Cardinal Francis Arinze, Nigerian-born prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, will travel from the Vatican to preside at commencement ceremonies at Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, on May 15.

At that time, Dr. Thomas E. Dillon, college president, will present Cardinal Arinze with the Saint Thomas Aquinas Medallion, an award reserved to those who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to God and his church.

"We are honored to welcome Cardinal Arinze to our campus, and especially honored that he is willing to travel so far to be with us," said Dillon, who visited with the cardinal in Rome.

In addition to serving as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Arinze is a member of 12 Vatican congregations, councils and committees, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

The college expects 71 seniors, who hail from 24 states and Canada, to receive their bachelor of arts degrees this year. Cardinal Arinze will be the seventh cardinal to preside over the college's commencement ceremonies. Previous recipients include Cardinals J. Francis Stafford (2003), Christoph Schönborn (2002), Francis George (2001), Jan Schotte (1999), Anthony Bevilacqua (1998), and John O'Connor (1989).