Holy Cross College’s 58th Commencement
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from Holy Cross College!
You are joining a proud network of Holy Cross alumni — who, as life-long learners, are making a difference in their communities by doing good, and doing it well!
But first – commencement. A celebration of not only an ending, but the beginning of a new, exciting chapter in your life. It is a time to commemorate your academic achievements, life experiences, and the friendships you have built throughout your time at Holy Cross. The ceremony is scheduled for 2:00 pm ET on May 17, 2025.
Again, congratulations. Take time to enjoy this accomplishment as you prepare to go forth and change the world as an alum of Holy Cross College.
More details to come.
Thursday, May 15
Ceremony Rehearsal (Mandatory)
Line-up in Ave Brew Cafe
Friday, May 16
Baccalaureate Mass
St. Joseph Chapel
Saturday, May 17, 2024
58th Commencement Ceremony
2:00 p.m.
McKenna Arena
Guests with tickets will be able to enter the arena at 1:00 p.m.
Patrick Lindenmeyer, ’05
Patrick, an alumnus of Holy Cross College, was a pioneer member of the inaugural class to earn a bachelor’s degree in 2005, following his associate’s degree in 2003. Leveraging a robust foundation in financial services and investment strategy, he spent over 17 years advising financial advisors and their clients nationwide, crafting sophisticated investment, retirement, and philanthropic strategies. Holding FINRA Series 6, 63, and 82 Securities Licenses, alongside multiple state life insurance licenses and a Certified Funds Specialist (CFS) designation, Patrick demonstrated exceptional expertise in the financial realm. Driven by a desire to make a tangible impact, he transitioned to philanthropic fundraising, first at Saint Joseph High School, and now serves as a Director in the Office of Gift Planning at the University of Notre Dame. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy, he will further his academic pursuits with a Master’s in Nonprofit Administration starting this summer at Notre Dame. As a dedicated community leader, Patrick serves on the boards of the Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana and the Bria Janelle Foundation. He resides in the South Bend area with his wife, Jana.
Details to come.
Details to come.
PARKING
Guests may park in any Holy Cross College campus student parking lot, with the exception of any barricaded sections (Pfeil Center lot and commuter lot).
Parking spots have been reserved for those guests with special parking needs. Please contact Holy Cross Security for details.
SUGGESTED ATTIRE
Appropriate dress is business to business casual attire. Please no jeans, sweats, athletic shoes. Note that graduates will ascend and descend stairs, so flats and low heals are recommended.
ROBING AND LINE-UP
Please report to the Vincent Lounge / Ave Brew Café at 1:15 pm. for robing and ALPHABETICAL line-up. Your guests are invited to be seated in the Pfeil Center at this time.
Each guest with a ceremony ticket will be allowed to be seated at 1:00 p.m.; guests without tickets will be invited to enter the McKenna arena once the graduation procession has entered the gym. Un-ticketed guests may be seated as space permits, or take standing room only.
Do not bring valuables, as there will be no secure place for purses, backpacks, etc.
Graduates should wear their retainable cap and gown, and Stole of Gratitude.
Caps may be decorated in a tasteful manner.
CAP TASSELS will have the Holy Cross shield attached. The 2025 tassel dangle has purposely been removed and may be reattached to your tassel AFTER commencement. Tassels should be placed on the RIGHT side of the cap for procession. Once degrees are conferred graduates will be instructed to move tassel to the left side of cap.
Graduates line up alphabetically in a single line behind the Registrar, flag bearers, gonfalons and student presenters.
CEREMONY
Names of each graduate will be taped on the graduate chairs in the Pfeil Center; please have a seat in the chair with your name.
The Registrar will invite each row of graduates to stand at the appropriate time, to proceed to the stage. Names will be read alphabetically. Proceed across the stage, stop for one moment, receive diploma from college president, look off stage, and smile —your photo will taken while you shake hands with Dr. Clark. Descend from the stage and reclaim your seat.
During the ceremony, Dr. Griffin will instruct graduates to look upward toward the running track for group / class photo to be taken.
Looking for official class rings and jewelry? Click here to view and order class rings.
Click here to view and order graduation announcements.
Click here to view and order diploma frames.
May 11: Six Flags Amusement Park
Transportation and Ticket included
Cost – $55
May 13: Dablon Winery & Oval Beach
Transportation included
Cost $35
May 14: Saugatuck & Dune Rides
Transportation and Ticket included
Cost $35
May 15: Commencement Rehearsal (Mandatory)
4pm
Ave Brew Café
May 15: Commencement Luau
Immediately following Commencement Rehearsal
Pfeil Center Patio
May 16: Baccalaureate Mass (all faiths welcome)
4:30pm
St. Joseph Chapel
May 16: Baccalaureate Reception
Immediately following Mass
Vincent Atrium
Accommodations At-A-Glance
Apartment Rates: $100.00 per apartment, per night.
Available Nights to Book: Friday, May 16 and/or Saturday, May 17
Available Apartment Type: Two bedrooms, four beds, two baths, first or second floor. No
elevator available.
Residence Hall Type: Apartment-style, air conditioned, non-smoking.
