CARDINAL RODRÍGUEZ
OF HONDURAS
TO ADDRESS THE COLLEGE OF
NEW ROCHELLE CLASS OF 2008
NEW ROCHELLE, NY, May 13, 2008 – On May 22, 2008 The College of New
Rochelle (CNR) will celebrate its 101st Commencement as it graduates
the Class of 2008. The College will award approximately 1,400
baccalaureate and masters degrees during commencement exercises on
Thursday, May 22, 11:00 AM, at Radio City Music Hall.
This year’s Commencement Address will be given by Cardinal Oscar Andrés
Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa,
Honduras. The College will confer honorary degrees on Cardinal
Rodriguez, Sister Antona Ebo, F.S.M.,
civil rights pioneer, and Emily
Rafferty, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cardinal Oscar
Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB
Ordained a priest in
1970 and Bishop in 1978, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez
Maradiaga was named the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1993.
One of Latin America’s most visible Catholic leaders, he has been
described as ferocious defender of social justice and champion of human
rights. Cardinal Rodriguez founded the Catholic University of Honduras,
“Our Lady Queen of Peace,” and in 2003 announced a partnership between
the University and the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB). The
partnership will expand the Cardinal’s health initiative by
establishing Nuestro Paso por Honduras, a program to establish
healthcare clinics on each of the campuses of Catholic University to
address the needs of the surrounding poverty-stricken areas. Cardinal
Rodríguez is Chairman of the Hope for a Healthier Humanity (HHH)
Foundation, a not-for-profit humanitarian organization that provides
healthcare throughout Latin America. CNR’s School of Nursing serves as
the Foundation’s official nursing school. The Cardinal holds degrees in
philosophy, theology, and clinical psychology and psychotherapy. He has
served as a member of several Pontifical Councils, including the
Council for Social Communications, the Council for Justice and Peace,
and the Commission for Latin America
Sister Antona Ebo,
F.S.M.
Born Elizabeth
Louise Ebo in 1924, Sr. Antona Ebo grew up in the McLean County Home
for Colored Children in Bloomington, IL, during the Great
Depression. She converted to Catholicism as a young girl and
became a Franciscan Sister of Mary in 1947. On March 10, 1965, Sr.
Antona and five fellow Catholic Sisters joined the front lines of the
Civil Rights Movement in Selma, AL. Put at the front of the line
because of her dark skin and religious habit, Sr. Antona was featured
on the front page of The New York
Times, telling reporters, “I’m here because I’m a Negro, a nun,
a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness.” In 1967, she became
the first black woman religious to run a hospital when she took the
helm at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, WI. In 1968, Sr. Antona went on
to be one of the founders of The National Black Sisters’ Conference,
later servings as its president. Her experience from the March from
Selma to Montgomery in 1965 is included in the Library of Congress
Exhibition “Voices of Civil Rights,” and she is featured in the PBS
documentary Sisters of Selma:
Bearing Witness for Change.
Emily Rafferty
Named president of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005, Emily Rafferty began her
28-year career at the Met in 1976 as an administrator for corporate,
foundation and individual fundraising. Mrs. Rafferty is the first
woman to run the Museum’s day-to-day operations, overseeing 2,000
employees, a $190 million annual operating budget and an $80 million
merchandising business. Her inspiration has encouraged people from all
backgrounds to celebrate and appreciate each other through the arts,
and she exemplifies the highest standards of leadership. Mrs. Rafferty
is affiliated with a number of arts and inter-museum organizations,
including ArtTable, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and
the American Association of Museums. She is currently a member of the
Board of Directors of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and
the recipient of numerous awards and honors.
