St Mary’s University, London, has celebrated its graduating students this month, with ceremonies running from 15th to 19th July. The University, which is currently celebrating its 175th anniversary, also welcomed guests Dame Rachel De Souza, Noreen Doyle and Nik Cavill, who were awarded honorary doctorates.
24 ceremonies were hosted by the University, over six days, with Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran and University Provost Professor Sara Spear presiding over events. Services of thanksgiving were led by The Right Reverend Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, and St Mary’s Chair of Governors; Mgr Roderick Strange, Assistant Chaplain; Mgr Dr Paul McPartlan, Rector of Mater Ecclesiae College; and Canon Peter Newby, the University’s Chaplain.
St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran commented:
“We were delighted to host our graduates and their proud families and friends on campus this week to celebrate their significant achievements. The days saw bright sunshine, great joy, rapturous applause, and a few happy tears. I’d like to thank our teams from across the University for making these special events, taking place during our 175th anniversary celebrations, a great success.
“The strength of our community spirit, generous welcome, and focus on the individual experience of our students, resulted in a clear demonstration of our values, and of what is so special about this University.”
Within a ceremony on Wednesday 16th July, Noreen Doyle received the honorary doctorate in recognition of her considerable impact internationally in the finance and banking sectors, her advocacy for more women in finance, and her commitment to ensuring that people have access to higher education and the opportunities that creates.
Thursday 17th July saw Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education, celebrating her lifelong commitment to advocating for children, as well as her outstanding contribution to the field of education as a teacher, headteacher, and Chief Executive of a multi-academy trust.
With a distinguished 25-year military career, and subsequent work to support veterans through the Marines Charitable Trust, Nik Cavill, an alumnus of St Mary’s, was presented with his award on Friday 18th July in recognition of his outstanding contributions.
The day was captured by @YourStMarys on Instagram and @StMarysUniversity on TikTok.
Founded in 1850, St Mary’s University is one of the country’s oldest Higher Education Institutions and has been inspiring excellence for 175 years. Having achieved full university status in 2014, St Mary’s is also one of the top-rated modern universities nationally.
The University has ambitious plans for the future to ensure it continues to make a positive impact locally, nationally, and globally. A key development for St Mary’s is the launch of the School of Medicine, which will begin training doctors in 2026 and the University has recently started construction on the Centenary Building. This project celebrates a century of St Mary's in Strawberry Hill and will be home to the School of Medicine and provide new high-quality teaching spaces for the University
At its heart, St Mary’s remains a university committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for its students and is rated in the top 10 nationally for teaching quality for the 2025 Sunday Times Good University Guide.
