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Good afternoon, and welcome to Divine Mercy University's graduation mass, offered in honor of the graduates and degree candidates of the twenty twenty one commencement exercises.

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We are honored to hold this special event in Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church and ask that an atmosphere fitting of this sacred space may be maintained throughout the entire event.

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Please take this moment to silence any cell phones or other electronic devices.

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So that everyone is able to see their graduates entering, please remain seated during the academic procession.

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Thank you.

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Our opening hymn for mass is Let Us Go to the Altar of God, found in your program.

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Please rise.

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Let us go to the altar of God The source of all our joy With gladness in our hearts Let us lift the cup of praise And call on the name of the Lord In whom we place our hope Let us go to the altar of God The source of all our joy With gladness in our hearts Let us lift the cup of praise And call on the name of the Lord In whom we place our hope I rejoiced when they said to me Let us go to the house of the Lord It is there where your tribes go up Within your holy gates Let us go to the altar of of God The source of all our joy With gladness in our hearts Let us lift the cup of praise And call on the name of the Lord In whom we place our hope For the peace of Jerusalem Let us go to the altar of God.

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The source of all our joy.

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With gladness our joy With gladness in our hearts Let us lift the cup of praise And call on the name of the Lord In whom we place our hope Trust and praise are due the Lord For all his mighty deeds Make it known to the sons of men The splendor of our God Let us go to the altar of God The source of all our joy with gladness in our hearts Let us lift the cup of praise And call on the name of the Lord In whom we place And with your spirit.

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On behalf of everyone at Divine Mercy University, I'd just like to extend a warm welcome to everyone here today, in person and virtually through the live stream and welcome you to the twentieth commencement mass and exercises for Divine Mercy University.

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Today, thanks be to God, we have such a large group.

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I think that's our largest group ever.

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And it's so beautiful that we're able to gather together today to celebrate.

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I'd like to extend a special welcome to our main celebrant, Archbishop Timothy Broglio from the archdiocese for the military services of the United States.

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And he's accompanied by Bishop Paul Laverde, who is the Bishop Emeritus here in the diocese of Arlington and who's been a board member of DMU since its beginning.

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We also have fifteen, sixteen, a good group of concelebrants here who are will be joining us in the mass.

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And it's great.

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Many of those are graduates, and it's great to have them with us as well.

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Before we begin, I'd like to just extend a special thank you to father J.

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D.

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Jaffe, who is the pastor here at Christ the Redeemer Parish for his more than generous hospitality in taking us in this year, throughout all of the challenges of the pandemic.

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We're so grateful that he's been so generous, in allowing us to to come and to to do our commencement exercises here today.

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I'd like to thank as well, our wonderful registrar, Keny Rasaski, who led the graduation committee and did so much work and and that this would turn out to be such a beautiful event.

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And also our director of campus ministry, Tony McNinnell, who's done a great job in organizing the liturgy.

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Most of all, welcome to our graduates, their families, their friends.

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It's just a it's a pleasure and it's an honor to be with you today.

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And I think there's no better way to commence your the new stage in life.

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We're finishing one stage with the degrees and so forth, and we're starting something else.

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And there's no better way to commence than with the holy sacrifice of the mass.

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At the end, we say, go in peace.

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The mass has ended.

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But, you know, the Latin is, which, you know, the the, direct translation of that is go.

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You've been sent.

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And I think that's so beautiful for today to think about.

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Right?

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We've been sent for a reason.

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We have a mission.

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Our faith, our Catholic faith, our Christian faith, or any believer.

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Our work is not just a career, but it's it's a mission.

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It's it's collaborating with our lord in his vineyard to bring hope, to bring healing, and to bring love into the world.

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So I'll be praying for all of you during this mass that we we are ready to say yes to that we've been sent and that our life, it's much more than just a job.

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It's a vocation.

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It's a calling.

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It's an opportunity to serve with the Lord.

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Son, Kiri.

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Priestess.

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Priestess on.

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A reading from the acts of the apostles.

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The apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

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The ones chosen were Judas, who is called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers.

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This is the letter delivered by them.

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The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of gentile origin, greetings.

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Since we have heard that some of our number who went without without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind.

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We have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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So we are sending Judas and Silas, who will also convey the same message by word-of-mouth.

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It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage.

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If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right.

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Farewell.

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And so they were sent on their journey.

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Upon their arrival in Antioch, they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.

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When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

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The word of the Lord.

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I will give you thanks Among the peoples, O Lord I will give you thanks Upon the peoples, oh Lord My heart is steadfast, oh God My heart is steadfast I will sing and chant praise Awake, oh my soul Awake liar and harp I will awake the dark I will give you thanks among the peoples, oh Lord.

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I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord.

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I will chant your praise among the nations, For your mercy towers to the heavens And your faithfulness to the sky I will give you thanks among the peoples, oh Lord.

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Be exalted above the heavens, O God Above all the earth be your glory Your name is to be exalted over all the I will give you thanks, among the peoples, O Lord.

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I call you my friend says the Lord, for I have made no to you all.

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All.

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I have made known to you all, all that the father has told me, The Lord be with you.

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A reading from the holy gospel according to John.

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Glory to you.

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Jesus said to his disciples, this is my commandment, love one another as I love you.

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No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

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You are my friends if you do what I command you.

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I no longer call you slaves because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

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I have called you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from my father.

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It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give you.

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This I command you, love one another.

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The gospel of the Lord.

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Bishop Loverde, father Sikorsky, and my brother priests, academic authorities, professors, and auxiliary staff, dear graduates, family members, and friends, sisters, and brothers all in Christ.

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The Italians have a great expression.

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If it rains on your wedding day, it's a sign of good luck.

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I hope that are also fortunate and blessed.

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With the oils still wet on my hands, some four months after I was ordained a priest, the school of practical nursing at Marymount Hospital asked me to celebrate the graduation mass.

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No doubt, the combination of having a new priest whose father was one of the founding physicians of the hospital made up for the lack of experience.

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This afternoon, I cannot rely on that novelty, but I am pleased that Divine Mercy University invited me this year to make up for our missed appointment at the Basilica Of The National Shrine Of The Immaculate Conception last year.

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My first words, congratulate all of the graduates of Divine Mercy University for successfully completing the rigorous, critical, and objective search for the truth.

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Never renounce that zeal for the truth so elusive in contemporary times.

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Never hesitate to search for the avenues to communicate that truth to willing and unwilling ears.

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How appropriate that the word of God this afternoon speaks to us about conflict resolution, living the new commandment, and authentic friendship with Jesus Christ.

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The passage from the acts of the apostles brings us the conclusion of the first major controversy to flock the to strike the little flock that had embraced the message of Jesus Christ.

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Was it necessary to enter the way as Christianity was called through observance of the tenants of Judaism, through prayer, fasting, and much conversation, the Council of Jerusalem arrived at the conclusion that it is not.

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And the fathers of that council sent emissaries to convey their conclusions reached through the inspiration of the holy spirit.

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Obviously, I have a certain fondness for the role of an emissary because for a quarter of a century, I serve the church in that role, a representative of the Holy See in faraway places.

