Mount St. Joseph University hosted a Naturalization Ceremony for people from over 30 countries who became U.S. citizens on Nov. 15, 2024.
The Honorable Karen L. Litkovitz U.S. Magistrate Judge took the oath of the new citizens, and Clerk of Court Richard W. Nagel attended the event. Each new citizen went on stage to receive their certificate.
The color guard presented the flag, accompanied by the MSJ Voices of Gold who sang the national anthem.
"Witnessing 80 petitioners from 33 countries take the Oath of Allegiance on our campus this past Friday was truly a beautiful experience," said Associate Professor of Criminology, Pierre M. Rivolta, Ph.D. "Having had the privilege of becoming a naturalized citizen alongside my wife in 2020, this ceremony holds a special place in my heart. It brought back memories of my own journey to citizenship and the sense of pride that comes with being an American.”
Please see below for a full list of countries represented at the ceremony:
Bhutan; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Canada; China; Congo (Kinshasa); Cuba; Dominican Republic; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Ghana; India; Iran; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Mexico; Nepal; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Palestine; Philippines; Russia; Senegal; Switzerland; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Vietnam.
In photo: New citizen receiving certificate.