California Commencement 2026 - Full Ceremony

Truth, wisdom, and peace — for the 90 members of the Thomas Aquinas College Class of 2026 who graduated at today’s California Commencement ceremonies, these are the ideals that will guide their future. The College’s 52nd California Commencement began with the Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy Spirit in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, with Rev. Luke J. Mata, Ph.D., of the prelature of Opus Dei serving as the principal celebrant. The Commencement ceremony started soon thereafter. President Paul J. O’Reilly gave the opening remarks, thanking guests, friends, and family for attending. Class Speaker Gregory Haggard (’26) next stepped up to the podium, reflecting on wisdom and the effect that its pursuit has on one’s peers — namely, an outpouring of love and joy. “Our time here together has come to a close,” he concluded. “But our attainment of wisdom has only begun. And our love for God, and for our neighbors as ourselves, is not beginning now, but has also already begun, and will continue to grow with our attainment of wisdom.” Dr. O’Reilly then introduced this year’s Commencement Speaker, the Hon. Brian F. Burch II, 13th United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Burch followed on these considerations of truth and wisdom with a reflection on peace, offering examples of proximate, political peace and what St. Augustine calls “the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God, and of one another in God,” as well as how they come together to achieve tranquilitas ordinis — the tranquility of order — which can prove elusive in a culture predicated on fleeting pleasures. “In this environment, your formation here at Thomas Aquinas has equipped you uniquely to resist these illusions and to become both examples and advocates of genuine peace,” he said. “Graduates, the education you received here — rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition — has not been a luxury. It has been preparation for this very mission: to seek the tranquility of order in your souls, and to labor, with hope and perseverance, for a more just and peaceful world.” After applauding the Ambassador’s words, the seniors took turns ascending the stage and, presented with academic hoods and diplomas, became alumni of Thomas Aquinas College — to the cheers and delight of their classmates, friends, and families. To conclude the ceremony, Dr. O’Reilly read the College’s “Charge to the Graduates,” imploring the graduates to put their liberal education to the service of Christ and the common good. “You are charged, beginning this day, with maintaining, defending, and protecting your Catholic heritage,” he began. “You must strive in your lives to live for God alone, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and to insist, in season and out of season, on the primacy of Peter and the Church he governs.” In response, the members of the California Class of 2026 sang William Byrd’s Non Nobis Domine, giving all glory to God. “That was beautiful, thank you,” said Fr. Mata, taken aback by the four-part harmony as he prepared to deliver his benediction, then paused. “I am still a little moved by it. Hold on, give me a second!” The graduates then processed to St. Joseph Commons, where they tossed their mortarboards into the sky in grateful celebration. 00:00 – Procession 01:30 – Invocation 03:32 – National Anthem 05:06 – Pledge of Allegiance 05:49 – Welcome Address (Dr. Paul J. O'Reilly, President) 09:22 – Senior Address (Gregory Haggard, Class of 2026) 23:32 – Introduction of Commencement Speaker 25:28 – Commencement Address (Hon. Brian Burch, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See) 47:45 – Blessing of Diplomas 48:54 – Conferral of Degrees 51:00 – Presentation of Diplomas 01:21:39 – Charge to the Graduates 01:24:13 – Closing Hymn and Recessional