President John Denning, C.S.C., Delivers Remarks to Campus Community at Academic Convocation 2025

Good afternoon. It is so good to be with you as we begin this 77th academic year of Stonehill College. I, too, would like to welcome the incoming students, Class of 2029, as well as transfer and graduate students. We are all so glad you are here and hope you find a community where you feel welcomed, at home, and a place where you grow in wisdom and in grace. 

This promises to be an exciting year as we begin our next strategic plan, Stonehill 2030: Building Together. This plan will help guide us over the next five years as we develop educational and co-curricular opportunities that are experiential, relational, and transformational. 

The goals presented in Building Together are ambitious, but they are eminently achievable. The enduring ties that bind our community offer us the resolve needed to accomplish them. As Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross noted, “Faith, as well as reason and experience, demonstrates that ‘in union there is strength.’”

In the spirit of unity, I would like to thank each of you for your impactful contributions to our educational mission at Stonehill. 

To our students, both new and returning, I am so glad that you have chosen to make this campus your home, the place where you can share your unique gifts and help create a world guided by knowledge and integrity.

This summer, during a public celebration hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago, Pope Leo offered a meaningful message to young people, remarking that “you are the promise of hope for so many of us.” 

He further reflected, “To share that message of hope with one another - in outreach, in service, in looking for ways to make our world a better place - gives true life to all of us and is a sign of hope for the whole world.” 

This academic year, I look forward to seeing how you answer the Pope’s call to embody this message of hope and service. 

I am grateful to Senior Class President Ian O’Connor for presenting this year’s class shovel, an Ames shovel originally manufactured during the 1930s. Ian noted that this high-quality tool can pick up large amounts of material. As such, it serves as a unique symbol reminding us to always dig deep as we cultivate compassion and serve others here on campus and in the larger community.

I’d also like to extend my thanks to Cicily Shaw ’97, Alumni Council president, for presenting this year’s Class Pins. You inspire us all by continually paying forward your Stonehill experience to future generations.

To all our new and returning faculty and staff, I am truly appreciative of the work you do to foster a culture of educational excellence at Stonehill. Like our students, you also serve as bearers of hope for our community through your passion for teaching and commitment to mentorship and scholarship. 

Congratulations to Professor Leon Tilley, this year’s recipient of the Louise F. Hegarty Award for Excellence in Teaching. Over the years, your engagement with campus community members has proven influential. I think of those moments when I have seen you interact with students in your lab; I have always been struck by how you mentor and work with our students to ensure they succeed both personally and professionally. 

I also offer my gratitude to Professor Robert Spencer, last year’s Hegarty Award recipient, for sharing the message: “Always make your first effort your best effort.” 

Like Professor Tilley, you both are incredible mentors for our students and help to create a classroom experience that is truly transformational. 

I hope this is a wonderful academic year for everyone. And I pray that Mary, Queen of the Summit, grant each of us a clear mind and a compassionate heart as we learn and grow together this academic year. And may God bless Stonehill College and each one of you. Thank you.