Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2020

The long-awaited Commencement weekend for the Class of 2020 took place in June 2021 with Prize Day on Saturday, June 12 and graduation on Sunday, June 13, along with a full roster of traditional Sixth-Form celebratory events.

The Class of 2020 began the morning with a concelebrated Mass under the tent on the Holy Lawn, followed by Commencement exercises. Chancellor and Prior-Administrator Very Reverend Michael Brunner, O.S.B. delivered the invocation and then addressed the graduates: “On behalf of the monastic community of Portsmouth Abbey I welcome you to this Commencement ceremony of the Class of 2020. I thank this class for persevering through their most unusual senior year and surviving what was surely an unusual freshman year in college. We really missed your being on campus for your last trimester here, so thanks for bringing us all together to celebrate you today.”

Father Michael paraphrased the inaugural words of President John F. Kennedy: “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who

Top: The Class of 2020

Middle: David Appleton ’20 and John Owen Habib ’20 and Alex Wei ’20 congratulate Mauricio Garcia Gojon ’20 on his graduation.

Bottom: Graduates enjoy John Perik’s ’20 commencement address.

serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to serve the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

Board of Regents member Christopher Abbate ’88 P ’20 ’23 addressed “the most battle tested, flexible, resilient group of individuals to ever graduate from Portsmouth Abbey School, the Class of 2020!”

He told the graduates, “I would be remiss if I did not comment on the spiritual elements of Portsmouth Abbey that have remained with me today and served me well during many challenging periods.” Mr. Abbate noted the main source of his inspiration taken from the Abbey: “For me, it is the tremendous example set by the monastic community. Anyone who has spent time with these men know that they are tremendously gifted and could have been successful doing anything they wanted to. Yet they have chosen to take a vow and serve, and importantly to serve here at Portsmouth Abbey, which you have had the great fortune to benefit from. So, whether or not you are religious, I would submit that when challenges beset you in the future, thinking about these men and what they’ve dedicated their life to will help ground you and point you in the right direction.”

Former Headmaster Dan McDonough followed by recognizing several cherished faculty members who have retired within the past two years: Chemistry Teacher Janice Brady, French Teacher Nancy Brzys, and History Teacher Cliff Hobbins. Mr. McDonough then addressed his comments to the “Seventh Form – the Class of 2020,” praising them for their courage and endurance throughout the most trying months of COVID-19. Quoting Pope Francis’ Easter homily of 2021, he said, “’It is always possible to begin anew, because there is always a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures. From the rubble of our hearts… God can create a work of art; from the ruined remnants of our humanity, God can prepare a new history.’ I hope you will remember that no matter what happens to you in the years to come, God put YOU here, in this time, for a reason.”

Graduate speakers John Perik ’20 of Jamestown, RI and Katherine Driscoll ’20 of Portsmouth, RI fondly recalled the sweeter moments shared at the Abbey. John noted, “Portsmouth Abbey taught me that in life there are people who you can’t live without. It teaches you to appreciate the routine, which

Top: Eloise Abbate ’20 with her parents, Chris ’88 and Catherine, and brothers Michael ’23 and Benedict. Chris, a member of the Board of Regents, delivered an address to the graduates.

Middle: Rafael Borromeo ’20 was joined in celebration by his parents, Ricardo’92 and Trina, and his brother, Tito.

Bottom: Graduate Ceci Bohan ’20 celebrates with her dad, John, a member of the Board of Regents, her mom, Anne, and her sisters, Lily, Caroline ‘22 and Elizabeth.

Guest Commencement Speaker Harvard University Professor of Astronomy Dr. Karin Öberg and graduate Commencement Speakers Kate Driscoll’20 and John Perik’20

at times might feel old but in the end, it’s made us all who we are today. Last March when we were forced to go online, I first realized that I completely took the routine for granted. Ultimately, I came to realize how important all of the small moments are. The walks to class, the Dunkin’ stops, the library, the walks to the upper lot, the assemblies, the sports practices, every cross-campus encounter. In the end, all of those small moments made up the greatest routine. And together all of us made that routine so enjoyable… so precious.”

Kate spoke of how she came to treasure the Abbey community, “For me, as a recruited athlete at Holy Cross, I lost my freshman season to COVID-19. So, there was no escape. But there was a silver lining. Time, distance, and my college experience gave me an intense appreciation for the importance of community. Especially the Portsmouth Abbey community. As my fellow college freshmen reminisced about high school, I noticed a difference in our experiences. They made few comments about their high school community. In comparison, a supportive and tight-knit community was at the heart of my experience at the Abbey. I am reminded of a quote from Maya Angelou: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ To the Class of 2020: I am grateful for your friendship and support. Thank YOU for how you made me feel.”

Guest Commencement Speaker Harvard University Professor of Astronomy Dr. Karin Öberg described her rigorous training in astrophysics, her students who have inspired her in her career,

Andrew Coombs ’05 addressed the Class of 2020 at their Sixth-Form dinner. and her conversion from agnosticism to Christianity, “Practicing the scientific method is a wonderful way to realize that there are objective truths in the world, that there are ways to discover them, and that your mind is capable of recognizing these truths…. Pursuing the truth is a path towards breaking free of our own self-centeredness. And so is being kind.” Dr. Öberg left the graduates with words of inspiration, “And today is a good day, a beautiful day, to celebrate the courage you have all shown the past year, the truths you have already pursued and won here at Portsmouth, and the kindness you have shown towards one another. I am so very honored to be celebrating this with you. Congratulations Class of 2020!”

Visit the Portsmouth Abbey School website to read the commencement speches in full and to view a gallery of photos from the weekend: www.portsmouthabbey.org/learn/school-life/ commencement-2020-review

Clockwise from top left: Members of the Class of 2020 stop for the traditional beach photo on their way to their Sixth-Form dinner; Biology Teacher Mitch Green ’11 and Head of the Modern Language Department Nancy Brzys were the recipients of the Dom Peter Sidler Award for Excellence in Teaching, honoring a full-time senior and a full-time junior faculty member who has exhibited sustained excellence as a teacher at Portsmouth Abbey School; the Sixth-Form stone quote was unveiled and will be placed in the Healey Fountain Plaza on lower campus; Head Boy for 2019-20 Patrick Conlan ’20 rejoices in receiving his diploma; from left, Mauricio Garcia Gojon, Sean Smith, Ethan Leviss, Dean Simeone, Danny de Oleo Peguero and Joshua Chen reunite for the long-awaited graduation ceremony; members of the Class of 2020 on the trolley to the beach.