Notre Dame Seminary holds 69th commencement, honors Canizaro

Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology, founded in 1923, held its 69th commencement exercises on May 10.

The seminary bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters to Joseph C. Canizaro.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, D.D., chancellor and the Father James A. Wehner, S.T.D., rector-president, conferred the degrees.

• Graduating with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies were Nicholas Warren Adam, Diocese of Jackson, summa cum laude; Austin Michael Ashcraft, summa cum laude; Mary Elizabeth M. Bielski; Wesley Thomas Branton, magna cum laude; Josephine Linarello Duke, summa cum laude; Claire Elizabeth Gallagher; Michelle Renee Breaux Giffin, cum laude; Ian Christopher Hoerner, cum laude; Katherine Maree Ibarra, cum laude; Jessica Blair Benton Milburn, cum laude; Kayla Richard Moscona, summa cum laude; Daniel Chinedu Okafor, Archdiocese of New Orleans, magna cum laude; Anh Tuan Chau Phan, Diocese of Nashville; Luke Anthony Robicheaux, summa sum laude; Duane Christopher Trombetta, Diocese of Shreveport, magna cum laude; Michaela Denise York, summa cum laude.
• Graduating with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership were Agnes Kyomuhendo Bitature, summa cum laude; Therese K. Derbes, summa cum laude; Ronald J. Drez Jr., summa cum laude; Jody John Fortunato, summa cum laude; Judy Bourgeois Zeringue, cum laude.
• Graduating with a Master of Arts (Philosophy for Theological Studies) were Daniel Patrick Fitzgerald, Archdiocese of Atlanta, magna cum laude; William Watkins Fruge, Diocese of Alexandria, summa cum laude; David Patrick Keran, Diocese of Lake Charles, magna cum laude; Steven Michael Shlapak, Archdiocese of Atlanta, cum laude; Kyle Robert Simonis, Archdiocese of Atlanta, cum laude.
• Graduating with a Master of Divinity were Hector Arvizu-Mancilla, Diocese of Tyler; Paul Joseph Birdsall, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux; Blake Steven Dubroc, Diocese of Lafayette, magna cum laude; Roselio Fuentes-Jimenez, Diocese of Tyler; Timothy Andrew Grimes, Diocese of Baton Rouge, magna cum laude; Felix Hinambona, Archdiocese of Tororo, magna cum laude; Korey Ray LaVergne, Diocese of Lafayette, magna cum laude; Francis Kariuki Matiru, Franciscan Missionaries of Hope, magna cum laude; Kien Trung Nguyen, Archdiocese of New Orleans, magna cum laude; Thien The Nguyen, Archdiocese of New Orleans; Augustine Ouma Odhiambo, Franciscan Missionaries of Hope, magna cum laude; Cletus Okwuchukwu Orji, Archdiocese of New Orleans, cum laude; Samuel John Orsot, Diocese of Lake Charles, cum laude; Stephen Andre Pellessier, Diocese of Lafayette, magna cum laude; Andrew Phillip Schumacher, Diocese of Lafayette, magna cum laude; Brent Lee Smith, Diocese of Lafayette, summa cum laude; Aaron Michael Williams, Diocese of Jackson, magna cum laude; Damian Patrick Zablocki, Archdiocese of New Orleans.
• Graduating with a Bachelor of Philosophy (Philosophy for Theological Studies) were Samuel Jacob Andereck, Diocese of Memphis; Charles Joseph Deering II, Diocese of Birmingham; Joseph Alphonse DiMaggio III, Archdiocese of New Orleans; Nicholas Eugene Duncan, Diocese of Shreveport; Patrick Louis Held Jr., Diocese of Nashville; Jeffrey Austin Merritt, Archdiocese of New Orleans, cum laude; Viet Xuan Pham, Archdiocese of Atlanta; James Patrick Rome, Diocese of Houma Thibodaux, cum laude.
• Receiving a Completion Certificate in the Ordination Preparation Program were  Martin Ahiaba, Diocese of Tyler; Dominic J. Arcuri, Archdiocese of New Orleans; Joey Thomas Lirette, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
• Receiving a Completion Certificate in the Pre-Theology Program were Giakhai (Kevin) Nguyen, Archdiocese of Atlanta; Dennis Joseph O’Donnell, Diocese of Dallas.