Graduation Thanksgiving Services
Good morning,
It is truly wonderful to be anticipating Graduations in the University which begin on Monday. Both the summer graduations of 2020 and 2021 were postponed, and my own contribution was recording the Latin prayers for filmed conferral ceremonies. We did hold two days of graduations in person last winter, in the Sports Centre as the Younger Hall was still being refurbished. And so on Monday we will return in person to the Younger Hall for a graduation ceremony for the first time since Friday 28 June 2019.
But not just for a week. Following five days of ceremonies for this year’s graduating students, we will then hold a further seven days of ceremonies for those who completed their degrees in 2020 and 2021, finally drawing to a close on Wednesday 29 June. Some people have suggested that it will be hard work attending 26 ceremonies and clapping for about 5000 graduates. It certainly has been hard work for countless colleagues preparing the Younger Hall, the lists of graduands, the garden parties, the meals, the honorary graduates, the printing, the music, the speeches and scripts, the grounds and buildings, communications and ceremonial, and a thousand other tasks down to polishing plaques processions may pass. But it will not be work to share the joy of three years’ worth of bachelors, masters and doctors as they cross the stage and receive their recognition.
Of course there has been a bit of preparation in the Chaplaincy. Each day of graduation begins with a service of thanksgiving in St Salvator’s Chapel to which all people are welcome – graduands, their family members and other supporters, students and staff, alumni and friends, townspeople and visitors, of any faith or philosophy of life. Each service will have music from St Salvator’s Chapel Choir and a short sermon either from a member of the Chaplaincy team or from the parent of a graduand, or an honorary graduand. The services last 30 minutes and finish in time for all to get to the Younger Hall in good time for the ceremony which follows afterwards. Here is the list of services with preacher details – note that not all start at the same time every day:
Mon 13 June, 1 pm, Revd Samantha Ferguson, Assistant Chaplain
Tues 14 June, 9:30 am, Revd Dr Donald MacEwan, University Chaplain
Wed 15 June, 9:30 am, Barbara Davey, Honorary Quaker Chaplain
Thurs 16 June, 9:30 am, Professor Carole Hillenbrand, honorary graduand
Fri 17 June, 8:30 am, Revd Dr Donald MacEwan, University Chaplain
Tues 21 June, 9:30 am, Revd Fiona Sample, Founder, Oswin Project
Wed 22 June, 9:30 am, Revd Dr Simon Steer, Chaplain, Abingdon School
Thurs 23 June, 9:30 am, Dame Anne Pringle, honorary graduand
Fri 24 June, 8:30 am, Revd Stephen Day, Team Vicar, Papworth Team Ministry
Mon 27 June, 8:30 am, Revd Dr Jared Michelson, Honorary Cornerstone Chaplain
Tues 28 June, 9:30 am, Revd Dr Donald MacEwan, University Chaplain
Wed 29 June, 9:30 am, Revd Jane Barron, Honorary Church of Scotland Chaplain
All services will be available to watch via livestream for those unable to attend in person. See the ‘Livestreamed services’ section on our
Worship web page
My own cousin graduated on that final day of 2019 graduations. Little did we know what would happen over the subsequent years. But here is an image of that occasion, a joy that will be replicated among thousands of people over the coming three weeks. For all those taking part, I hope you have a wonderful graduation, and I look forward to seeing you.
Yours,
Donald.