‘Cancer has taken my strength, but it can’t take my heart,’ Judge Frank Caprio tells Providence College graduates
By Michael Hagan ’15, ’19G and Vicki-Ann Downing ’21G
“When the book is closed, we will be judged by the hope we inspire in the hopeless, and the difference we make in the lives we touch,” Providence Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio, J.D. ’58, ’08Hon. told 975 graduates of the Class of 2025 at Providence College’s 107th commencement exercises, held at Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence on Sunday, May 18.
The ceremony took place a short distance from Federal Hill, the Italian American neighborhood where Caprio was raised and from which he commuted to campus as an undergraduate in the 1950s.
As a boy, Caprio and his brother would rise before dawn to help their father, an immigrant from Italy, as deliver milk and collect empty bottles from three-story tenement homes in the neighborhood. When Caprio was 12, his father, in his “beautiful broken English and Italian accent,” told him, “If you don’t want to do this for the rest of your life, then study hard and go to college.”
“Providence College gave me the chance to better my life and, more importantly, fulfill my father’s dream,” Caprio said.
Caprio retired after 38 years as chief judge on the Providence Municipal Court. He earned worldwide fame through a show, “Caught in Providence,” broadcast from his courtroom and syndicated nationally on 200 stations across the country. The show was nominated from an Emmy Award four times and has been viewed billions of times on social media. Caprio’s compassionate approach — he said he wore a heart under his robe, not a badge — earned him the nickname “the nicest judge in the world.”
“Kindness, compassion, and — most of all — common sense” were not a judicial philosophy learned in law school, but rather “a moral philosophy that I was taught at home and at Providence College,” Caprio said.
Caprio recalled how his courtroom would be inundated with parking violations from the several college graduations that take place in Providence each spring.
“I routinely dismissed the tickets as a graduation gift,” he said, “Unfortunately, I am now retired, so I will try to be brief so as not to cause any of you to get a ticket today.”
“My court was different than most courts. It generally placed individuals in front of me to argue their own cases. In my years as a judge, I heard every excuse — even some creative excuses from your professors,” Caprio joked.
He described how faith, family, and lessons learned at Providence College shape his approach to jurisprudence.
“When people see me on television and social media, they see a man wearing a robe with a gavel in his hand. What they don’t see is my mother’s spirit on one shoulder and my father’s on the other, whispering in my ear to make sure that I act with tolerance and forgiveness,” he said.
“You will not be spared problems or setbacks,” he told the graduates. “I’m no stranger to setbacks.”
Caprio, who is battling pancreatic cancer, said, “Your reaction to those moments will define you and your career. Don’t ever give up. Have faith in yourself and reach deep within you to find the strength to persevere.”
“Cancer has taken much of my strength. But it can’t take my faith, it can’t take my heart, and it can’t take my message,” he said.
At 88, Caprio wrote and published his first book, Compassion in the Court — a signed copy of which was given to each graduate.
Recalling his own Providence College graduation 67 years ago, Caprio said, “That was the proudest moment for my entire family.” He was the first member of his family to graduate from college. He encouraged graduates to draw, like he has, upon “the dreams and values of all those who came before — those who gave so much and took so little.”
Congratulating the graduates for their progress up “the ladder of success,” Caprio gave them this instruction: “You must leave the ladder down for others to follow. It is your duty to reach down and to help pull others up.”
That is the true definition of success, he said. “Treat people with kindness, compassion, and understanding, and you will have lived up to the honor of the diploma that you are receiving.”
Honorary degrees were presented to six individuals, including four alumni, for distinguished achievements and service:
• Most Rev. Richard G. Henning, STD, D.D., who was appointed archbishop of Boston by Pope Francis on August 5, 2024, received an honorary doctor of sacred theology degree. He previously served as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Providence.
• Ann Manchester-Molak ’75, the first female executive vice president of Providence College and a member of the college’s first coeducational class, was awarded an honorary doctor of communication degree. She retired in December 2024 after a 45-year career at the college.
• Kerri Murray ’95, president of the nonprofit Shelter Box USA, a global humanitarian organization that assists people left homeless by war and natural disasters, received an honorary doctor of humanitarian service degree.
• Brother Ignatius Perkins, O.P., Ph.D., RN, founding director of the St. Martin de Porres Center for Health and Human Dignity in PC’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences, was awarded an honorary doctor of nursing degree. Brother Ignatius was instrumental in founding the nursing program at PC.
• Christopher K. Reilly ’84, chair of the Providence College Board of Trustees since 2018 and a member of the board since 2009, received an honorary doctor of business administration degree. He will step down from the position on July 1.