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However, as witnesses to the faith and as instructed in divine mercy, the professionals recognized today go forth to promote mental health, to insert equilibrium in troubled lives, and to make the Lord's healing present more evident in a troubled world.

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Indeed, the gospel passage taken from Jesus for farewell discourse in the fourth gospel speaks to us about a new commandment.

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There is a new determination for the command of Christian love repeated at the beginning and the ending of this passage.

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The command of the Lord goes beyond the old testament precept of loving others as self.

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Jesus says, love as I have loved you.

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This surpasses a bare minimum and it is only possible with divine grace.

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In g indeed, Jesus calls us his friends and assures us that unlike servants, we have been initiated in what the father has told him.

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There is no greater love than this, says the Lord himself.

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There is no dichotomy between obedience to the commandments and love.

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Indeed, the commandments are an expression of the intimate relationship between almighty God and those who love him.

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For the chosen people of the Old Testament, keeping the commandments was an expression of their unique identity and privileged relationship with almighty God.

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The whole point of the moral life is to make us happy.

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So how do we become happy?

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The answer offered by Saint Thomas Aquinas is through the proper ordering of one's desire.

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Through learning how to desire the right things and in the right way.

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The commandments open that route for us.

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His is a delicate love, but also a very powerful one.

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He is about to surrender his life for his friends, thus fulfilling the father's command.

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We are called to love in the same way, extraordinary, frightening, but an essential element of the Christian vocation.

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In the helping professions, you understand the complexity of that love.

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Sometimes it calls for discipline, restrictions, and always a profound concern for the truth.

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Authentic love stretches our simple conclusions, broadens our horizons, and lifts us to communion with almighty God.

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Jesus reveals the secrets of his heart to his own and thus matures in them a desire to follow.

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He draws his disciples in this unimaginable communion of love between the father and son and invites them to remain in this communion of love.

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Friendship is a gratuitous gift that comes from another.

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We know that to become a disciple of Jesus is gift, election, grace, and the certainty to be heard in our requests made to the father in the name of Jesus.

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The new commandment makes evident that we are his disciples.

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Unmistakable.

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Giving your life has a variety of expressions.

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There is the supreme example given by Jesus Christ and thousands of men and women in uniform.

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However, there are also other expressions which must not be lost.

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Giving life means spending one's own life so that the one next to me is happier, more serene.

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It means meeting the troubled soul and offering the balm of healing and growth.

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It means asking every morning how I can avoid weighing down on the one who lives with me.

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How I can bear his or her silences, dislikes, accept the limits of character and not be surprised by contradictions and sins.

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Accept our neighbor for what he or she is and not for what he or she should be.

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That is a labor of love.

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With a little flower, we can say, the more I am united to him, the more I love all my sisters and brothers.

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In your chosen vocations and fields of expertise, you can contribute so much to that harmony in interpersonal relationships.

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You can help others know themselves and thus be able to respond adequately to today's realities.

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The vocation is immense and the possibilities are endless, but the grace is present.

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You go forth imbued with the mission of the university, which involves dialogue about its integrative approach with practitioners, scholars, and cultural leaders.

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It is no longer a young inexperienced priest who presides at this celebration of the Eucharist, but a successor of those apostles who gathered in Jerusalem to resolve the first conflict of the nascent community of faith.

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Reiterating reiterating my heartfelt congratulations to all of you and to the university community, I pray that as father Sikorsky said, the graduates may go forth imbued in the Catholic intellectual tradition to enrich the human person, administer the healing balm of growth in self knowledge and understanding, and above all, to give witness to the truth.

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Our prayers for the church and for the world, Divine Mercy University and those graduating today.

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For the universal church, may the power of Christ's resurrection convert us into convinced and joyful disciples of the risen Lord.

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We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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For the holy father, bishops, and clergy, may the Paschal mystery continue to transform them into the image of Christ, empowering them to form the lay faithful into Christ's ardent disciples.

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We pray to the lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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For civil leaders and those who serve the needs of our countries and communities, may they follow just and merciful dictates of conscience, defending the lives of those entrusted to their care from the moment of conception until natural death.

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We pray to the lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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For those who suffer mentally and spiritually through abuse, trauma, or mental illness, may they find support in their families and friends and attain healing through compassionate professional care.

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We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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For the graduates of Divine Mercy University, may the Lord accompany each of us in our service to those in need of healing and hope.

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We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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That all of us present here today and each graduate or family member not in attendance will ardently seek a personal relationship with Christ and his church.

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We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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Let us pray for those loved ones who have died, especially MS counseling student Travis Schilling and MSP alumna Peggy Hart.

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May the Lord graciously accept the deceased into his kingdom and continue to comfort those still struggling with the loss of a family member.

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We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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For the faculty, staff, students, and supporters of Divine Mercy University, may they be blessed in their mission to serve the dignity of each Lord, hear our prayer.

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Almighty Father, Lord, your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your Lord.

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Your who lives and reigns forever and ever.

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Your hands, oh Lord, in days of old, were strong to heal and sing.

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They triumphed over pain and death But darkness and the grave To you they went The blind, the mute The palsied and the leave The lepers set apart and shunned The sick and those in shame.

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And then your touch brought life and health, gave speech and strength and sight And youth renewed And health restored Claimed you the Lord of light And so, O Lord, be near to bless Almighty thou as them In every street, in every home, in every troubled friend.

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And death.

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Restore and strengthen, soothe and bless with your almighty breath.

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On hands Graciously sanctify these gifts, o Lord, we pray that accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you through Christ our lord.

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Lift up your hearts.

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Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

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Salvation at all times to acclaim you, oh, Lord.

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But in this time, above all, to laud you yet more glorious, when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

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Every people exalts in your praise, and even the heavenly powers with the angelic hosts sing together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim.

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Song in forms of all, the forms of all, the They're for these gifts we pray by sending down your spirit upon them like the Duflo.

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And he took bread and giving thanks broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, take this all of you and eat of it for this is my body which will be given up for you.

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In a similar way when supper was ended, he took the chalice and once more giving thanks, gave it to his disciples saying, take this all of you and drink from it.

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For this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.

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Do this in memory of me.

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The mystery of faith.

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We proclaim your death, oh Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again.

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Therefore, as we celebrate the death the memorial of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the bread of life and the chalice of salvation, Humbly we pray that partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

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Remember, Lord, your church spread throughout the world and bring her to the fullness of charity Together with Francis our pope, Michael the bishop of this church, me when we're the servant, and all the clergy.

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Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all who have died in your mercy.

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Welcome them into the light of your face.

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Have mercy on us all we pray that that with the blessed virgin Mary, mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her spouse, with the blessed apostles, and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may merit to be co heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your son, Jesus Christ.

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Through him and with him and in him, O God, almighty father, in the unity of the holy spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever.

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At the savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

00:58:46.535 --> 00:58:51.915
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

00:58:52.770 --> 00:59:06.790
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

00:59:14.795 --> 00:59:28.510
Our days, that by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.

00:59:36.125 --> 00:59:38.945
Who said to your apostles, Peace I leave you.

00:59:39.165 --> 00:59:40.705
My peace I give you.

00:59:41.165 --> 00:59:44.625
Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your choice.

00:59:45.245 --> 00:59:54.140
And graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will, who live and reign forever and ever.