Residence Hall Location: South Hall and Pulte Hall
What is Included: Two bedrooms, kitchen with stove and refrigerator, two restrooms, main living space; bedrooms each have two twin beds, two desks, two dressers, and linen pack per bed (with each linen pack containing pillow with case, two flat sheets, two towels, and thin blanket), guest wi-fi, and complimentary parking in a nearby surface lot.
What is Not Included: No rooms with a television, microwave, dishes, flatware, cookware, couch, cot, or crib. There are no elevators in the residence halls.
Residence Hall Details
All accommodations will be located in an apartment-style, air conditioned, two-story
residence hall. Each apartment has two bedrooms with two private restrooms, four twin beds, four desks, four dressers, guest wi-fi, and four linen packs each containing a pillow with case, two flat sheets, two towels, and a thin blanket. Apartments are equipped with a kitchen containing a refrigerator and stove and a shared living space. Apartments will not have microwaves, dishes, flatware, cookware, couches, televisions, cots, or cribs.
As there are a finite number of accessible and lower-level apartments available, we
encourage guests with special housing requirements to complete a reservation early and detail all accessibility/accommodation needs during the online reservation
process. Please keep in mind that these are residence apartments: these are not hotel
rooms. If you are unsure if this lodging type would work for you and your guests, please contact us to further discuss before booking ([email protected], 574.239.8374).
Reservations will be accepted until 4 p.m. ET on Friday, April 25, or until space
fills. Early reservations are strongly encouraged. Apartment reservations are nonrefundable: please read through all of the information provided before making a
reservation.
Completing a Reservation
Reservations are accepted online or by phone or email (574.239.8374 or
[email protected]) and full payment is required to finalize your booking.
Click Register Now to complete your reservation; a staff member will contact you for
payment.
During the reservation process you will select your nights of stay and provide the names of each guest in your party. If needed, you can reserve multiple apartments at once.
All apartments reserved under the same account will be placed as close together as possible in the same residence hall, as space permits. After you select your apartments, you will be required to submit payment in full by credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover). If payment is not received in full your reservation will be considered incomplete and will be subject to cancellation.
Space is limited and reservations will only be accepted as space permits, so we
recommend making your reservation early! Based on previous years, we anticipate
rooms could fill by mid-April. Room reservations are non-refundable: please read
through all of the information provided in the tabs above before completing a reservation.
Residence Hall CHECK-IN hours
Friday May 16: 12pm – 8pm
Saturday, May 17: 10am – 8pm
Residence Hall Check-Out instructions will be provided upon your arrival.
All guest rooms must be vacated by 12 NOON on Sunday, May 18.
Parking
Parking is available for our residence hall guests in any of the Holy Cross College STUDENT DESIGNATED LOTS. A campus map highlighting the location of your accommodations and guest parking will be provided with the completion of your guest registration.
Questions? Please contact a member of the Commencement Committee at [email protected] or 574.239.8374 with questions, to register, to make payment, or for further assistance
Holy Cross College is proud to announce that Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, will deliver the keynote address at the College’s 58th Commencement Ceremony.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at the Pfeil Recreation Center on the Holy Cross College campus. The celebration begins with the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 16, 2025, at St. Joseph Chapel.
Br. Bednarczyk, C.S.C., the 14h Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, brings an inspiring legacy of faith, education, and service to this year’s Commencement. He is the first brother to serve as Superior General in the Congregation’s history.
“I am delighted to be invited by Holy Cross College to give this year’s commencement address. Given the many challenges that our world faces today, I desire to bring to the graduates a message of hope for themselves and the world they are about to enter,” Brother Bednarczyk said.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, and a 1975 graduate of Notre Dame High School in West Haven, Br. Bednarczyk’s vocation was shaped by his encounters with the Brothers of Holy Cross. He began his formation in 1975 at Moreau Hall on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, and professed his First Vows in 1979 at Sacred Heart Church in Bennington, Vermont. In 1985, he took his Final Vows at St. Joseph Center in Valatie, New York.
Br. Bednarczyk earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Stonehill College and a master’s degree in religion and religious education from Fordham University. His early career included 12 years as a teacher, administrator, and campus minister at Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland and Notre Dame International School in Rome, Italy.
A recognized leader in vocation ministry, Br. Bednarczyk served as Vocation Director for his province for nine years and as Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) for 14 years. During his tenure, he oversaw groundbreaking studies on religious vocations, including the influential 2009 NRVC/CARA Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life. As Executive Director, Br. Paul founded the National Fund for Catholic Religious Vocations to assist religious communities in welcoming candidates with educational debt. Since its establishment in 2014, the Fund has distributed over $1 million in grants. Br. Bednarczyk has also published extensively on vocation ministry and has led workshops and retreats across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Br. Bednarczyk’s service within the Congregation of Holy Cross has been profound. In 2016, he was elected First General Assistant and Vicar by the General Chapter, and in 2022, he made history as the first brother elected Superior General of a clerical religious institute in the Catholic Church. As Superior General, Br. Bednarczyk provides spiritual and administrative leadership to the Congregation’s members worldwide.
“”It is a tremendous privilege to have Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. as our commencement speaker,” said Holy Cross College President Dr. Marco Clark. “Following the example of Jesus, Brother Paul has spent his life in ministry working with zeal to make God, known, loved, and served. Brother Paul is the embodiment of the virtues that we espouse at Holy Cross—a lifelong scholar, courageous citizen, virtuous leader, and hopeful disciple.”