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It was an evening of looking back at 91快活林 Aquinas College檚 earliest days and forward to a promising future Saturday, when nearly 200 alumni met for the annual Alumni Association Dinner on the Santa Paula campus.

The guest of honor for the occasion was Rev. Cornelius M. Buckley, S.J., a chaplain who has served the College with great fidelity, wisdom, and cheer for the last 11 years. 淭his event gives me the opportunity to say something I probably wouldn檛 say otherwise, and that is how delightful I am to be here, Fr. Buckley quipped, noting that when he arrived at the College in 2004, he expected to stay for only two years. 淚 am still here, he continued. 淚檝e had a very, very happy life, but these last few years have been really, as I like to say, the maraschino cherry on top of the very generous sherbet I have.

Then, drawing upon the recent marriage vote in Ireland and ominous signs for the future of religious freedom in the United States, Fr. Buckley gave a thoughtful talk about the responsibilities of 91快活林 Aquinas College graduates, drawing upon the Second Vatican Council檚 call for an engaged and active laity. 淭his institution was founded by laymen who realized at the time the terrible situation in which our country existed, said Fr. Buckley. 淎nd this institution is the living proof that the laity took the words of Vatican II to heart and used them, at least in this situation, to concretize what was the ideal of the Council fathers.

The Alumni Association additionally used the evening to honor two classes, the Class of 2005, which was celebrating its 10th reunion, and the College檚 first graduates, the Class of 1975, who were celebrating their 40th. 淚t檚 hard to imagine, but they came to a school that didn檛 exist, said Peter L. DeLuca, one of the College檚 founders and its vice president for finance and administration, of the Class of 1975. 淭here were buildings there, he added, 渂ut there were no Sophomores, no Juniors, no Seniors, no upperclassmen. Yet despite the long odds, the Class persevered, and its graduation, he said, quoting the College's late founding president, Dr. Ronald P. McArthur, marked 渁 major milestone in the history of the College, and provided 渁 true sense of accomplishment to all who have made sacrifices that this institution might come into being.

Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015
  • Alumni Dinner 2015