PROVIDENCE — A Providence College administrator apologized to the Elmhurst and Smith Hill neighborhoods for an unauthorized parade on Eaton Street Saturday that drew crowds of students who were not wearing masks and not keeping at least six feet of space between them.

Steven J. Maurano, an associate vice president who spoke on behalf of the private college, said that “by disobeying Governor Raimondo’s executive order regarding how to behave in public during this pandemic,” the students and their families “did not exhibit good judgment or the appropriate respect for the local community.”

He said a parent had called the college last week, wanting to organize a parade as a sendoff to graduating seniors, who got their diplomas Sunday even though the graduation ceremony has been postponed to Oct. 31.

“We told her that the College could not be involved in the parade nor could we sanction it,” Maurano said in the statement. “We asked her to contact Providence Police if this was something parents wanted to do.”