On Feb. 2, Saint Anselm College held one of its most treasured traditions, the Blessing of the Hands. This is a ceremony for sophomore nursing students before they enter their first clinicals. Saint Anselm nurses are notorious for their excellent care and their clinical experience is the first step towards their future in nursing.
Nursing student Abi Johnston said that “The Blessing of the Hands ceremony is such a special tradition that our school has. It meant a lot to have all of our family, friends, and professors at the ceremony to support us as we prepare to enter the clinical setting for the first time.” Sarah Lopes called the experience a “Saint A’s Bucket List” type of experience. She continued to say “I think it gave us a little extra confidence to head into clinical, ready to put our studies into practice.” Vincent Caputo harkened on a similar sentiment, saying “it helped deepen my devotion for practicing medicine.”
The ceremony is a major milestone in the nursing program for Saint Anselm students as it, in a sense, marks the halfway point in their journey to being pinned their senior year.
In a packed Abbey Church, Father Francis presided over the ceremony. Dean of the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. Uzarski along with Executive Director of Undergraduate Nursing Dr. O’Rielly both gave moving speeches about what this ceremony means for the program.
The President of the Student Nursing Association Alexa Conceicao gave the up and coming nursing students encouraging words of wisdom before they head off on their clinical journeys. The ceremony concluded with the penultimate blessing of the hands. Professors from the nursing program blessed each student’s hands while the students received a blessed medallion and a card with a prayer to the archangel Raphael who is the patron saint of nursing.
The Blessing of the Hands is a staple in Anselmian tradition and exemplifies why the world needs Saint Anselm nursing students more than ever, because of their excellent care and kind nature. It truly shows why hawks soar higher.
All photos courtesy of Saint Anselm College
