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The Class of 2020


Our 39 new graduates made history last week. A class unlike any other, they were graduated in the midst of a pandemic. As I said during Friday's live virtual ceremony, they have wrestled with the course of time and triumphed.

Since mid-March, this special class of boys had not been together in-person. However, through their diligence, fortitude, and positivity, they remained close in spirit. During many sessions this spring on Zoom, the Are You Smarter Than an Eighth Grader quiz show included, the virtual walls seemed to give way and, among the dialogue and the laughter, it felt like all was as it should be. Having gone through this challenge was not easy, but it has bonded these boys more than they may yet realize. This was evident in their ready smiles at graduation.

As is tradition, each graduating class leaves a gift to Saint David's. The Class of 2020's legacy gift is a pair of rubbed bronze lanterns to illuminate the Graham House doors. It is a fitting gift; the welcoming glow of those lanterns will extend to each and every member of the Class of 2020, inviting them home to 89th Street whenever, forever.

Our hope for this Class, as for all of our graduates, is that they continue to let the mission and values of Saint David's guide them, as they grow into young men of character. They, like all of us, have a responsibility to celebrate our shared humanity with all people. This is where we are our best selves.


Congratulations to the fine young men of the Class of 2020. Ut viri boni sint.



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