00:59:54.440 --> 00:59:54.940
Amen.

00:59:55.640 --> 00:59:58.940
The peace of the Lord be with you always.

01:00:16.730 --> 01:01:14.235
On you stay, we tolispekata on On you stay Qui tollis pecatamundi To the Nobis Behold the lamb of God.

01:01:14.990 --> 01:01:18.370
Behold him who takes away the sins of the world.

01:01:19.070 --> 01:01:22.770
Blessed are those called to the supper of the lamb.

01:01:23.630 --> 01:01:31.145
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

01:03:33.090 --> 01:03:54.955
So love my savior, sanctify my Body of Christ, be thou my saving guest.

01:03:57.335 --> 01:04:01.430
Blood of my my savior.

01:04:03.250 --> 01:04:06.710
Bathe me in thy heart.

01:04:09.410 --> 01:04:20.925
Wash me with water flowing from his side.

01:04:22.085 --> 01:05:06.020
Strength and protection may thy passion passion be Oh, blessed Jesus Hear and answer me Deep in thy wounds, Lord Hide and shelter me So shall I never, never part from thee.

01:05:45.125 --> 01:07:15.415
Hear me, Lord Jesus Listen as I pray Lead me from night to never ending day Fill all the world with love and grace divine and glory, Lord, I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

01:07:32.350 --> 01:07:36.895
I have loved you.

01:07:41.675 --> 01:08:02.970
After the Lord had risen from supper, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples.

01:08:07.515 --> 01:08:10.735
He left them this example.

01:08:15.435 --> 01:08:41.805
Jesus said to his disciples, I give you a new commandment that you another as I have loved you.

01:08:47.140 --> 01:09:15.635
The Lord Jesus after eating supper with his disciples washed their feet and said to them, do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done for you?

01:09:19.270 --> 01:09:28.330
I have given you an example that you should do likewise.

01:09:33.475 --> 01:10:05.145
Jesus said to his disciples, I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

01:10:05.145 --> 01:10:09.805
Lord, are you to wash my feet?

01:10:13.620 --> 01:10:18.520
Jisah said to him in answer.

01:10:23.140 --> 01:10:36.655
If I do not wash your feet, you You will have no share with me.

01:10:40.395 --> 01:10:47.860
Jesus said to his disciples, disciples.

01:10:48.480 --> 01:11:08.045
I give you a new commandment that you one another as I have loved you.

01:13:05.725 --> 01:13:06.705
Let us pray.

01:13:15.580 --> 01:13:19.120
We have partaken of the gifts of this sacred mystery.

01:13:19.980 --> 01:13:31.315
Humbly imploring, oh Lord, that what your son commanded us to do in memory of him may bring us growth in charity through Christ our Lord.

01:13:39.980 --> 01:13:41.440
The Lord be with you.

01:13:41.440 --> 01:13:44.880
And with your spirit.

01:13:46.860 --> 01:13:54.295
May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

01:13:55.075 --> 01:13:55.575
Amen.

01:13:55.875 --> 01:13:56.615
Go forth.

01:13:56.755 --> 01:13:57.975
The mass has ended.

01:14:19.665 --> 01:15:04.270
Seek the the Help us witness to your purpose with renewed integrity integrity.

01:15:19.325 --> 01:15:19.825
Charity.

01:15:23.565 --> 01:15:33.585
Lord, you call us to your service in my name.

01:15:35.370 --> 01:26:32.590
Baptize and teach that the world may trust your promise life abundant us all new fervor draws closer in The 2021 commencement exercises for Divine Mercy University is now in order.

01:26:33.210 --> 01:26:33.950
Good afternoon.

01:26:34.410 --> 01:26:36.190
My name is doctor Cathy Erwin.

01:26:36.330 --> 01:26:46.065
I'm an associate professor in the School of Counseling, and I have the great honor to serve today as the marshal for Divine Mercy University's twentieth commencement exercises.

01:26:47.325 --> 01:26:56.060
To begin our momentous event, I have the great pleasure of introducing the third president of Divine Mercy University, father Charles Sikorsky.

01:26:57.000 --> 01:27:09.660
Elected in 2007, father Charles has led the Institute for Psychological Sciences, now Divine Mercy University, through its significant growth and important milestones of our institutional history.

01:27:10.235 --> 01:27:19.215
We are grateful to you, father Charles, for your faithful service and dedication to this important and necessary mission for these past fourteen years.

01:27:19.675 --> 01:27:23.455
Father Charles, I invite you to come forward and share your opening remarks.

01:27:33.010 --> 01:27:34.390
Thank you, doctor Erwin.

01:27:36.290 --> 01:27:55.915
On behalf of the board of directors, the faculty, staff, benefactors, and the many friends of Divine Mercy University, I welcome you once again to this joyous occasion, and I congratulate our graduates graduates for a job well done.

01:27:57.280 --> 01:27:57.520
Yeah.

01:27:57.520 --> 01:28:01.860
Every commencement celebration is the high point of the year for us.

01:28:02.240 --> 01:28:03.860
It's the summit for our university.

01:28:04.960 --> 01:28:17.115
We look forward to the celebration with enthusiasm knowing that the mission of Divine Mercy University is lived and fulfilled in each and every one of our graduates.

01:28:18.935 --> 01:28:37.760
Today, you, our graduates, join a wonderful lineage that honors your hard work, your gifts, your sacrifices, as well as the historic legacy of the Institute for the Psychological Sciences and Divine Mercy University.

01:28:39.420 --> 01:28:48.085
Today, we have five different groups of graduates, each with its own special and important mission.

01:28:49.585 --> 01:29:04.760
Today, we have our first group of graduates from our spiritual direction certificate program who are prepared to provide spiritual guidance and accompaniment to those seeking to grow in their relationship with God.

01:29:06.340 --> 01:29:19.225
We have a large group graduating from our masters in of science in psychology who will serve others in education, ministry, leadership, and other helping professions.

01:29:21.045 --> 01:29:34.160
We have our largest group to date of graduates from our master's in clinical mental health counseling, who will serve individuals, families, and marriages as licensed professional counselors.

01:29:35.900 --> 01:29:52.655
Fourth group, we have a strong group of students in our clinical psychology program who today will receive their master's degree, which for them is an important milestone on a demanding and meticulous path pathway that will lead to their doctorate.

01:29:54.100 --> 01:30:14.835
And finally, today, we're truly blessed and inspired by our 10 doctoral graduates from our PsyD program who've worked so hard and overcome so much during the last several years, finishing their clinical training this year in a world that was turned upside down by COVID nineteen.

01:30:16.815 --> 01:30:34.450
As we celebrate with you, who hail from different countries and many different states, there could be no doubt about the individual collective and vital impact that you will have upon your communities, upon the culture, and upon the world.

01:30:35.865 --> 01:30:45.805
Perhaps more than ever, the people today have a need to be heard, to be understood, and most of all to be loved.

01:30:47.225 --> 01:30:51.325
Your studies and training have positioned you uniquely to do just that.

01:30:53.520 --> 01:31:09.515
As Saint John Paul the second once said to members of the American Psychiatric Association, and say here today to you these these words, by its very nature, your work often brings you to the threshold of human mystery.

