St. Paul’s College Kicks Off Academic Year with Mass of the Holy Spirit and Opening Academic Exercises

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and special guests gathered for the St. Paul’s College Annual Mass of the Holy Spirit and Opening Academic Exercises on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the Christ the King Chapel at St. Paul’s College. This long-standing tradition signifies the official start of the academic year at the College with a blending of a celebration of faith and recognition of academic achievements within the College community.

The Mass of the Holy Spirit, led by Fr. Mark Filips, began with the gathering hymn “Envia Tu Espiritu” and featured readings from Genesis, Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark. Dr. Christopher J. Adams, Rector, welcomed attendees,while Ms. Elíude Cavalcante offered a prayer for the Chapel. The congregation was invited to join in hymns such as “All Are Welcome” and “We Are Marching,” while Fr. Filips delivered a thoughtful homily reflecting on the readings. The Mass concluded with the Liturgy of the Eucharist and a final blessing, setting a tone of unity and reflection for the year ahead.

For the Opening Academic Exercises, led by Dean of Studies Dr. Dilantha Fernando, academic scholarships and other prestigious awards were presented to students who demonstrated exceptional academic dedication and commitment.

“I would like to welcome all new students who have joined the St. Paul’s College this academic year,” said Dilantha Fernando, Dean of Studies at St. Paul’s College and a Professor in the Faculty of Agricultural of Food Sciences. “As we celebrate the Opening Academic Exercises and Awards with you, I congratulate you on your achievements. As Dean of Studies, I am proud to have you as our student member. I am pleased to let you know that we can give awards and scholarships in the amount of $41,268 at this year’s Opening Academic Exercises and Awards. Also, there will be numerous bursaries awarded to students in need very soon. This is made possible due to the generous donations we receive from our benefactors, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.”

These scholarships reflect St. Paul’s College’s ongoing support of students in their educational and personal growth journeys:

• Ellen Dryden Finlay Entrance Scholarship awarded to Chiara Wilson
• Jesuit Entrance Scholarship awarded to Isabella Woo, Chichi Zvomuya, Matthew Wardrop, and Meghan Legadi 
• St. Paul’s College Alumni and Friends Association, Inc. Entrance Scholarship awarded to Trisha Topiwala, Chelsea Olowookere, William O’Donnell, and Ashley Garland
• The Larry and Leta Lee Entrance Scholarship awarded to Lily Francis
• The Dr. Y.C. Ma Scholarship awarded to Anthony Kaus
• Diane Dowling Memorial Scholarship awarded to Gabriel Young, Dylan Richard, Carla Esporlas, and Gabrielle David
• Todd Davison Memorial Scholarship awarded to Wylie Garchinski
• Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem Ecumenical Scholarship awarded to Francesco Caligiuri
• Eileen M.G. LeSarge (SPC’ 69) Scholarship awarded to Ebunoluwa Akinbo
• The Archbishop Leonard J. Wall Scholarship awarded to Wylie Garchinski and Anthony Martin
• Martin Kavanagh-Gaultier La Verendrye Fellowship awarded to Justin Kwaku, Oduro Adinkra, and Adelaide Kotey
• Elizabeth Desmond Prize in Medieval History awarded to Kyra Clegg
• Patrick Burke-Gaffney Prize in Mathematics awarded to Johnny Lee
• Denny-Newman Strong Prize awarded to Cecilia McLandress and Jacob DeBlaere
• Dr. Karl Schilling Memorial Prize awarded to Pablo Misael Contreras Barron 
• Timothy Desmond Prize in History awarded to Faustina Cotter

Continuing the student association tradition of leadership at the College, Emily Leskiw (former Vice-Stick) passed the St. Paul’s College Student Association Vice-Stick bat, a symbol of leadership within the student body, to Lily Francis (current Vice-Stick). 

After the Opening Academic Exercises, guests gathered in Hanley Hall for a reception where the students, staff and alumni re-connected, reinforcing the unique sense of community that defines St. Paul’s College.

“Thank you to those who are here and elsewhere for supporting the College through financial contributions to scholarships and bursaries to help our students pursue their studies,” said Rector of St. Paul’s College, Christopher Adams. “For those of you who received awards, congratulations! I hope you might be able to pay this forward for students in decades to come. Many of the things we do here are directly related to our extended network of support, including donations to our College Foundation for bursaries and scholarships, educational programs, and the maintenance of this chapel. Thank you, our students and families, for being part of our College community. We are lucky to have such friends!”

The day served as a reminder of the College’s commitment to intellectual and personal growth as the community moves forward into a new academic year inspired by a beautiful blend of spirituality and academic excellence.

St. Paul's College