Catholic Theological Union
Graduate Commencement Address

May 17, 2012
By Sister Diana Momeka, OP

Good evening. The French poet, Anatole France said: “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”

My dear graduates, today is the day when one of our many dreams comes true. We have worked hard. We have believed in ourselves. We have believed in all those who have walked with us during our years of study, those who have helped to make this moment a special time in our lives. 

Who would believe that someone from a war torn country, a country that has been devastated by violence and war, would be standing here tonight, graduating? What I have come to believe deeply, during my time at CTU, is this: even in the midst of suffering and destruction, hopes can rise and dreams can come true.  

This evening, it is a great honor for me to represent my fellow graduates, the Class of 2012. In their name I wish to express our deep gratitude to Donald Senior, the President of Catholic Theological Union; Barbra Reid, Academic Dean; and Carmen Nanko-Fernandez, Director of the Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry Program. I would also like to thank the CTU faculty and staff, our families, and friends. Through your loving support, nurturing and mentoring, we have reached this point of commencement, the beginning of our future. May this also be a proud moment for you. And please, let us not forget those who cannot be with us today.  

 On a personal note I wish to acknowledge Sister Maria Hanna, the major Superior of my Dominican Congregation, who has traveled from Iraq to the United States and is here with us this evening. I would like to publicly thank you, Sister Maria, for your encouragement, love, support, and more importantly for your remarkable leadership and passion for ministering to our people in Iraq in the midst of their suffering and pain.

From the first day I stepped into CTU at the time of orientation, I felt welcomed. My fellow students and I were overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality of the staff. I said to myself, “This is where I want to be.” For the past three years at CTU, many of us have spoken of the world becoming a global village. Truly, CTU became our global village. CTU is this great village that draws students here not only from all over the United States but also from other parts of the world: Chile, China, Ghana, Hungary, Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, and Vietnam, just to name a few.

What does this say about CTU? For me, CTU has not only been a place for gaining theological and pastoral knowledge, but also a place where diverse cultural perspectives, experiences, and faith traditions can be shared, a place where we no longer see each other simply as student or faculty but as brothers and sisters who love each other, respect each other, care and support each other during good times and hard times, during times of crisis and times of joy.

My fellow graduates, the goal of our gathering this evening in this very sacred space, on this very holy ground, is not merely to receive our diplomas, but also to witness to the world that we are ready to take the risk and engage ourselves in mission and ministry to make the world a better and peaceful place. This will be the last time that many of us will be together; therefore, let us remember (and remind one another) to keep our dreams alive. Even if they do not come true, let us keep dreaming. We all are aware of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream for his family and this nation. He never saw them fulfilled, but remember he said, “You can kill the dreamer, but you cannot kill the dream.” His dreams live on and we are the ones who see those dreams coming true. My classmates, let us not be afraid to dream, even if those dreams are bigger than ourselves. Our dreams will give meaning and motivation to our lives. Our dreams will make us who we are to become.

This evening, as we close one chapter of our lives, we will begin anew. May we always remember that we cannot do much in and for our world, unless we do good for one another, and that we never let this be the end of our schooling, the end of our education, because graduation is not the end, it is commencement.  And as I said initially in the words of Antole France,

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act,
but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”

Thank you and congratulations to all of my 2012 graduating colleagues!

Sister Diana Momeka, OP,
May 17, 2012