Jonathan Roumie Announced as the 2024 Commencement Speaker -

By Zachary Lichter

The senior class of 2024 was invited to Heritage Hall on March 19 at 4:00 p.m. for a reveal party to find out who their commencement speaker would be. They all looked at a projector that displayed a video of actor Jonathan Roumie announcing that he would be the commencement speaker for their graduation on May 11.

Catholic University of America’s President, Peter Kilpatrick, announced the next day via email to the students, faculty, and staff and attached the video to the email.

Patrick McNamara, a senior theology and English major, expressed his initial reaction to the email.

“I was very surprised,” McNamara said. “I had just finished explaining to a friend why that had happened when I saw the email announcement, so I thought it was hilarious that things had just happened in that order. The video was pretty funny, I forgot how much of a sense of humor he has.”

Roumie is best known for playing Jesus in the series The Chosen. The show is about the life of Jesus and how He called His twelve disciples. Each episode of the show ends with a discussion. It is streamed on Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock. In addition to his role in The Chosen, he is known for playing Lonnie Frisbee in the movie Jesus Revolution.

As a matter of fact, Jonathan Roumie is a Roman Catholic on and off the screen. He was a Eucharistic Minister and an advocate of the sacraments. Our Sunday Visitor, a Catholic newspaper that helps Catholics fulfill their call to discipleship and deepens their commitment to the Church, named him in a list of Catholics of the Year in 2022.

Adding to his resume, during Super Bowl LVIII, he and actor Mark Wahlberg appeared in a commercial for the Hallow App. The app allows users to read the Bible and listen to prayers, meditations, and music. Roumie and Wahlberg tell stories on the app.

In addition to speaking at graduation, Roumie will receive an honorary degree alongside Rabbi Jack Bemporad, John Finnis, Teresa Pitt Green, and Father Piotr Nawrot, who will all receive their doctoral degrees. The 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held on the steps of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The ceremony will be livestreamed and recorded for all those who can’t make it. With Roumie speaking at Commencement, many underclassmen, graduates, alumni, faculty, and staff will most likely be tuning in.