Healing Hands Blessed in Annual Ceremony
On September 26, nurses in Assumption’s Class of 2027 had their hands ceremonially blessed before they begin their first clinical rotations this fall. The service, held in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, marked the nurses’ transitions from the classroom to professional practice.
Acting Provost Kimberly Schandel welcomed the students after an invocation and greeting from Deacon Elmer Vergara, A.A.
“The blessing you are about to receive will physically come from your faculty, who have taught you and supported you through the many steps in your journey so far, and they will continue to do so throughout your time at Assumption. It will call forth the Holy Spirit to act through you, to provide you with the courage and compassion needed to be effective caregivers,” she said. “I hope you see that you are not alone as you begin your practice—you are surrounded by friends and family, today and always. You are surrounded by your faculty and staff and the entire University.”
Nursing student Abigayle Frappier ’27 then read a passage from the Acts of the Apostles and Vergara read from the Gospel of Matthew. Both passages focused on healing the sick and helping those in need.
Reflecting on the Gospel, Vergara spoke about the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the importance of caring for those Christ calls his own, and the spirituality of the blessing itself.
“We bless the hands of healthcare workers because they serve as instruments of God’s healing, compassion, and love. The essence of the blessing encompasses the entire person. It promotes the healing and wellness of your whole being, body, and soul, wherein your words and actions in the world are blessed as a whole. Your hands become tools for healing—they are instruments of care, and they will be the same blessed hands you join to pray and praise God.”
Jennifer Morton, dean of the Froelich School of Nursing, closed by acknowledging how the nurses had been prepared for the moment, and the next stage of their professional journey.
“This is a formative experience for our junior class, who have just finished two years of foundational courses and will now apply robust nursing coursework in the clinical setting. But your formation began long before your time here, shaped by where you were born, where you went to school, and who cared for you—your family, friends, loved ones, siblings. Assumption is assisting you in your journey of becoming a nurse, and as you reach this point where we are entrusting you to go out and care for the public, we couldn’t be more proud.”
Members of the nursing faculty then blessed the hands of each of the students, emphasizing three important components: the anointing, which signifies God’s choice and commissioning for a special purpose; the blessed oil, which represents the Holy Spirit and tangible expression of God’s loving and healing presence within the nurses to bring comfort and healing; and the blessing as a sign of God’s presence, protection, and empowerment.