As the clock ticked towards 10 AM Mass, 42 graduates adjusted their stoles and caps within a back room of the chapel, preparing for their entrance. While this graduation Mass may not have been as grand as the ceremony hosted on USF’s campus, it carried a more profound significance to many. 

The Catholic Student Union had become the graduates’ home away from home while they pursued their degrees. Through group meetings (Bull’s Nights), men’s and women’s groups, and retreats, they had formed lifelong, faith-based friendships they could carry into their lives outside college.

Mass commenced with graduates entering in two lines through the chapel doors, the union’s executive director, Fr. Kyle Bell, following proudly behind.

During his Baccalaureate Mass homily, Fr. Bell spoke about how he had seen the graduates grow, as well as the mission they now each shared: “The student union is a place to prepare students to be sent forth. To take on the mission God has called them to while bringing those around them to Christ.”

After his homily, a small graduation ceremony took place with Fr. Kyle Bell giving each graduate a rosary, a spiritual weapon symbolizing the graduates’ firm faith.

The Baccalaureate Mass was not just a farewell; it was a celebration of faith, community, and new beginnings. Filled with gratitude and excitement, the graduates departed ready to face the world, equipped with the firm foundation created by the Catholic Student Union.