posted on 4/12/12
Saint Joseph's College's to Graduate 117th Class
On Sunday, May 6, Saint Joseph's College will graduate its 117th class of seniors. The Commencement ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm CDT in the Richard F. Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse. Fr. David Kelly, C.PP.S. '77, will serve as the Commencement speaker.
Fr. Kelly graduated from Saint Joseph's College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology-Chemistry. He then studied theology at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago, where he earned a Master of Divinity and was ordained a priest on June 12, 1982. He subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Studies in 1983 from CTU and an Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry in 2011 from CTU.
Fr. Kelly is the executive director of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR) in Chicago. The ministry promotes restorative practices and reaches out to youth from Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood in order to create an environment for healing and reconciliation. Fr. Kelly has been able to accompany and support countless youth who have gotten into trouble or found themselves victims of a violent system.
The class of 2012 valedictorian is Adam Ruggles, a senior from Haubstadt, Ind. A double major in Political Science and Philosophy, Ruggles' post-graduation goal is to attend law school at the University of Notre Dame.
Ruggles noted that he chose SJC because of its size and strong Catholic tradition. Although those things are still valuable to him today, he now feels that the aspect of SJC he likes most is the close bond that students form with their professors.
Ruggles is active in many campus activities, especially those of Campus Ministry. He has also been active as a tutor, writer for The Observer, and Writing Clinic worker.
For more information, visit www.saintjoe.edu/academics/commencement.
Saint Joseph's College, named a "character-building college" by the Templeton Foundation and a "best Midwestern college" by the Princeton Review, is a four-year, Catholic college offering 27 majors, 4 group majors, 34 minors, and 9 pre-professional programs, complemented by the nationally acclaimed Core Program. Founded and sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, SJC is located in Rensselaer, Indiana, approximately 90 minutes from both Chicago and Indianapolis, on a park-like campus of 180 acres and has an enrollment of 1,100 students.
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