St. Edward's University will confer 649 degrees during the university's 124th commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 8 at the Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, will deliver the keynote address and will be recognized with an honorary degree.

Cardinal McCarrick, a native of New York City, has dedicated his life to the service of the Catholic Church and has done so in a steady progression of prestigious posts. He holds multiple degrees from St. Joseph's Seminary, N.Y., and The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1958 and by 1977, Pope Paul VI appointed then-Monsignor McCarrick as Auxiliary Bishop of New York. In 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed him to be the first Bishop of Metuchen in New Jersey. He was installed as Archbishop of Newark in 1986 and as Archbishop of Washington in 2001. In that same year Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals.



During his more than five years as Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal McCarrick expanded opportunities for education and for the provision of social services. In 2004, he was involved in the creation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, a federal initiative that gave low-income families scholarships for non-public schools. He also helped found a new high school for low-income students.



He is a passionate advocate for human rights, and he has traveled around the world to survey the humanitarian needs of our global family, often on behalf of Catholic Relief Services. His travels have taken him to areas affected by major natural disasters, such as Central America, Sri Lanka and Louisiana and Mississippi post-Hurricane Katrina, to ensure people in need would receive assistance, and to bring prayer and financial support. In 1996, then-Archbishop McCarrick was invited to serve on the U.S. Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. In 2000, the President of the United States presented him with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.



Cardinal McCarrick is a man whose life and witness reflect the highest ideals of the Holy Cross educational heritage. By his life and example, he is a Holy Cross educator.

A Glimpse of the May 2010 Graduates

St. Edward's University officials will confer approximately 649 degrees this spring. Degree distribution is as follows:

Graduation Information for Students and Parents

Graduates should plan to meet at the Frank Erwin Center in the Lone Star Room between 9 and 9:15 a.m. Use the Red River Street entrance and follow the signs to the Lone Star Room for lining up. Ushers will be available to direct the graduates. At 9:15 a.m., graduates will start assembling into ranks.

Only graduates and faculty members will be seated in the chairs on the floor. Guests in wheelchairs should enter through the Red River Street entrance where ushers will assist them to the elevator, and to the Arena Level.

After the ceremony, graduates should arrange to meet with their family and friends outside the Frank Erwin Center on the north end by the flagpoles.

Parking instructions for graduates and their guests.

Celebrate Baccalaureate Mass

In a year that marks the 125th anniversary of St. Edward's University, graduates and their families will enjoy the privilege of both a Cardinal and a Bishop to celebrate their Baccalaureate Mass. Cardinal McCarrick will be the presider and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, Bishop of Austin, will concelebrate at a special Baccalaureate Mass for St. Edward's University graduates of 2010. The Baccalaureate Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 7, at 7 p.m., at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church.

Class of 2010 to Create the First-Ever Live, Interactive and Socially Connected Graduation

To celebrate the university's 125th anniversary, St. Edward's is ready to make history. We would like to invite the graduates of May 2010, their friends and family members to participate in a historic event — the first-ever socially connected graduation. All you need is a cell phone.