Young Catholics across our state will graduate from college over the next several weeks. It marks a significant occasion for them and their families. It also offers an opportunity to reflect on the world in which they are entering.
Commencement marks a new beginning in their young lives. Soon they will make their own contributions to the political and economic world. They find work, start businesses, and contribute to the building up of society. It is our hope that the Catholic faith that has formed them, first in their families, and then in our Catholic schools and religious education programs, will shape their work in the world.
Graduates of 2016 will call especially upon the grace of their Confirmation. Contributing to the political and economic order is precisely the realm of the confirmed—that is, those who have been given the grace to bring their Catholic faith out into the world
In the coming years hopefully many among them will seriously consider the possibility of a priestly or religious vocation. The tremendous need for more young people to lay down their lives in service to Christ and His Church is well-known. It is a myth of enormous proportion that the Church can flourish without many priestly and religious vocations.
Congratulations to the graduates of 2016. May they lead lives that give credible witness to the Church today. It is our prayer that their Catholic faith will transform the world into a better reflection of God’s Kingdom.
