In this season of graduations, we too have reason to celebrate! In May, Sister Maria del Fiat Miola, SSVM has earned her Master’s Degree in Greek and Latin at The Catholic University of America, alongside Sr. Marie Notre Dame de Bon Secours Casadaban, SSVM who completed her Bachelor’s in Theology, also at CUA in Washington, DC.

The commencement ceremony at The Catholic University of America is truly “at the feet of Mary” since the side steps of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception provide the platform and setting. Like so many proud families, we gathered early to catch a glimpse of our sisters as they processed!

Sr. Bon Secours completed her Bachelor’s which she had begun straight out of high school, and then set aside in order to enter religious life in her third year. It has been a beautiful thing to see her complete what she once began within the fulfillment of her vocation! Were particularly proud of Sr. Fiat who was chosen to give the invocation at the diploma ceremony for the graduate students of the School of Arts and Sciences. Her prayer thanked God for His care over all the students and also asked for the grace that all those graduating would call to mind that “to whom much is given, much shall be demanded (Lk. 12:48).”

Fiat has been a teacher of Latin within our Religious Family for over ten years and her own scholarship seeks to contribute to the academic research on early monasticism and evangelization of culture in the Late Roman Empire. Her work has a clear orientation to the missionary call to “bear fruit, fruit that will last (Jn. 15:16).”

May Our Lady bless the studies of all our sisters: those here in the Province as well as those learning new languages in the foreign missions, the sisters studying philosophy in the Pontifical Universities in Rome, and those completing nursing and education degrees. Mary Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!