Nearly 3,000 Attend Archdiocese Spirituality Day with Cardinal Dolan at Iona University
Annual celebration included principals, teachers and staff from over 150 Catholic schools
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Iona University was pleased to welcome nearly 3,000 Catholic school educators and staff to campus for the Archdiocese of New York’s “Spirituality Day,” an annual celebration including principals, teachers, counselors and leaders from over 150 Catholic schools serving nearly 50,000 students.
His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, began the day with a special Mass in the Hynes Arena, followed by a keynote address by Monsignor James Vlaun, President and CEO of the national television and media network, Catholic Faith Network.
Superintendent of Schools Sister Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., was also in attendance along with bishops and other leaders from the Archdiocese. Performances were given by the Iona Pipe Band and the choir of St. Stephen of Hungary School from Manhattan.
Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., delivered welcoming remarks on behalf of the University.
“It is an honor to welcome His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan and host Spirituality Day at Iona, where we share in the mission of Catholic education,” Carey said. “My gratitude to the Archdiocese for the important work you all do to educate the next generation.”
Carey also noted that many in attendance were also Iona alumni. Offering several bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, Iona has long been renowned for its Education Department.
In addition, Iona also offers a 33 percent tuition discount through its Archdiocesan Scholarship for Graduate Students, which is geared toward full-time teachers, administrators and guidance counselors employed by Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the Archdiocese of New York and neighboring dioceses, as well as members of the clergy. Educators interested in learning more can email gradadmissions@iona.edu.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.