Sisters of St. Joseph Honored at SJNY Commencement
May 23, 2025
By Samantha Miller
The Sisters of St. Joseph were honored Thursday, May 22, at St. Joseph’s University, New York’s 106th commencement ceremony at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The event recognized the Sisters’ 375th anniversary since their founding in Le Puy, France, in 1650.
The Sisters, who founded then-St. Joseph’s College for Women in 1916, were presented with the Board of Trustees Award, which celebrates individuals and organizations who have made contributions to the University, society at large, or the advancement of academic knowledge.
“On behalf of S. Tesa Fitzgerald, our president; and all Sisters of St. Joseph — especially those wonderful Sister educators who have been part of St. Joseph’s College since it was founded — we thank you,” said S. Grace Edna Rowland, CSJ, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Clare Rose Playhouse on the Long Island Campus, who has worked at SJNY since 1981.
For over a century, the Sisters of St. Joseph have played a vital role in shaping SJNY through diverse academic, social, spiritual, environmental and charitable endeavors, strengthening the student experience and fostering a sense of unity across the campus community.
“Since opening the University’s doors in 1916, the Congregation has created a lasting legacy that has taken our institution from a single building with 12 students in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, to a global influence that is home to 3,800 students across two campuses, with over 48,000 alumni worldwide,” shared Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., president of SJNY, who presented the award to the Sisters of St. Joseph.
A commitment to educational leadership is evidenced by three sisters who proudly served as SJNY presidents: S. Vincent Thérèse Tuohy, CSJ (1956-1969), S. George Aquin O’Connor, CSJ (1969-1997) and S. Elizabeth A. Hill, CSJ, J.D. (1997-2014).
The Sisters’ dedication to SJNY continues today, serving as professors, administrators, committee and board members. Their vision upholds the University’s core mission and reinforces its five pillars of integrity, intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, social responsibility and service.
Nearly 1,160 students earned their degrees from SJNY at this year’s commencement ceremony.