01:31:10.695 --> 01:31:21.515
It involves sensitivity to the tangled workings of the human mind and heart and openness to the ultimate concerns that give meaning to people's lives.

01:31:22.770 --> 01:31:26.230
These areas are of utmost importance to the church.

01:31:28.370 --> 01:31:42.055
So in a world today where so many are hurting deeply and searching desperately for meaning, Few career paths provide the potential for good than the one you have chosen than the one that you're well on your way to fulfilling.

01:31:43.475 --> 01:31:49.655
The pandemic through which the world is living has only made your work more critical and necessary.

01:31:51.160 --> 01:31:56.780
We're very proud of you and excited about the great work you're doing and will be doing in the future.

01:31:58.280 --> 01:32:03.260
May our loving father, who has begun this good work in you, bring it to fulfillment.

01:32:04.335 --> 01:32:08.915
May his kingdom come through you on earth as it is in heaven.

01:32:15.775 --> 01:32:30.660
Before we move on to the next, phase, these, commencement is a time we also just like to recognize and appreciate the hard work and accomplishment of our graduates, not just of our graduates, but also of our faculty.

01:32:30.660 --> 01:32:45.695
And this year, I would like to recognize in a special way, the following faculty who the collaborative work of Catholic Christian made a model of the person was published, but also received a very prestigious award.

01:32:47.160 --> 01:32:59.740
It received the 2020 expanded reason award, which is given by the Ratzinger Benedict the sixteenth foundation of the Vatican and the University Francisco de Vittoria of Madrid.

01:33:00.845 --> 01:33:21.780
And that award seeks to support and acknowledge those professors and researchers who are working to broaden the horizons of rationality through a dialogue between the the sciences and philosophy and theology, grounded in the certainty that the fundamental questions of human life cannot be ignored by scientific rationality.

01:33:23.040 --> 01:33:29.040
And that award this year, was conferred upon doctor Paul C.

01:33:29.040 --> 01:33:37.565
Vitz, doctor William j Nordling, and doctor Craig Steven Titus for their work as editors of the book.

01:33:37.565 --> 01:33:39.905
So we want to congratulate them today.

01:33:41.405 --> 01:33:52.860
The book was a fruit of a long standing effort by numerous members of the university faculty, and with input from student body and outside collaborators as well.

01:33:53.400 --> 01:33:57.100
And this year, there'll be a Spanish translation that should be coming out.

01:33:57.455 --> 01:34:09.315
So congratulations to them.

01:34:09.375 --> 01:34:15.340
And finally, I would just like to recognize two people, who are no longer with us this year.

01:34:16.840 --> 01:34:23.660
This past year, we lost one of our counseling students who would have been here today, Travis Schilling.

01:34:24.200 --> 01:34:30.485
We're honored to have his family with us today, and we just like to have a moment of silence for him.

01:34:30.485 --> 01:34:45.670
And also, for missus Peggy Hart of Calgary, Canada, who was one of our first graduates from our online masters in psychology program, and she actually had the student leadership award when she graduated, and she suddenly passed away in January.

01:34:46.130 --> 01:34:50.310
So I just, I moan a silent prayer for Travis and Peggy.

01:34:56.465 --> 01:34:57.285
Thank you.

01:35:22.975 --> 01:35:25.155
Sometimes our kids ask the best questions.

01:35:25.855 --> 01:35:33.395
And coming down here today, my daughter asked, why do we give an honorary degree?

01:35:37.910 --> 01:35:39.130
So I explained to her.

01:35:39.750 --> 01:36:15.520
I wanna remind you that we give an honorary degree because somebody here today like Micheline Fredenberg, we wanna put her out in front of you as an example of someone who has accomplished great things so that later in life, maybe tomorrow, maybe in five, ten, or fifteen years, when you're struggling, when you're trying to accomplish something, when you're looking for some motivation, you'll remember the example of Michelin Fredenberg.

01:36:19.245 --> 01:36:23.265
So then she asked me another question, which was similar.

01:36:24.285 --> 01:36:34.470
And that was, well, if she just comes here and gets an honorary doctorate, won't all the other students who have worked so hard be jealous?

01:36:38.130 --> 01:36:47.135
And I think the answer to that is similar to the first answer, which is just try to work as hard as Michalene has worked.

01:36:49.915 --> 01:37:11.750
Michalene founded Life Perspectives, which provides reproductive loss training and other resources to health professionals, including hospitals, medical professionals, therapists, social workers, and pregnancy centers, as well as community and faith leaders.

01:37:13.865 --> 01:37:27.485
Without religious or political affiliation, Life Perspectives is approved by the National Association of Social Workers and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education.

01:37:29.880 --> 01:37:43.755
Life Perspectives is also nationally accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and by the State of California Board of Registered Nursing as a continuing education provider.

01:37:46.695 --> 01:38:08.490
In the past year alone, life perspectives has helped over seventy three thousand hurting men and women with hope and healing with nonjudgmental care and has trained over 2,100 community leaders and health care professionals.

01:38:10.695 --> 01:38:18.235
Miss Friedenberg has authored the book Changed, Making Sense of Your Own or a Loved One's Abortion Experience.

01:38:19.655 --> 01:38:28.740
The booklets Changed, Hope After Loss, and edited the book Grief and Abortion, Creating a Safe Place to Heal.

01:38:30.480 --> 01:38:39.620
She has also written numerous articles about reproductive grief and loss and has participated in over 100 radio and television programs.

01:38:41.595 --> 01:38:56.630
In gratitude for the generous spirit that shines through your work, it is my honor today to bestow on missus Michalene Fredenberg the doctor of humane letters, honoris causa.

01:39:56.820 --> 01:40:08.680
Thank you, father Sikorsky, mister Cunningham, Divine Mercy University board of directors, faculty, staff, graduates, your family, and friends.

01:40:11.005 --> 01:40:12.625
This is an incredible honor.

01:40:13.885 --> 01:40:15.185
It's hard to describe.

01:40:15.725 --> 01:40:29.610
It's actually really quite overwhelming to have your life's work recognized in this fashion, especially from individuals and an institution that I hold in the highest regard.

01:40:31.270 --> 01:40:49.995
It's not by chance that you decided to study at Divine Mercy University, an institution of the highest integrity, a community that honors and respects the whole person, a community dedicated to formation and the gift of self.

01:40:52.000 --> 01:41:03.380
It's humbling to be standing in front of individuals who have chosen to embark upon a life of service, a life of emptying yourselves for others.

01:41:04.785 --> 01:41:11.925
A difficult path for certain, but one filled with tremendous joy and deep fulfillment.

01:41:13.505 --> 01:41:20.150
I would imagine that some of you've chosen this path, but for others that path chose you.

01:41:21.810 --> 01:41:25.750
My work at life perspective certainly falls into the latter category.

01:41:27.090 --> 01:41:34.795
More than that, it was actually the result of a series of disastrous decisions resulting in tragic consequences.

01:41:36.775 --> 01:41:43.675
You see, when I was an 18 year old ballroom dancer, I chose to terminate a pregnancy that was threatening my career.

01:41:45.420 --> 01:41:52.080
The consequences of my life were devastating, and it radically changed me.

