Justice Francis X. Flaherty

Retired Rhode Island Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis X. Flaherty, a 1964 Hendricken graduate, will be the keynote speaker for Hawks’ Last Flight: The Class of 2021 graduation celebration, Friday, June 18 at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick. For the second consecutive year, Hendricken graduates and their families will return to the mansion, the former site of the school’s “Senior Campus,” and park on its picturesque grounds for an outdoor drive-in commencement ceremony overlooking Narragansett Bay.

“This class has excelled in every endeavor. Even in these challenging times, they have made us proud,” said Father Robert Marciano, Hendricken president. “We are very pleased to introduce our graduates to one of our favorite Hawks to inspire them with his words and lifelong service to others. From his military service in Vietnam where he received the Bronze Star for valor, to decades of public service, the City of Warwick as Councilman and Mayor, and to his final chapter as an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court, Justice Flaherty has made the world a better place. He presently serves on our Hendricken Board of Advisors and will stand before our Class of 2021 as an example of faith, fidelity and leadership, a true Hendricken man.”

The evening’s visuals will be projected on movie screens and all audio will be transmitted via car radio, as well as a PA system. The ceremony, scheduled to begin at dusk, will also be streamed live for friends and extended family. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, June 19th at 8:30 pm.