• Ronald P. Stride ’62, a philanthropist and retired senior vice president and managing partner for Asia of Booz Allen Hamilton, received an honorary doctor of business administration degree.
In his remarks, College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G quoted advice from Pope John Paul II: “Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. And look forward to the future with confidence.”
Father Sicard said that when he travels the country, alumni share with him joyful remembrances of their PC experiences. He believes three ingredients make the college special: the academic experience facilitated by the faculty members and the students’ own hard work, the experiences that led to personal and spiritual growth, and the bonds formed with faculty, friends, roommates, and Dominicans.
“The late pope also suggested that you live the present with enthusiasm,” Father Sicard said. “I think this is something you perfected during your years here at PC, and you did this by savoring and enjoying the moments and opportunities you had. You poured yourselves into your work, but you also never passed up an opportunity to enthusiastically have fun.”
Graduates should look to the future with confidence, he said.
“My hope and my prayer for you, members of the Class of 2025, is that you find joy in all aspects of your lives, that you continue to set your sights high, and that fulfillment and meaning accompany the achievement of your fondest hopes for the future,” Father Sicard said.
Brian P. McManus ’90, president of the 60,000-member National Alumni Association, told graduates to remember to take advantage of the Friar alumni network when they are applying for a job or a promotion. “Friars love to talk with Friars about their experiences and Friars love to help where they can,” McManus said. “I know that personally.”
“Wherever your journey takes you — Boston, New York, Chicago, D.C., or elsewhere — you will be walking down the street in a PC sweatshirt and you will get a “Go Friars,” McManus said. “That’s just your PC family letting you know they are there.”
The Class of 2025 included 101 legacy students, 22 with both parents who are PC graduates.
Senior class president Connor Flynn ’25, a political science major from Natick, Massachusetts, said the signs on campus proclaiming PC as a place “for those who seek more” challenged him to find his purpose.
“To seek more is to hear and to be heard,” Flynn said. “To see and to be seen. To love and to be loved. The things that make us who we are are sometimes the hardest things to find out in this world, but they are found every day right here. In this air. In this room and in our lives.”
Degrees were conferred upon the 975 undergraduates by Sylvia Maxfield, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Diplomas were presented by Very Rev. Allan B. Moran, O.P., Ph.D., prior provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.
Congratulations were offered by Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore ’88 and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. Among those attending were State Senator Jacob Bissaillon ’09, ’10G, Providence City Council member Jo-Ann Flanagan Ryan ’81, ’01G, and Postsecondary Education Commissioner Shannon Gilkey.
The invocation was by Rev. Msgr. Albert A. Kenney, STL ’89, diocesan administrator for the Diocese of Providence. College Chaplain Rev. Simon Teller offered the benediction and the blessing of the graduates. Providence College Symphonic Winds performed under the direction of Eric C. Melley, DMA, director of instrumental activities. Liliana Massa ’25 (Waltham, Massachusetts) sang The National Anthem and Christina L. Schwab ’25 (Havertown, Pennsylvania) sang the Alma Mater.
Watch the full ceremony
‘Leadership matters,’ Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox ’97SCE says at graduate ceremony
Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox ’97SCE was the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony for 255 graduate students and 24 continuing education students, held in Peterson Recreation Center on Friday, May 16. He was awarded an honorary doctor of public service degree.
Cox said his journey at Providence College “was essential to me finding my purpose.” He entered in 1984 with the dream of becoming a basketball player, but soon realized that “a bustling social schedule and irregular studying would not secure me an academic scholarship, nor an athletic one.” He returned to the college as an adult to complete his degree through SCE. Cox said he was pleased to recognize at the graduation ceremony a professor who influenced and guided him, Joseph A. Gemma, MBA ’75, assistant professor of management and senior associate dean of student academic success.
Cox, who grew up in Boston, joined the police department in 1989 when the homicide rate was the highest in the city’s recorded history. He was working as an undercover officer in the anti-gang violence unit in 1995 when fellow officers mistook him for the suspect they were pursuing and beat him severely.
“I experienced brutality and betrayal that shook the very core of my understanding of justice,” Cox said. “I was beaten severely and abandoned by those who swore to uphold the law, and faced with an unspoken code of retribution simply because I share the same skin color as the actual perpetrator. No one should ever endure such violent injustice. That experience painfully underscored that even in the most noble professions, at times, everyone could fall short of the ideals that they promised.”