01:41:53.820 --> 01:42:10.595
After I was able to grieve and find some sense of peace with the help of trusted friends and some professional assistance, I slowly became aware of the depth of the pain and the silent suffering that was all around me.

01:42:11.690 --> 01:42:27.405
With 2,000,000 losses every year in The United States through miscarriage and abortion, the number of men, women, family members, and friends who've been impacted by reproductive loss is tremendous.

01:42:28.665 --> 01:42:38.925
And while these losses occur very differently, the grief, the shame, the secrecy, even the guilt is very similar.

01:42:40.230 --> 01:42:49.930
These individuals often suffer silently as our culture ignores their loss and seemingly is unaware of their pain.

01:42:51.670 --> 01:43:02.525
As I began to share my story in the hope of breaking this pervasive silence, men and women shared their stories with me, and they became my teachers.

01:43:03.625 --> 01:43:07.485
They taught me how to communicate with compassion and empathy.

01:43:08.500 --> 01:43:10.120
They taught me how to listen.

01:43:11.060 --> 01:43:17.800
They showed me the depth of their shame and taught me how to create a safe place for them to tell their story.

01:43:18.820 --> 01:43:28.485
A place where their loss could be acknowledged, where they could begin to grieve, where they would be assured that their children would not be forgotten.

01:43:30.705 --> 01:43:44.950
It's a privilege like no other to be permitted to get a glimpse of somebody's private pain, to be trusted with such a deeply personal and stigmatized experience.

01:43:46.850 --> 01:43:49.270
These are truly sacred moments.

01:43:50.775 --> 01:43:54.075
I would imagine that you've already experienced similar moments.

01:43:55.415 --> 01:44:01.675
Honor them and recognize that when we give, it's reciprocal.

01:44:02.950 --> 01:44:05.350
We gain as much as we give.

01:44:05.350 --> 01:44:09.530
In fact, I think that we gain a lot more than we're ever able to give.

01:44:10.230 --> 01:44:14.490
The more that we seek to empty ourselves, the more that we're filled.

01:44:16.205 --> 01:44:18.385
This doesn't mean that it will be easy.

01:44:19.565 --> 01:44:29.665
My husband can attest to the long hours, the frustrations, the sleepless nights, the times that I'm exhausted and crabby.

01:44:31.810 --> 01:44:34.630
There are the times that I feel that I can't go on.

01:44:35.250 --> 01:44:40.550
Times of great disappointment, discouragement, and outright failures.

01:44:42.610 --> 01:44:55.035
While I haven't yet experienced shipwreck or stoning, I have faced lawsuits, personal and professional attacks, near bankruptcy and betrayal.

01:44:56.375 --> 01:45:01.430
And it's the betrayal of those that I thought were my friends that hurt the most.

01:45:02.850 --> 01:45:08.550
However, I'm now at a place in my life where I don't regret any of those ordeals.

01:45:09.650 --> 01:45:18.685
Those trials, the suffering, they shaped me and they formed me, and I'd like to think that they've made me more.

01:45:19.705 --> 01:45:22.845
I certainly know that they've made life perspectives more.

01:45:23.945 --> 01:45:30.790
Suffering has kept me and life perspectives grounded in humility, compassion, and love.

01:45:32.210 --> 01:45:42.310
These qualities gained, if you will, through fire have enabled us to work with an amazingly diverse group of individuals and organizations.

01:45:43.795 --> 01:45:45.895
Often, they don't have very much in common.

01:45:46.755 --> 01:46:02.380
Sometimes they're even adversaries, but we're able to do this because we meet in a very human place, a place where we all agree that if someone is suffering, we wanna help them.

01:46:04.760 --> 01:46:18.275
I am touched by the kindness, really the goodness that exists when we can focus on a person, on one person rather than a crowd or an agenda.

01:46:19.375 --> 01:46:30.310
When we can be truly present with that one person, when we can respond with compassion, our differences evaporate, at least for the moment.

01:46:31.650 --> 01:46:38.550
Over the past dozen years, Life Perspectives has had the privilege of assisting over a half million men and women on our healing websites.

01:46:39.555 --> 01:46:47.175
We've also had the privilege of training a growing number of professionals to provide reproductive grief care for their patients and their clients.

01:46:47.955 --> 01:46:49.335
We traveled to Ukraine.

01:46:50.035 --> 01:46:54.215
Our healing resources have been translated into multiple languages.

01:46:55.190 --> 01:47:12.545
We've attracted the most amazing team who are working together toward the day when there will one day be a widespread adoption of a standard of care around reproductive loss, and we're increasingly recognized as a global leader in reproductive grief care.

01:47:14.045 --> 01:47:17.505
Now all of that is amazing to me.

01:47:17.725 --> 01:47:18.465
It's astonishing.

01:47:20.250 --> 01:47:35.255
And while people congratulate me on our success, I am mindful that life perspectives was born out of pain, really out of death, out of the one decision that I regret the most.

01:47:36.915 --> 01:47:41.655
I'm also mindful that success is not determined by numbers.

01:47:42.355 --> 01:47:43.655
It's about the one.

01:47:44.480 --> 01:47:50.980
The one person who we have the privilege to serve, that you have the privilege to serve.

01:47:51.680 --> 01:48:07.535
So today as we recognize your hard work, as we congratulate you on all that you have accomplished, And as you begin this next part of your adventure, please remember that there is one person who needs you.

01:48:08.795 --> 01:48:14.190
One person who is longing for your kindness, for your compassion.

01:48:14.810 --> 01:48:24.990
One person who desperately wants to know that they are not alone, that they are accepted and loved just as they are.

01:48:26.250 --> 01:48:27.310
You are needed.

01:48:28.305 --> 01:48:36.405
You are absolutely necessary, and you will and you are bringing hope to this one person.

01:48:37.185 --> 01:48:41.125
And in doing so, you're bringing hope to a hurting world.

01:48:41.505 --> 01:48:42.325
Thank you.

01:50:05.130 --> 01:50:13.070
Now we we will begin with the presentation of their certificates to the graduates of the spiritual direction certificate program.

01:50:14.170 --> 01:50:25.675
The addition of this certificate program to our graduation gives us great excitement as we mark with this ceremony the graduation of the program's first cohorts.

01:50:27.575 --> 01:50:33.670
Will the following please come forward to take your place for the presentation of the spiritual direction certificates?

01:50:35.010 --> 01:50:45.350
Father Robert Persuti, formation and development director of the spiritual direction certificate program, and father Charles Sigorski, university president.

01:50:58.430 --> 01:51:02.610
Will the graduates of the spiritual direction certificate program please come forward?

01:51:04.510 --> 01:51:27.960
The students enrolled in the spiritual direction certificate program over a period of two years gained theological knowledge of the Catholic spiritual tradition, learnings from the inter good understanding of the human person, and training in interpersonal skills needed to minister with professionalism as a spiritual director.

01:51:29.220 --> 01:51:34.680
Each student also completes sixty hours of practicum accompanied by supervision.

01:51:36.660 --> 01:51:43.925
The faculty certified that each candidate has completed all requirements for the certificate in spiritual direction.

01:51:45.025 --> 01:51:50.885
The university is pleased to award certificates to our graduates of the spiritual direction program.

