Fordham employees celebrated the end of the academic year on Dagger John Day, an annual Fordham tradition. Hosted for the last two years in and around the Rose Hill Gymnasium, this year’s event brought the community together under the cool shade of the Jubilee tent on June 1.
Joan Cavanaugh, senior director for spirituality and solidarity, opened the day with a blessing and a tribute to the event’s namesake, Fordham founder Archbishop John Hughes. The first Irish Catholic archbishop of New York, Archbishop Hughes was nicknamed Dagger John, a nod to his aggressive and determined personality. She recited one of his quotes about the importance of protecting religious freedom for every denomination. “How delighted he would be to hear that we have a rabbi and an imam on staff to mentor our Jewish and Muslim students,” said Cavanaugh, who is retiring this month after 30 years at Fordham.
President Tetlow also spoke to Hughes’ legacy, and said that he would marvel today at what had become of his bold idea to create a school on some farmland in the middle of the Bronx. “I’d like to think he would be proud of a lay woman as president—and the dancing we’re about to do and the pie-eating contest,” she laughed, before thanking everyone for their hard work throughout the year on behalf of Fordham’s students.
“Thank you for building this community, for being so good to each other, for creating a warmth and a spirit here that those of you who have worked elsewhere know is unusual and that we revel in. It’s our job to keep it going,” she said.
Everyone was happy to comply. Check out some of the highlights of the day below.
