On Friday, February 2, 114 nursing students in the class of 2026 gathered in the Abbey Church for a special blessing of the hands ceremony in preparation for their first clinical experiences. The ceremony is a beloved tradition for the college’s future nurses, connecting the Benedictine values at the center of their college experience to their future profession.
Fr. Francis, O.S.B., presided over the blessing, presenting to each student the medal of St. Raphael, patron saint of nurses. The students proudly wore their navy-blue scrubs for the first time, ready to begin their rotations. Student Nurses Association president Alexa Conceicao ’24 then provided words of encouragement; “I want to remind you that you are not just a nursing student, you are the future of nursing.”
One by one the sophomore nursing students were called to the altar to have hands blessed by Nursing Professors Caryn Vallante, Hilary Childs ‘11, Deb McCarter, and Jen O’Neill. Lastly, community members who are healthcare professionals also had the opportunity to have their hands blessed.
The students will now enter a new chapter in their nursing education taking their classroom, lab, and simulation learning to the clinical environment.
This year’s students who received the blessing were:
Rory Anderson
Caroline Araldi
Samuel Assantha
Noelle Balzarini
Jordyn Bello
Ava Beshere
Isabelle Brady
Margaret Burchill
Michael Burke
Delia Butler
Faith Cafua
Nicholas Caputo
Phoebe Cleaves
Ava Coffey
Emily Collins
Katherine Collins
Kyla Cremens
Jillian Crofton
Kathleen Crowley
Ava Daly
Mia Degulis
Charlotte DeLucia
Cara DiMaggio
Lauren DiPerri
Maggie Donohue
Kailey Donovan
Patrick Drew
Abigail Egan
Konstandina Eliadis
Burke England
Kyle Fahey
Jillian Delia Fay
Alaina Ferraro
Ava Finateri
Mackenzie Flynn
Marie Flynn
Hope Ford
Allison Forti
Abigail Lorraine Frye
Hannah Gately
Olivia Golemme
Olivia Goulet
Margaret Graham
Elizabeth Grava
Riley Hardacre
Allyson Harrington
Audrey Heinzer
Gianna Herbert
Amelia Hohos
Sarah Hurley
Kathryn Hynes
Haley Izydorczak
Abigail Johnston
Anastasia Karaban
Sarah Korowski
Katelyn Anne Kral
Brianna Langdon
Pamela Librizzo
Anna Longval
Sarah Lopes
Alexa Lubash
Jane Luciano
Ella Malvone
Mackenzie Manley
Catherine Manning
Emily Martell
Julia Marzolini
Neeve McGeoghean
Abigail McGonigle
Shannon McGovern
Isabella Mears
Delaney Miller
Mackenzie Mlocek
Delaney Morgan
Maryrose Moschitto
Leo Mullen
Samantha Murphy
Emily Nathan
Abigail Naughton
Samantha Niemszyk
Julia Nystrom
Mary O'Connell
Caroline O'Connor
Abigail O'Leary
Colleen O'Neill
James O'Neill
Lauren Ouellette
Kristina Packowski
Anna Paulson
Grace Perley
Ava Petrosino
Rachel Picher
Jillian Pillard
Dylan Pinto
Kayli Porter
Meghan Rapose
Samantha Reen
Kelley Regan
Andrea Seaver
Hannah Seymour
Alexandra Shorette
Elizabeth Sintros
Gianna Spinella
Lili Stone
Emma Sughrue
Sofia Talarico
Madison Turner
Emma Vacirca
Alexi Varetimos
Alivia Varetimos
Emily West
Lindsey Wickson
Emily Wilkens
Jordan Willis