In a March 19 press release, the University of Notre Dame announced that Sr. Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., will serve as the University’s primary speaker for the 181st commencement ceremony and receive an honorary degree.
“Sister Raffaella is an extraordinary leader who works tirelessly for the common good and radiates the peace, love and hope of Christ. As the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican, she embodies the future of women’s leadership in the Church, having served Pope Francis and now Pope Leo with deep wisdom, unfailing dedication and true humility,” said University President Fr. Robert Dowd in the press release.
Dowd continued, “It is a privilege to have her address the members of the Class of 2026 and their loved ones who are sure to be inspired by her words and prophetic witness.”
This will be Petrini’s second speaking engagement at the University. Three years ago, she spoke at a lecture entitled “Integral Human Development Through a Leadership of Care” for the Nanovic Institute’s yearly Keeley Vatican Lecture.
On the occasion of Petrini’s speech at the Nanovic Institute in 2023, then University President John Jenkins said in a press release, “As a leader rooted in her faith and with a deep commitment to human flourishing, Sr. Petrini has much to teach us.”
In November 2021, Petrini was appointed secretary general of the Vatican City State by Francis. In February 2025, the late Pope appointed Petrini as president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, an appointment which was later reconfirmed by Leo. She is the first woman to hold these two top leadership roles within the Vatican structure of governance.
In this position, Petrini heads the administrative operations of the Vatican including “managing public services; overseeing security, health care and the Vatican Museums; chairing the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; and ensuring that all operations align with the pope’s mission,” the Thursday press release stated.
Additionally, she serves as a member of the Dicastery of Bishops, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Commission for Reserved Matters. She is a professor of welfare economics and sociology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas - Angelicum.
Petrini is a religious sister of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist Congregation. She received her undergraduate degree in political science with a specialization in industrial relations from Luiss University in Rome, as well as a master’s degree of science in organization behavior at the Barney School of Business within the University of Hartford. She attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, writing a thesis titled “The Contribution of Franciscan Hospice Care to a Culture of Solidarity.” She wrote her doctoral thesis, titled “Health, Equity and Care Through the End of Life,” in 2014. Petrini has previously received honorary degrees from Gonzaga University and Seton Hall University.
