Commencement Welcomes Graduates into the Cardinal Alumni Community

On May 16, 2026, The Catholic University of America celebrated Commencement, with the graduation of more than 1,500 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral candidates. Held on a beautiful, sunny day, the keynote speaker was Monsignor James P. Shea, Ph.B. 1997, Ph.L. 1998, who serves as the president of the University of Mary. A Catholic University Basselin Scholar, Monsignor Shea was a fitting choice to welcome Cardinals into the alumni community of his alma mater.

Prior to the main commencement ceremony, Legacy Families and Parents Council members with graduating students gathered for a celebratory breakfast. Legacy families, in which multiple generations have received a Catholic University education, and Parents Council members, who are engaged ambassadors for the University, strengthen our close-knit community.

“Parents Council members are an essential part of our Catholic University community,” said Mary Agnes Trainor, associate director of student experience and family engagement. “We were honored to celebrate the council’s graduating students and the many ways their service supported the undergraduate community.”

Another special group crossing the Commencement stage this year were students from Catholic University-Tucson, which offers a non-residential, experiential four-year program in southern Arizona. This year, nine students graduating from the Tucson program came to the Washington, D.C., campus for the first time to join their fellow Cardinals in celebration. They represented a diverse group in nationality and life experience.

“Our Catholic University-Tucson graduates included several first-generation college graduates, three international students from Nepal, and a grandmother, among others,” said Ellen Fisher, assistant director at Catholic University-Tucson. “Several of the students have already leveraged their Catholic University internship placement into a job offer – and all are ready to join the workforce!”

Whatever their path to Catholic University, each of the more than 1,500 students who received a diploma this May enter into a new phase of their life. Having achieved this life milestone and received a Catholic University education, they also receive something else - a community of Cardinal alumni that span the nation and beyond.

Are you a new or seasoned alumna/us interested in volunteering? Check out the alumni engagement opportunities.