Eighty-eight Nursing Students Blessed before First Clinical
February 12, 2021
On Fri., Feb. 5, 88 nursing students in the class of 2023 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 work.
“To me, the blessing of the hands reconnects us with our faith as we enter into clinicals,” said nursing major Shannon Parr ’23. She added, “It is a celebration for how much we are about to achieve in the community.”
Fr. Mathias Durette, O.S.B., presided over the blessing, presenting to each student the medal of St. Raphael, patron saint of nurses. For the first time the students proudly wore their navy blue scrubs, ready to begin their rotations. Nursing Professor Carrie MacLeod, Ph.D., officially welcomed the students; Student Nurses Association president Bailey Conte ’21 then provided words of encouragement. One-by-one the sophomore nursing students were called to the altar to get their hands blessed by Nursing Professors Melinda Ferguson, Anne Knight, Carrie MacLeod and Deborah McCarter. Due to COVID, student nurses were socially distanced and guests were unable to attend but watched the live stream.
“Your task as nurses will be to serve as angels here on earth, as agents of healing and consolation,” said Fr. Mathias. “Yours is a noble profession. It is putting the gospel into action.”
“My favorite part was stepping up to my professor and her saying the prayer for me. It made me feel like God will always be by my side throughout my career,” said Tessa Whiteside ’23.
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:
Joanna Archambault
Grade Baukus
Merrick Bilodeau
Samantha Biron
Dyanna Bonavita
Gina Buccieri
Emily Butler
Jon Cattabriga
Emma Chestnut
Quinn Colligan
Maeve Collins
Caroline Condon
Jacqueline Conroy
Meghan Cotraro
Abigail Couture
Rachel Davidson
Camille Desjardins
Kayla Dolley
Katherine Ellis
Kendall Ellmer
Ariana Fay
Grace Foley
Anna Fuller
Meredith Gebski
Kendall Gravell
Jessica Guadagnoli
Kristen Gyorda
Mary Halle
Julie Hamilton
Grace Hart
Emma Howlett
Caroline Huntress
Cordelia Inman
Emma Izydorczak
Deanna Kashulines
Jaime Kask
Meaghan Kelleher
Catherine Landry
Paige Lapriore
Adrienne Lesieur
Grade Liedman
Chloe London-Ayr
Carolyn Lynch
Nicole Marella
Meghan McGillicuddy
Methan Moore
Lauren Moran
Mairead Morgan
Emily Morin
Julie Murphy
Erika Nedinsky
Emma Neumann
Megan Nguyen
Delaney O'Brien
Quinn O'Rourke
Katherine Paquin
Shannon Parr
Julia Phillips
Jillian Oirier
Grade Potvin
Anna Powell
Lauren Puglielli
Liam Reeve
Alexia Reis
Theresa Riley
Abigail Rogers
Shaylyn Ross
Madison Rossi
Veronica Salvaggio
Julia Sarra
Rebecca Scott
Anna Sheehan
Jack Shibles
Emma Skurka
Theadora Stark
Marcel Stypulkowski
Samantha Sullivan
Corrine Sweeney
Cameron Tait
Sarah Taylor
Emily Vigorito
Julia Walsh
Kylie Warren
Katherine Welch
Grace White
Tessa Whiteside
Isabella Wronkowski
Mitchell Young