Congratulations Class of 2012!
Welcome to The Catholic University of America’s Commencement Web site. These pages provide a basic overview of Commencement Exercises and weekend activities. There is also information about ordering caps and gowns, answers to frequently asked questions and links to other helpful sites.
2012 Commencement Events
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Honors Convocation for Undergraduates: Friday, May 11, 2012, 1 p.m.
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Baccalaureate Mass: Friday, May 11, 2012, 4 p.m.
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President's Reception: Friday, May 11, 2012, Immediately following the Baccalaureate Mass
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Alumni Parent Champagne Breakfast: Saturday, May 12, 2012, 8 a.m.
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Commencement Exercises: Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10 a.m.
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Diploma Distribution: Saturday, May 12, 2012, various times and locations

Important Steps to Take before Graduation
- Apply for Graduation
- Order Caps and Gowns
- Order Announcements
- Reconcile Student Accounts
- Reconcile Library Fines
- Complete Financial Aid Interview
- Yearbook Photo and Order
For Friends and Family
General Information
Commencement 2012 Related Links
2012 Commencement Speaker
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan,
Archbishop of New York
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, addressed the Class of 2012 at the 123rd Annual Commencement Ceremony of The Catholic University of America on Saturday, May 12. Cardinal Dolan was also presented with the President's Medal.
Click here for the text of Cardinal Dolan's address, and here for President Garvey's remarks.
Four other individuals received honorary degrees. They were Rev. Julian Carrón, leader of the lay ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation; Giuseppe Mazzotta, Sterling Professor of Humanities for Italian at Yale University; Carmen Ana Casal de Unanue, community leader and philanthropist; and Joseph A. Unanue, alumnus and former president and CEO of Goya Foods.
Cardinal Dolan was installed as Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 23, 2009. He became a member of the College of Cardinals on Feb. 18, 2012.
He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College in St. Louis, Mo., and a license in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome. Subsequently, he studied at The Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in American Church history.
What's Next?



