WEBVTT 00:00:09.840 --> 00:00:10.240 Hello. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:19.175 I'm Michelle Drennan, the alumni relations coordinator at Divine Mercy University, and I have the joy today of interviewing one of our graduates, sister Karen Muniz. 00:00:19.635 --> 00:00:28.675 And she graduated from our master's in psychology program and is with the, order, the servants of the pierced hearts of Jesus and Mary. 00:00:28.675 --> 00:00:29.795 It's such a joy to be here. 00:00:29.795 --> 00:00:30.900 Thank you so much, Michelle. 00:00:30.900 --> 00:00:31.380 Thank you. 00:00:31.380 --> 00:00:36.920 We're just gonna ask a few questions and have a conversation and help you know a little bit about one of our graduates. 00:00:37.860 --> 00:00:49.115 So first of all, I like to ask, how did you find Divine Mercy University, and, what was your experience as you went through discerning to go to our master's in psychology? 00:00:49.735 --> 00:00:50.455 Well, wonderful. 00:00:50.455 --> 00:00:50.695 Yes. 00:00:50.695 --> 00:00:51.515 A great question. 00:00:52.215 --> 00:00:59.835 Especially nowadays where in the world of psychology, you have about everything, and anyone can write anything, unfortunately. 00:01:01.580 --> 00:01:10.380 Divine Mercy University was the the water in the desert and the gem, you know, and the treasure that you definitely want while you discover it. 00:01:10.380 --> 00:01:12.080 You're like, praise be to god. 00:01:12.220 --> 00:01:18.705 And so my journey was I was navigating the Internet, and I was looking for a solid program in psychology. 00:01:19.725 --> 00:01:21.905 I had already completed my master's in theology. 00:01:22.205 --> 00:01:25.905 But in our charism, we have to be ready to serve anywhere in the church. 00:01:26.045 --> 00:01:37.780 And so at the prompting where mother foundress, obviously, at the moment of the holy spirit, she decided, you know, to for us to find ways to serve other people in different capacities. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:40.640 And so in the field of psychology, that was one of them. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:45.675 And so I just started navigating, and then I discovered Divine Mercy University. 00:01:45.675 --> 00:01:49.055 And, again, it was a huge blessing to have discovered you, Hong. 00:01:49.115 --> 00:01:51.215 You're a blessing to be happy as a graduate. 00:01:51.355 --> 00:01:52.975 It's such a great thing to hear. 00:01:53.435 --> 00:01:58.910 So what you're doing now, and I know you have your hands in a whole lot of, clay. 00:01:59.370 --> 00:02:06.030 What do you think you have done to maybe impact some great changes in the world or where you feel like you've been very effective? 00:02:07.130 --> 00:02:14.335 Well, the blessing of Divine Mercy University and having found it, I really did it to begin the program. 00:02:14.395 --> 00:02:23.775 Not only that it was online, because even to find a solid psychology, you know, masters online is very limited. 00:02:24.315 --> 00:02:26.235 And then but especially in that time too. 00:02:26.235 --> 00:02:36.060 But, but then, really, the characteristics, what did it was just that integral formation of the human person, that it's, the metal model, the definition of the human person. 00:02:36.440 --> 00:02:41.735 We live in times that we really have to help people define who the human person is. 00:02:41.735 --> 00:02:46.555 Maybe the first thousand years of the church, we had to help, define who God is. 00:02:46.935 --> 00:02:49.435 The second thousand years was what was the church. 00:02:49.575 --> 00:02:54.475 And I think the times that we're living in, we really have to have a clear understanding of who the human person is. 00:02:54.750 --> 00:03:18.055 And with the Divine Mercy University's meta model, this definition of the human person that's so integral, and not only that, the synthesis, the beautiful synthesis of having psychology, philosophy, and theology in synchrony and in complementarity and in systematic and organic presentation of who the human person is, like, it's a feast. 00:03:18.055 --> 00:03:19.095 You can't go wrong. 00:03:19.095 --> 00:03:19.755 You know? 00:03:19.815 --> 00:03:22.635 And so it's just, like, every part of that definition. 00:03:22.775 --> 00:03:32.390 You could just take it and and use it for any ministry, for everywhere where you're serving, wherever the Lord calls you to be a light, you know, light of the world and the salt of the earth. 00:03:32.390 --> 00:03:34.970 You have such a great analytical perspective. 00:03:35.190 --> 00:03:46.935 This is a kind of a long question that do you feel like that the bridges between science and religion and health care and pastoral care are easily blended for you with this education? 00:03:48.275 --> 00:03:48.515 Right. 00:03:48.515 --> 00:03:53.990 And so, well, I mean, I already completed my master's in theology, so that definitely helped. 