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Nationally-Recognized Commentator Gives Academy’s Third Commencement Address
Click
here to read a copy of
Reverend Sirico's graduation address.
The
Reverend Robert Sirico was the featured speaker on Friday, June 1st
at the Academy’s third graduation ceremony.
Sirico is the president and co-founder of the Acton Institute, located in Grand
Rapids, Michigan, that seeks to promote a free and virtuous society
characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.
Sirico’s writings on religious, political, economic, and social matters are
published in a variety of journals, including: the New York Times, the
Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the London Financial Times, the
Washington Times, the Detroit News, and National Review,
and he has provided similar commentary for CNN, ABC, the BBC, NPR, and CBS'
60 Minutes.
Sirico told a moving story about growing up in a Brooklyn, New York, apartment
opposite a family of Jewish refugees from Auschwitz. As a 6-year-old boy, when
he was given cookies by Mrs. Schnedierman, he noticed the tattoo on her arm.
“My mother then gave me my first profound lesson then in the importance of
freedom, and how freedom is essential to humanity.” Sirico exhorted Providence
Academy’s 51 graduating seniors to oppose “cultural relativism” and “false
toleration,” which seek to say that every way of life is of equivalent moral
value. “Remember the Schneidermans,” he said.
Providence Academy’s graduating class will be heading to colleges and
universities around the country this fall, including the University of St.
Thomas, Brown University, West Point, and many others.
Above: Rev.
Sirico addresses an attentive audience.
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