St. Mary’s University will honor the accomplishments of its 276 new graduates with an in-person Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.

The Fall 2023 Commencement will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center, Bill Greehey Arena.

Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J., (M.A. ’89), executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, will be the Commencement speaker and will receive a Doctorate in Humane Letters, honoris causa.

The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 276 new graduates, including 121 receiving bachelor’s degrees, 100 receiving master’s degrees, 47 receiving degrees from the School of Law and eight receiving doctoral degrees.

Sister Norma Pimentel is with the Missionaries of Jesus. As Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, she oversees the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville, providing oversight of the different ministries and services in the areas of the Rio Grande Valley.

In recognition of her advocacy for migrants and humanitarian work along the US-Mexico border, Pimentel has received the Catholic Charities USA Martin Luther King, Jr. Keep the Dream Alive Award, Rio Grande Valley’s Citizen of the Year, Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and is the recipient of the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, which is among the highest honors for an American Catholic.

She has testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the State of Civil Rights in Immigration Detention Facilities and spoke on Women Upholding Human Dignity at the United Nations. Pimentel earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Pan American University, a master’s degree in Theology from St. Mary’s University and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University.