01:51:52.385 --> 01:51:54.965
As I call your name, please come forward.

01:51:56.290 --> 01:51:58.230
Begonia Campos Nasif.

01:52:02.930 --> 01:52:05.830
Anna Carbajal Diaz.

01:52:11.475 --> 01:52:13.175
Angela Mary Christiansen.

01:52:17.315 --> 01:52:19.655
Corine Anne Murphy.

01:52:23.270 --> 01:52:26.650
Lucia Rebecca Ochoa.

01:52:29.990 --> 01:52:31.850
Janine l Peters.

01:52:36.415 --> 01:52:38.115
Janet G Scanlon.

01:52:42.735 --> 01:52:44.195
Father Timothy Walsh.

01:52:49.710 --> 01:55:13.100
We also include in absentia, Hernan Miguel Alvarez Cordano, Colleen K Anderson, Craig r Biscoff, Teresa Chapo, Lucia l Daniels, Lisa Verussell Carlton, Richard w DiMassimo, Monique Carte Dinkle, Barbara Dispiritu, Christine Simon Eckard, Sandra Elias, Donna Garrett, Jeff s Garrett, Diane Lynn Hart, Teresa Michelle Hoffman, Mary Jo Kenny, Theresa Ann Court, Mary Marrone, Kathleen Ann McCann, Sherry h Morgan, Jane Nagel, Julie k Nelson, Sherry l Nuxell, Yvonne Nuxell, father Lino Otero, Renee Ann Pomerico, Cathy Perpera, Mariana Rebern, Jennifer Marie Marie Restine, Jennifer Lynn Settle, Megan Silas, Valerie Sprague, Beverly Petard Stone, Frances Vandeward, Patricia Viese, Lisa Ann Williams, Michael Williams, father Adam Settle.

01:55:15.080 --> 01:55:19.660
Please join me in congratulating the spiritual direction certificate program graduates.

01:55:54.315 --> 01:55:57.935
We have reached the point in the ceremony at which degrees are to be conferred.

01:55:59.195 --> 01:56:06.710
The university's degree granting authority is contained in the charter granted to Divine Mercy University by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

01:56:07.330 --> 01:56:19.660
And I quote, As of 01/18/2000, the state council of higher education for Virginia grants approval to Divine Mercy University to confer academic and professional degrees.

01:56:19.660 --> 01:56:22.925
We will begin with the school of counseling.

01:56:25.865 --> 01:56:30.045
Will the following please come forward and take your place for the conferral of degrees?

01:56:31.145 --> 01:56:34.685
Doctor Harvey Payne, academic dean for the school of counseling.

01:56:35.440 --> 01:56:43.620
Doctor John West, program director of the MS in counseling online degree program, and father Charles Sikorsky, university president.

01:56:44.480 --> 01:56:48.980
Will the graduates of the master of science in counseling degree please come forward?

01:56:57.735 --> 01:57:10.390
The students enrolled in the master of science in counseling degree program gain professional competency while developing an integrative understanding of the human person in application to the counseling profession.

01:57:11.410 --> 01:57:24.725
Students acquire the necessary counseling knowledge, skills, and dispositions to engage in communities as effective community leaders and social justice advocates informed by Catholic Christian social teaching.

01:57:25.745 --> 01:57:32.480
The faculty certified that each candidate has complete all requirements for the master of science in counseling degree.

01:57:33.020 --> 01:57:38.160
The university is pleased to confer degrees to our graduates of the MS in counseling program.

01:57:42.460 --> 01:57:44.480
As I call your name, please come forward.

01:57:46.725 --> 01:57:54.105
Jennifer Jane Ahern, Idyllianic, Florida.

01:57:55.205 --> 01:57:56.005
Sierra M.

01:57:56.005 --> 01:57:58.905
Bland, Bellevue, New Hampshire.

01:58:02.500 --> 01:58:05.640
Kirsten Lynn Butera, Providence, Rhode Island.

01:58:08.820 --> 01:58:11.640
Anne V Colovas, Arlington, Virginia.

01:58:14.655 --> 01:58:17.555
Anthony William Coppage, Donthan, Alabama.

01:58:32.990 --> 01:58:35.650
Rebecca Jewel Covell, Nottingham, Pennsylvania.

01:58:39.805 --> 01:58:42.705
Joanne k Cruz, Annapolis, Maryland.

01:58:47.005 --> 01:58:49.585
Jean m Daley, Manassas, Virginia.

01:58:54.590 --> 01:58:57.810
Theresa b Daub, Williamsport, Maryland.

01:59:01.630 --> 01:59:04.290
George Forsyth, Columbia, Maryland.

01:59:08.775 --> 01:59:18.475
Nikki Lemke, Louann Marie Griffin, Alexandria, Virginia.

01:59:21.530 --> 01:59:24.830
Janet Dorsch Huff, Eagle River, Alaska.

01:59:27.690 --> 01:59:31.150
Kathleen Mary Kawaki, Oxford, Mississippi.

01:59:35.635 --> 01:59:37.815
Terry Love, Henderson, Nevada.

01:59:41.955 --> 01:59:45.095
Maria Christine Malaspinas, Preston, Connecticut.

01:59:52.910 --> 01:59:55.890
Furl Ann March, Norman, Oklahoma.

02:00:00.105 --> 02:00:02.925
Anna Patrice Mayer, Irving, Texas.

02:00:07.385 --> 02:00:10.605
Gian f Miles, Pirchesy, Pennsylvania.

02:00:14.630 --> 02:00:17.450
Madeline Foley Mueller, Clifton, Virginia.

02:00:27.135 --> 02:00:29.875
Molly g Player, Bellevue, Washington.

02:00:36.415 --> 02:00:39.955
Deborah a Rojas, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

02:00:44.670 --> 02:00:47.810
Theresa m Smallwood, Spring Valley, California.

02:00:51.870 --> 02:00:54.930
Rachel c Smith, Indianapolis, Indiana.

02:00:58.435 --> 02:01:01.895
Rosemary Garola Thompson, Curtin, Texas.

02:01:09.340 --> 02:01:12.080
Marnie Michelle Wolford, Lansing, Michigan.

02:01:16.700 --> 02:01:19.040
Christian Wolf, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

02:01:23.375 --> 02:01:26.595
Matthew John Wubben, Greer, South Carolina.

02:01:30.335 --> 02:01:34.435
Monica Theresa Anna Zollerweis, Sussex, Wisconsin.

02:01:38.420 --> 02:01:40.280
We also include those in absentia.

02:01:41.300 --> 02:01:43.960
Liz Beck Aguilar, Appleton, Wisconsin.

02:01:45.220 --> 02:01:49.480
Hernan Miguel Alvarez Cardano, Montgomery Village, Maryland.

02:01:51.105 --> 02:01:54.405
Brian David Bibb, Indianapolis, Indiana.

02:01:55.825 --> 02:01:59.125
Samuel Lawrence Guzman, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

02:02:00.865 --> 02:02:03.925
Gabriela N Hartz, Suwanee, Georgia.

02:02:05.990 --> 02:02:09.850
Elizabeth Lorna Ann Labsey, South Bend, Indiana.