00:03:54.130 --> 00:04:05.510 But I think that's what makes Divine Mercy so unique is that precisely what I was saying before the, you know, the synthesis of philosophy theology and and the sciences. 00:04:05.810 --> 00:04:22.065 So it's faith and reason at its finest, but really just seeing, how the faith is illuminating and in a sense, giving structure and boundaries to science where maybe science thinks it wants to reach. 00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:23.680 And when the Lord's saying, no. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:25.140 Well, you have this limit. 00:04:26.320 --> 00:04:30.980 And but it's a beautiful then journey of also all coming together to discover the truth. 00:04:31.200 --> 00:04:46.645 And that especially that everything that I studied at Divine Mercy University, even from the professors, witness to all the assignments, I can go to the fountain of truth, which is our Lord, you know, in the Catholic church. 00:04:46.945 --> 00:04:54.550 But even that illuminating then and giving its place for an adequate and holistic understanding of what science can contribute to. 00:04:54.930 --> 00:05:06.125 Because oftentimes, science may you know, again, it's limited, but sometimes it wants to trespass or wanna define things that only pertain to the faith. 00:05:06.505 --> 00:05:13.965 And just like the faith too has, in a sense, its its own limits, you can say, even though it's God and God is limitless. 00:05:14.105 --> 00:05:30.160 But what I'm saying is that in in in education or in studies, faith also gives its place to science to define what science can define, you know, and and can lead us to, truth with a little t, and then faith comes in to lead us to the truth with a capital t. 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:30.800 Amazing. 00:05:31.995 --> 00:05:51.370 So whether you're a sister or a priest or a brother or a layperson, what do you think the big takeaways are for someone interested in going down this path that you experienced as being very helpful to both your personal and your religious life? 00:05:52.390 --> 00:05:52.630 Right. 00:05:52.630 --> 00:06:00.250 So the blessing of of being a consecrated religious is, not only this chronological dimension of giving witness pointing always to God. 00:06:00.505 --> 00:06:05.965 So it's clear in the habit, you know, and and just visually, and from the outside seeing that. 00:06:06.265 --> 00:06:11.405 But but definitely helping people see how we need to be healthy to be holy. 00:06:12.105 --> 00:06:16.220 And our mother founders teaches that a lot, that, grace builds on nature. 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:16.540 You know? 00:06:16.540 --> 00:06:19.520 I mean, I mean, that's been church teaching since a long time ago. 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:39.575 But where our mother found us just really helps us see is that in the in the order of God that you have to have, you know, the human formation, the spiritual formation, then the intellectual and the pastoral formation as Saint John Paul the second renewed in, and for ministry for priestly formation, but also too for consecrated life and religious life. 00:06:40.115 --> 00:06:54.690 But really where we start with having this understanding and clarity on a healthy humanity so then we can help people see then where the spiritual elements that are necessary then to grow in holiness. 00:06:55.165 --> 00:07:06.705 And with that, one, another blessing that I really appreciated from studying at Divine Mercy University is that they were able to differentiate also, just an example of, like, scrupulosity within a mental disorder. 00:07:07.085 --> 00:07:07.745 You know? 00:07:07.805 --> 00:07:10.305 Those details you don't find anywhere else. 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:19.180 And and and just having that understanding and that and that desire, you know, for that clarity was so helpful as well. 00:07:20.440 --> 00:07:21.240 Thank you, ma'am. 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:27.635 Gift of time, if there's anything that I should have asked you that I haven't, could you please share that with me? 00:07:27.855 --> 00:07:28.095 No. 00:07:28.095 --> 00:07:57.425 Just profound gratitude and keep being who you are and and doing the great things that you're doing and also filtering and providing us with the solid resources and and content necessary to really to arrive at that clear understanding of who the human person is, you know, and especially fulfilling, you know, the the role of a university as it should be, of always leading to that fountain of truth where we find in our lord Jesus Christ and being able to lead so many others to that. 00:07:57.485 --> 00:07:58.125 Thank you. 00:07:58.125 --> 00:08:01.805 You're a blessing to be an alumni, and we're such a blessing to have you. 00:08:01.805 --> 00:08:02.525 Thank you again. 00:08:02.525 --> 00:08:03.565 Thank you so much. 00:08:03.565 --> 00:08:04.050 God bless.