The Next Generation of Catholic Nurses
On May 5, 2023, Ave Maria University celebrated the class of 2023 nursing program graduates at a Pinning Ceremony in the Thomas and Selby Prince Building. The ceremony included student-nominated faculty and graduate awards, candle lighting while reciting the Nightingale Pledge, and the pinning of graduates by their family and friends. Class of 2023 graduate nursing student, Zachary Mauro, addressed his class, sharing his own testimony and reflections on Catholic nursing. He shared, “The nurse is an advocate, the nurse is a healer… Whether we can heal them physically or only spiritually, we will have become a light of Christ for them.” He then encouraged his classmates, emphasizing the importance of their education in this field. “This is the sacred calling that all of us soon-to-be graduates have chosen to accept, and what a powerful calling it is… But I must exhort you all, do not be afraid. God’s grace never calls us anywhere that His providence will not provide for us.”