02:02:11.430 --> 02:02:14.730
Mary Rose Huber, Bismarck, North Dakota.

02:02:16.390 --> 02:02:19.210
Christopher Kaplan, Fort Collins, Colorado.

02:02:21.265 --> 02:02:22.225
Michael C.

02:02:22.225 --> 02:02:24.085
Cram, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

02:02:25.745 --> 02:02:27.265
Maria Rosa A.

02:02:27.265 --> 02:02:29.205
Muniz, Atlanta, Georgia.

02:02:30.785 --> 02:02:33.845
Tan Tam Nguyen, Tuscan, California.

02:02:35.970 --> 02:02:38.310
Emily Paltz, Seabrook, Texas.

02:02:39.650 --> 02:02:42.390
Jody S Pitcher, Sheridan, Wyoming.

02:02:43.970 --> 02:02:46.390
Brian Prater, Front Royal, Virginia.

02:02:53.015 --> 02:03:08.600
In recognition of the life and accomplishments of Eric Travis Schilling, who was in his final course when he tragically passed away last summer, Divine Mercy University is privileged to bestow upon him the post humorous degree of master of science in counseling.

02:03:09.540 --> 02:03:20.760
While Travis' death is a loss to the profession of counseling, we hope that DMU graduates of 2020 and beyond will carry his legacy and answer his call to service for others.

02:03:21.275 --> 02:03:25.935
His father, Clyde Schilling, is present with us today to receive his recognition.

02:03:51.435 --> 02:03:54.495
Will the master of science in counseling graduates please stand?

02:03:57.035 --> 02:04:01.295
Graduates, you may now now move your tassel from the right to the left.

02:04:01.835 --> 02:04:05.135
Let's congratulate our master of science in counseling degree recipients.

02:04:25.065 --> 02:04:29.085
We will now recognize graduates from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences.

02:04:29.865 --> 02:04:33.645
Will the following please come forward and take your place for the conferral of degrees?

02:04:34.190 --> 02:04:42.370
Doctor Julia Clousely, program director of the master of science in psychology degree program and father Charles Sikorsky, university president.

02:04:43.230 --> 02:04:48.370
Will the graduates for the master of science in psychology degree program please come forward.

02:04:53.965 --> 02:05:08.280
The students enrolled in the master of science in psychology degree program gained professional competency in the psychology while developing an integrative understanding of the human person in in application to service for delivery.

02:05:09.140 --> 02:05:26.025
The online masters program seeks to exhibit advanced professional skills such as communications, interpersonal, and leadership skills, program evaluation, and cultural awareness in order to enable growth as a transformational leader in service delivery setting.

02:05:27.365 --> 02:05:34.105
The university is pleased to confer degrees to our graduates of the master of science in psychology degree program.

02:05:53.065 --> 02:05:55.005
As I call your name, please come forward.

02:05:56.265 --> 02:06:00.045
Father John Stevenson Bender, LC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

02:06:06.080 --> 02:06:10.980
Sister Mary Elizabeth Beatty, IHM, Colwick, Kansas.

02:06:16.315 --> 02:06:35.390
Felicity Catherine Maria Egan, Front Royal, Virginia, Laura Johnson Emery, Concord, North Carolina, Jonathan Andrew Kane, Orlando, Florida.

02:06:40.090 --> 02:06:43.790
Marcel Sarah Morvey, Jamaica, New York.

02:06:48.945 --> 02:06:51.925
Father Sama Mumma, Macom, Michigan.

02:06:57.650 --> 02:07:02.390
Father Tan Duck Nguyen, LC, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

02:07:06.450 --> 02:07:12.365
Reverend Patrick Ifani Nwokiyogo, Indianapolis, Indiana.

02:07:17.385 --> 02:07:21.405
Daniel Ohene Rokidwe, Denton, Texas.

02:07:24.860 --> 02:07:29.120
Father Jose Felix Ortega, Bronx, New York.

02:07:32.460 --> 02:07:35.200
Deirdre Owens, Henderson, Nevada.

02:07:38.615 --> 02:07:41.515
Jerome Placido, San Jose, California.

02:07:47.415 --> 02:07:50.475
Jacqueline t Rose, Medfield, Massachusetts.

02:07:54.500 --> 02:07:57.640
Thomas Anthony Skahill, Florence, Kentucky.

02:08:01.940 --> 02:08:05.000
Stephen James Schultz, Chantilly, Virginia.

02:08:08.885 --> 02:08:12.345
Lily c Sokolowski, Dallas, Texas.

02:08:16.405 --> 02:08:20.505
David g Stephanie, LC, Bloomfield Hiss, Michigan.

02:08:23.980 --> 02:08:27.040
Stephanie Testa, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

02:08:30.140 --> 02:08:33.360
Father Jillson Tom, Northeastern, Massachusetts.

02:08:37.135 --> 02:08:39.875
Uy Tran Duoc Van, Vietnam.

02:08:43.935 --> 02:08:47.555
George Nathaniel Weiss the third, Houston, Texas.

02:08:51.690 --> 02:08:53.550
We also include those in absentia.

02:08:54.490 --> 02:08:58.030
Patricia Joe Anderson, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

02:08:59.050 --> 02:09:01.710
Jennifer Delacross, Houston, Texas.

02:09:02.985 --> 02:09:06.765
Reverend Henry Carter Finch, San Marcos, Texas.

02:09:08.025 --> 02:09:11.325
Rowan Salim Haddad, Cedar Park, Texas.

02:09:12.505 --> 02:09:16.045
Nikkechi Katherine Jewa, Asaba, Nigeria.

02:09:17.740 --> 02:09:20.640
Calistus Kayoma, Lusaka, Zambia.

02:09:22.300 --> 02:09:25.120
Talia Cruz, Colesburg, Louisiana.

02:09:27.180 --> 02:09:31.040
Father Steve James Longay, Rockford, Indiana.

02:09:33.205 --> 02:09:36.745
Steven g Lindsey senior, Sladell, Louisiana.

02:09:38.645 --> 02:09:41.625
Susanna Matlin, Andover, Minnesota.

02:09:44.165 --> 02:09:48.830
Sister Karen Muniz, SCTJM, Miami, Florida.

02:09:50.810 --> 02:09:55.790
Melanie Pillian, Empire, Ontario, Canada.

02:09:58.010 --> 02:10:01.150
Yamalith t Rivera, Miami, Florida.

02:10:02.945 --> 02:10:06.485
Matthew S Robinson, Westchester, Pennsylvania.

02:10:08.465 --> 02:10:12.485
Reverend William Lloyd Rooney Junior, Austin, Texas.

02:10:13.665 --> 02:10:18.820
Father Jose Ruben Valencia, LC, Mexico City, Mexico.

02:10:20.640 --> 02:10:24.420
Angelica Pastrana Villanueva, San Ramon, California.

02:10:26.080 --> 02:10:29.460
Nancy Lynn Zagaria, Rocky River, Ohio.

02:10:32.735 --> 02:10:35.875
Will the master of science in psychology graduates please stand?

02:10:37.695 --> 02:10:40.355
You may now move your tassels from the right to the left.

02:10:41.615 --> 02:10:43.315
Let's congratulate our graduates.