Through the experience, Cox learned that maintaining integrity and compassion was vital in the face of institutional shortcomings. Even in the face of injustice, one can be guided by the values of empathy, fairness, and accountability. Cox said he has spent the remainder of his career expanding professional development for police officers and building cultural connections to the community they serve.
His journey to understand the experience led him back to PC to finish his degree. There he began to explore leadership, ethics, and structures that shape institutions. He also found community.
“Through my studies and experiences, it’s clear that leadership matters,” Cox said. “Mentorship and empathy matter. The absence of positive influence creates an environment where the worst aspects of our nature can take hold, and bad outcomes are inevitable. We cannot afford to be passive in shaping our institutions. It’s our responsibility. It’s my responsibility to be a force of good, to demand integrity, and to lead with unwavering conviction.”
Master’s degrees were awarded in history, teaching mathematics, theological studies, business administration, business analytics, school leadership, school counseling, higher education, literacy, special education, global education and TESOL, urban teaching, urban teaching with teacher certification, secondary education, and mathematics with teacher certification. Bachelor of arts and associate of arts degrees were also awarded to students who completed their degrees through the School of Continuing Education.
In his welcome, College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G asked the graduates to stand and acknowledge the families, friends, and professors who supported them.
“Some of you have full-time jobs, some of you have families at home — perhaps with children — and some of you have responsibilities that you simply shoulder without complaint,” Father Sicard said. “While you have sacrificed much to get to this point, so have others, and they deserve to share in tonight’s celebration.”
Brian P. McManus ’90, president of the National Alumni Association, presented greetings.
“Whether it was five years ago or one year ago when you joined our community of learners, you joined the Friar family, and today you take another step along that journey together,” McManus said. “Please always remember that wherever you go in your next chapter, you will bring your Friar family with you.”
Most Rev. Robert C. Evans, D.D., auxiliary bishop emeritus of Providence, offered the invocation, and Rev. Damian Day, O.P. ’15, assistant chaplain, gave the benediction. Shannon Flaherty ’25, who received an MBA degree at the ceremony, sang the National Anthem. Lauren Aldrich ’25 (Saunderstown, Rhode Island) and Julia Carson ’25 (Foxborough, Massachustts) sang the Alma Mater.
Watch the full ceremony
Students honored at Academic Awards Ceremony
Eight students shared the distinction of being the top students in the class with perfect 4.0 GPAS, the equivalent of an A in every class for eight semesters:
Casey Burgess ’25 (Peterborough, New Hampshire), a double major in philosophy and humanities
Christina Charie ’25 (Cranston, Rhode Island), a triple major in political science, women’s and gender studies, and economics, with a minor in history
Claire Cordonnier ’25 (Needham, Massachusetts), an art and art history major
Hannah Johnson ’25 (Readfield, Maine), a health policy and management major and captain of the women’s ice hockey team
Angelika Kartsagoulis ’25 (Needham, Massachusetts), a biology major
Audrey Koch ’25 (Iowa City, Iowa), a psychology major with a minor in sociology and a member of the women’s basketball team
Kate McDonald ’25 (Milton, Massachusetts), a management major and French minor
Samuel Seda ’25 (Providence, Rhode Island), a theology and humanities double major
Seda presented the class oration, noting that the Class of 2025 began college just as the lockdowns of the pandemic were easing. He thanked the college for leading him to pursue truth, which he noted is not just an academic endeavor.
“Truth, rather, is sought and attained in community, something which became ever more apparent in the wake of the pandemic,” Seda said. “It is, ultimately, the friendships we have formed with our classmates, the mentorships that have arisen with our faculty, and the spiritual direction and accompaniment we have received from the friars that have enabled us to experience growth through our studies, preparing us for the future. I will always be grateful, Class of 2025, to Providence College for teaching me this.”
Students came from 26 states and territories. The five most common majors were finance, marketing, psychology, biology, and management. About 88 percent of students reported taking part in an internship or career-related experience. The class included 433 students who graduated with academic honors, 358 students who were members of honor societies, and 76 students who were members of the Honors Program.
Faculty greetings were presented by Gizem Zencirci, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and director of the Middle East Studies Program, who is this year’s recipient of the college’s top teaching honor, the Joseph R. Accinno Faculty Teaching Award.
In a closeknit academic community like PC, the college journey is personal, challenging, and filled with uncomfortable moments, Zencirci said. After adjusting to the new routine of classes and friendships, students learned a new and more valuable feeling of discomfort —uncomfortable questions, uncomfortable human conditions, and the discomfort of maintaining a critical stance. Zencirci quoted the Sufi Muslim mystic Celaleddin Rumi: “If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be published?”
