Turning the Page

There’s a time to welcome students to Villanova, and a time to bid them farewell. As president, I find these moments to be far more sweet than sorrowful.

Each May, thousands of students leave what has been their home to take the next steps in their journeys. But their departure means that our global Nova Nation will be infused with new life, energy and vision. It will be stronger, more capable and more likely to do what it does best: ignite change.

For this, I am grateful, inspired and proud. These newest alumni are the hope not just of the future, but of today. Through the education and experiences they had at Villanova, they are ready to apply their knowledge to set the world afire and build up communities of love wherever life takes them. How? By the same means that they did so on campus: the melding of mind and heart.

And as surely as new waves crash onto the shore, new students, with big dreams, restless hearts and exuberant spirits, come and reinvigorate this campus. As they learn, question, debate and innovate, they too will write their own exciting chapter in the Villanova story. They will define their own ways of drawing on their talents and gifts to serve others and benefit the common good.

This ongoing cycle from Orientation to Commencement and back again energizes me — and, I’d like to think, all of us. It pushes Villanova forward, allowing us to explore new paths while also enriching our Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition. It’s our way of being ever ancient, ever new.

Our newly designed Villanova Magazine reflects this mission and momentum. The new look and format capture the vitality of campus; the achievements of faculty, staff, students and alumni; and the strength of the University’s position locally, nationally and globally. It shows, through word and image, how generations of Villanovans embrace and live out the Augustinian values of Truth, Unity and Love.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Peter M. Donohue,
OSA, PHD, ’75 CAS
President