School of Health and Medical Sciences. The major prepares graduates for a range of entry-level healthcare roles and offers strong preparation for graduate studies in healthcare administration or professional programs like athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy and more.
About Seton Hall University
One of the country's leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall's academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and a more than 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be among the most diverse national Catholic universities in the country. A new independent economic analysis of the University found that Seton Hall provides a significant impact on New Jersey's economy, totaling over $1.6 billion annually and creating and sustaining nearly 10,000 jobs. In recent years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. The University's beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall's nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University's Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, New Jersey, houses Seton Hall's College of Nursing, its School of Health and Medical Sciences as well as the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. For more information, visit http://www.shu.edu.
Media Contact
Andrew Misura, Seton Hall University, 973-275-4953, [email protected], https://www.shu.edu/
SOURCE Seton Hall University
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