“We do not grow as human beings unless we figure out how to learn from — and sit with —situations, encounters, and dialogues which are at their core uncomfortable,” Zencirci said. “My humble advice to you, in short, is that please don’t run away from being uncomfortable. Every day, everywhere you find yourself, every encounter with others is an opportunity to learn through discomfort.”
Bryan Marinelli, Ph.D., assistant vice president and dean of academic success, presented academic awards to students, assisted by College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G and Sylvia Maxfield, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Cecilia Ramirez, campus minister, offered the invocation and Rev. Clement Dickie, O.P., associate chaplain, gave the benediction. Liliana Massa ’25 (Waltham, Massachusetts) and Molly McGoldrick ’25 (Merrick, New York) sang the Alma Mater.
Watch the full ceremony
‘Love one another,’ Father Sicard says in Mass homily
The Commencement Mass was celebrated on Saturday, May 17, in Peterson Recreation Center by College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G.
In his homily, Father Sicard said to the graduates, “Now Jesus turns to you and says, ‘As I have loved you, so you also should love others.’ It’s not just the nice pious saying, it’s the measure by which your education, your vocation, and your life will be judged … You’ve been prepared for this. You are so ready.
“You were not meant for small things. You were meant to set the world on fire with truth, with courage, with integrity and with love. And I promise you that wherever your future journeys take you, God will be with you every step of the way.”
Joseph Mazzucca ’25 (East Northport, New York) was psalmist. Readings were presented by Dennis O’Brien ’25 (Massapequa Park, New York) and Elizabeth Varous ’25 (Commack, New York). The Universal Prayer was read by Magdalena Smyth ’25 (Exeter, New Hampshire).
Twenty-three student leaders, student-athletes, and scholars were recognized at the Service of Investiture: Elaine Andrade ’25, Casey Burgess ’25, Veronica Butler ’25, Lauren Carson ’25, Christina Charie ’25, Claire Cordonnier ’25, Catherine Earle ’25, Connor Flynn ’25, Kayla Fordyce ’25, Madison Haji ’25, Elizabeth Hien ’25, Isabel Ison ’25, Hannah Johnson ’25, Angelika Kartsagoulis ’25, Audrey Koch ’25, Rodney Lopez ’25, Lily Martinson ’25, Kate McDonald ’25, Elisia Pagliuca ’25, Samuel Seda ’25, Noah Smith ’25, Olivia Wheldon ’25, and Emily Wishart ’25.
Watch the Mass
Three PC cadets become second lieutenants at ROTC Commissioning
Twelve cadets, including three from Providence College, were commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony at the War Memorial Grotto on Friday, May 16.
The keynote speaker was a Providence College parent, Brigadier General Kenneth P. Wisniewski, assistant adjutant general in the New York National Guard. Wisniewski enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard at age 17, earning his commission as a second lieutenant in the infantry branch as he entered his senior year at Bryant University in 1996. In civilian life, he is a sales director in the biotechnology industry. His daughters are members of the Classes of 2026 and 2027, and his son will enter PC as a member of the ROTC Program in the fall.
He shared his advice for the cadets as they begin their Army careers, including to be proud of who you serve, not the rank you attain; if something feels wrong, it probably is, so don’t ignore it, correct it; don’t speak poorly of others; and, quoting George Washington, discipline is the soul of an army.
Cadets commissioned from PC were:
• Alexander Coleman ’25 (Alexandria, Virginia), a political science major who will report to Fort Benning, Georgia, to serve in the Army National Guard. He received the Providence College Class of 1966 Award and the Captain John “Jay” Tobin Memorial Award.
• Liam Doherty ’25 (Medfield, Massachusetts), a history major, who will attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, to prepare for active duty. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate, a distinction awarded to the top 20 percent of all cadets nationwide, and received the Providence College President’s Trophy, Robert Reisman First Infantry Division Award, and Colonel Gerald F. Dillon and Colonel Ryan S. Dillon ROTC Award.
• Greyson Heinzer ’25 (Westminster, Massachusetts), a biology major, who will report to Fort Benning, Georgia, to prepare for active duty. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate, a distinction awarded to the top 20 percent of all cadets nationwide, and received the Providence College Colonel J. Gardner Conway Alumni Award, First Lieutenant Brian McPhillips (USMC) Memorial Award, and Colonel Gerald F. Dillon and Colonel Ryan S. Dillon ROTC Award.
