During her sermon at the June 1 commencement in Evanston, Illinois, Jefferts Schori urged graduates to keep on hungering for wisdom but not to expect to satisfy that hunger. "Your task is to encourage that hunger."

Jefferts Schori received one of five honorary degrees conferred during the commencement. Joining her as recipients of an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree were Seabury alumnae Todd A. McGregor, who was consecrated as the first bishop of Toliara in southwestern Madagascar in 2006, and Bishop John Elswood Privett of the Diocese of Kootenay, Canada.

The honorary Doctor of Canon Law was conferred on President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson and Newland F. Smith, III, who has served as the Librarian for Seabury since 1964.

During her sermon, the Presiding Bishop asked all to find new ways to see the wisdom of God's work. She pointed to the ministry of Sara Miles and the St. Gregory's Food Pantry she runs in San Francisco. Miles came originally to the food bank as strident atheist, only curious to see what drew all those people. When fed with bread and a "rather nasty sweet wine," she was thunderstruck, not understanding what was happening to her. But she just kept returning, her hunger for the bread drawing her back. "The requirement for faith seems to be hunger and the willingness to be fed by something we don't understand," said Jefferts Schori.

Thirty-one seminarians received degrees or certificates including 18 Master of Divinity, two Master of Theological Studies, one Certificate of Advanced Theological Studies, one Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and nine Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development.

Seabury dean and president Gary Hall closed the ceremony with a personal thanks to retiring Chicago Bishop William Persell for his leadership and support of Seabury and seminary education.

Seabury-Western Theological Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Located near Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, Seabury's roots are firmly planted in the Anglican tradition of mission. The characteristics from the two founding schools -- the evangelical from Seabury and the catholic from Western -- brought to the 1933 merged seminaries strengths that are reflected today in the present Seabury, with its fundamental concern for learning in the service of mission.