Catholic universities announce commencement speakers

 

Loyola University Maryland, Notre Dame of Maryland University, both in Baltimore, and Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg have announced the speakers for their 2013 commencement exercises.  

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will deliver Mount St. Mary’s University’s 2013 commencement address May 12 in the Knott Athletic Recreation Convocation Complex in Emmitsburg.

Archbishop Lori is an alumnus and chancellor of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, the largest Catholic seminary in the U.S., and a member of the university’s board of trustees.

“Archbishop Lori’s dedication to maintaining faithful Catholic universities, enhancing Catholic identity and defending and preserving religious liberty is evident on our campus and in his service to the church,” said Thomas H. Powell president of Mount St. Mary’s, in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming him back to the Mount.”

Archbishop Lori was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Washington in 1977 and installed as auxiliary bishop of Washington in 1995.

Prior to his appointment in Baltimore, Archbishop Lori served as archbishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport.  

Archbishop Lori has been at the forefront in speaking out against the contraceptive mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in his role as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty.

He is the former chairman and a member of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, chairman of the USCCB ad-hoc Committee on Universities and Colleges, member of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities and the USCCB ad-hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage.

Carolyn Y. Woo, president and chief executive officer of the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, will deliver Loyola University Maryland’s 2013 commencement address May 18 at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. 

“Dr. Woo’s monumental contributions to academia and social justice throughout her distinguished career are an exemplar of the leadership and vision we value deeply at Loyola,” Jesuit Father Brian F. Linnane, Loyola’s president, said in a statement. “I’m thrilled that her insight, coupled with Loyola’s rigorous, Jesuit educational experience, will further inspire this year’s graduating class of exceptional men and women to lead, serve and innovate in the next chapter of their lives.”

Woo heads CRS, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S. Previously, Woo served for 14 years as dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.  

As Loyola’s keynote speaker, Woo will receive a doctor of humane letters, honoris causa.

 

Kathleen Koch, award-winning journalist and author, will deliver Notre Dame of Maryland University’s 2013 commencement address May 25 at the Baltimore Convention Center. “Throughout her career, Kathleen has used her gifts to speak truth to power, bear witness to suffering and incite good people into action,” said Dr. James F. Conneely, president of Notre Dame, in a statement. “In upholding the highest ideals of her profession and her deep commitment to serving the community, she is an outstanding role model for our graduates.”

Koch is the author of “Rising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered.”

For more than 18 years, Koch served as CNN general assignment correspondent, covering aviation, the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.

Her two documentaries on the recovery of her hometown in Mississippi from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina earned her a New York Festivals Gold Medal.

She also shared a Peabody Award for CNN’s coverage of the hurricane.  

Koch won another New York Festivals Gold Medal and a bronze medal from the New York Association of Black Journalists for a CNN report that uncovered the murder of a young inmate by prison guards. She has also won several national and regional awards.