Commencement 2008 Citation in Honor of Sister Lena Deevy

May 18, 2008

To say you are involved in opening doors is an understatement. Your entire life has involved widening the thresholds of possibility for the transient, transplanted, and disenfranchised.

After 20 years of spearheading community organizing efforts in poor neighborhoods of your native Ireland, you came to Boston for a graduate degree and found that there was work here where you could have an impact. Your academic research provided a basis for the founding of the Irish Immigration Center, where you have worked since 1990.

The Irish Immigration Center was originally created to support Irish immigrants as they made a transition to their new communities, but its mission has evolved over two decades. The Center where you now serve as executive director assists immigrants from 112 countries around the globe. It is an inspirational beacon on the same "city upon a hill" where early settlers arrived centuries ago.

Indeed, although you hail from a small island that has known more than its share of hunger, sectarian conflict, and diaspora, your message of acceptance and multicultural understanding builds bridges across all global communities. As a member of the Little Sisters of the Assumption, an international community of Catholic women, you have dedicated your life to grassroots activism that improves the lives of the poor and, particularly, of immigrants.

Many organizations have honored your work, citing the ways you have helped Boston newcomers to become contributing neighbors, colleagues, and citizens. Moreover, you have been recognized for your involvement in international solidarity efforts that have promoted peace and justice in Nicaragua, El Salvador, South Africa, and the Philippines.

For your steadfast aid to those separated from their homelands and people; for the collaborative spirit that allows you to look beyond potential barriers of race, language, and place of origin; and for your unparalleled example in acting justly, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with God, Stonehill College is proud to confer upon you, Sr. Lena Deevy, honoris causa, the degree of Doctor of Humanities.

Citation for Sister Lena Deevy read by Richard B. Finnegan, professor of Political Science.