15.07.2026, ITI News
Forty-five graduates received their internationally recognized ecclesiastical and state-accredited degrees at the conclusion of the academic year.
The annual Graduation Ceremony marked the festive culmination of the academic year, beginning with a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving in the parish church of Trumau. The principal celebrant was Bishop Milan Lach, Eparch of Bratislava.
Following the Mass, faculty, graduates, families, and guests processed in prayer and song back to the Trumau Castle. Under the shade of the castle’s centuries-old plane tree and in beautiful summer weather, the formal academic ceremony took place, presided over by the Dean of the University, Prof. Michael Wladika.
Reflecting the international character of ITI, this year’s graduates came from across the globe, including the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Netherlands, England, Estonia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, and Austria.
In her commencement address, Student Representative Esther Sumich (Australia) reflected on a theme that had accompanied her throughout her three years at ITI.
“As graduates, we have reached a point that calls us to move forward—a movement that, I believe, signals the beginning of a great adventure.”
She compared God’s Providence to an invisible thread by which He gently guides His beloved children. If we remain attentive to its subtle movements, she said, we will find the path He has prepared for us.
Sumich encouraged her fellow graduates not to fear the future, not to become “missionaries in waiting,” but rather to embrace the intellectual and spiritual heritage entrusted to them at ITI and carry it confidently into the world, trusting in Divine Providence.
With this question, the Rector of the University, Prof. Bernhard Dolna, began his address to the graduates.
“You have drawn wisdom and understanding from the living tradition of the Church and have allowed yourselves to be formed by it. At the same time, you have been introduced to the rich treasures of the classical intellectual tradition. These treasures will continue to nourish your own minds and hearts and, through you, the lives of those you encounter.”
Prof. Dolna contrasted the utilitarian approach to education that often characterizes modern society with the distinctive vision of learning cultivated at ITI.
“By learning, I do not mean merely memorizing facts or acquiring scholarly expertise—important as those are. I mean the very act of studying: being drawn into wisdom in the same way that a musician is drawn into music. Such learning counters superficiality and self-absorption. Our shared immersion in the teachings of the great masters and saints is not only about understanding their ideas but also about entering into communion with them. This kind of scientia is a gift and, perhaps, the most meaningful contribution ITI can offer to the Church and the world.”
The Rector concluded by reminding the graduates that wherever life may lead them, they remain part of the worldwide ITI family.
“Wherever you live, whatever you study, and whatever profession you pursue, the ITI family is a community of friends spread across the world—a network that now spans the globe and has already brought much light into it. All of this is the fruit of the vision that St. John Paul II. had thirty years ago.”
The celebration concluded with a festive dinner shared by graduates, families, faculty, and guests, followed by the traditional Graduates’ Ball within the University’s Great Hall.