02:11:01.235 --> 02:11:04.855
Will the following please come forward and take your place for the conferral of degrees.

02:11:05.235 --> 02:11:12.935
Doctor Lisa Klowicki, program director of the master of psychology degree program and father Charles Sikorsky, university president.

02:11:14.010 --> 02:11:18.190
Will the graduates for the master of psychology degree please come forward.

02:11:23.050 --> 02:11:40.685
Through its master of psychology degree, the institute provides its students with basic education in the theoretical and empirical basis of psychology, as well as foundational training in clinical skills and their application in a manner consistent with catholic understanding of the person.

02:11:41.690 --> 02:11:51.950
Such education and training prepares students for further graduate training in psychology and allied fields or for a career choice appropriate for masters levels graduates.

02:11:53.225 --> 02:11:58.765
The university is pleased to confer degrees to our graduates of the master of psychology degree program.

02:12:11.790 --> 02:12:13.890
As I call your name, please come forward.

02:12:16.670 --> 02:12:18.130
Matthew Roger Flanagan.

02:12:18.510 --> 02:12:19.730
The Woodlands, Texas.

02:12:25.385 --> 02:12:28.605
Ryan Dennis Frederickson, Fairfax Station, Virginia.

02:12:31.625 --> 02:12:34.285
Rachel Ann Haydel, Puma, Louisiana.

02:12:37.990 --> 02:12:41.530
Reverend Joel Yaupwame, Accra, Ghana.

02:12:44.710 --> 02:12:48.410
Maria Jane Madden, Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

02:12:51.645 --> 02:12:54.785
Brittany Erin Munoz, Lorraine, Texas.

02:12:58.445 --> 02:13:01.425
Daniel Isaac Paris, Sterling, Virginia.

02:13:05.700 --> 02:13:08.600
Andrew Park, Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania.

02:13:13.220 --> 02:13:16.440
Chelsea Nicole Smith, Ashburn, Virginia.

02:13:19.635 --> 02:13:22.295
Christopher Tappell, Anchorage, Alaska.

02:13:26.355 --> 02:13:30.055
Randall Orion Betty, Somerset, South Dakota.

02:13:32.930 --> 02:13:36.230
Melanie Lynn Williams, Michaquah, Indiana.

02:13:39.410 --> 02:13:51.085
We also include in absentia, sister Maria Maria Amata Rossi, RSM, Pueblo, Colorado, and Guillermo Tellez, Norwalk, California.

02:14:36.470 --> 02:14:39.450
Will the master of psychology graduates please stand.

02:14:41.270 --> 02:14:44.490
Graduates, you may now move your tassel from the right to the left.

02:14:44.985 --> 02:14:52.925
Let's congratulate our master of psychology graduates.

02:15:02.870 --> 02:15:06.650
Will the following please come forward and take your place for the conferral of degrees?

02:15:07.270 --> 02:15:17.085
Doctor Lisa Klowicki, program director of the doctor of psychology degree program, dissertation chair doctor Rebecca Morse and Paul Vitz, and father Charles Sikorsky.

02:15:18.345 --> 02:15:23.325
Will the graduates of the doctor of psychology in clinical psychology degree please come forward?

02:15:29.950 --> 02:15:43.090
Through the doctor of psychology degree program, students gain both basic and advanced education in the theoretical and empirical basis of psychology as well as foundational and advanced level clinical training and experiences.

02:15:44.135 --> 02:15:59.195
Such a comprehensive formative experience is aimed at producing practitioner scholars, psychologists who can provide effective services in an ethical manner that is sensitive to human diversity and consistent with a catholic understanding of the person.

02:16:00.140 --> 02:16:15.725
The program also seeks its students with knowledge and skills sets which allow for future development and participation in a wide variety of professional roles, leadership opportunities, and career choices available to psychologists trained at the the doctorate level.

02:16:17.145 --> 02:16:31.820
The faculty have certified that each candidate's excellence appropriate to the highest degree the university bestows and have completed all degree requirements culminating in a one year pre doctoral internship and defending a doctoral dissertation.

02:16:32.600 --> 02:16:38.220
I'm pleased to present the candidates for the doctor of psychology in clinical psychology degree.

02:16:39.240 --> 02:16:46.225
Each candidate's dissertation chair will preside at conferral of their degree and I will read the title of their dissertation.

02:16:47.645 --> 02:16:49.505
As I call your name, please come forward.

02:16:53.165 --> 02:16:56.625
Reverend Kevin w Barnicow, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

02:16:57.760 --> 02:17:00.819
The experience of pilgrimage as a transforming narrative.

02:17:25.730 --> 02:17:28.950
Garrett Erwin Boyer, Carrington, North Dakota.

02:17:29.891 --> 02:17:33.990
Attachment in cloistered and contemplative women religious in The United States.

02:17:54.230 --> 02:17:56.811
Michael Evan Davis, Travis, California.

02:17:57.910 --> 02:18:02.891
Clinical diagnosis of autism and evaluation of the developmental protocol.

02:18:26.520 --> 02:18:31.020
Reverend Brian Thomas Duggan, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

02:18:31.745 --> 02:18:37.925
A program evaluation of the human formation program at Saint John Vianney Seminary in Denver, Colorado.

02:19:00.335 --> 02:19:03.875
Deirdre Ann Gaughan, Yonkers, New York.

02:19:04.734 --> 02:19:07.314
Compassion fatigue and Catholic lay volunteers.

02:19:29.795 --> 02:19:33.096
Anne Marie Krajewski, Woodway, Texas.

02:19:33.955 --> 02:19:42.670
Fostering an outward gaze, an argument for attending to existential questions and needs within the Kahu'in conceptualization of narcissism.

02:19:53.225 --> 02:19:54.604
Jennifer Lynn Linuska.

02:19:54.904 --> 02:19:56.045
Tampa, Florida.

02:19:56.904 --> 02:20:02.685
Perceived stigma among service members and veterans in our tribal study of chaplains perspectives.

02:20:21.305 --> 02:20:24.524
Maura Therese McFadden, Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

02:20:25.465 --> 02:20:26.925
Disconnected and hyperconnected.

02:20:27.705 --> 02:20:36.125
Understanding adolescent and young adult empathy development in the context of ubiquitous information and communication technology use.

02:20:53.735 --> 02:20:56.475
Feraratri Phonerome, Silver Spring, Maryland.

02:20:57.015 --> 02:21:01.835
A comparative study of attitudes about suicide between The United States and Thailand.

02:21:23.205 --> 02:21:26.345
Louisa J Skimpperle, Tempe, Arizona.

02:21:27.765 --> 02:21:32.984
The negative influence of over parenting on intimate relationships among emerging adults.

02:21:53.215 --> 02:21:59.075
We include in absentia, Matthew Francis Rocklefort, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

02:21:59.615 --> 02:22:13.580
The introjective depression personality graduates please stand?

02:22:16.195 --> 02:22:19.415
Graduates, you may now move your tassel from the right to the left.

02:22:42.625 --> 02:22:50.405
Father president, DMU faculty, staff, family, friends, and honored guests, it is my great joy and honor to present the class of 2021.

02:23:13.895 --> 02:23:24.475
Since our foundation in 1999, Divine Mercy University has conferred 412 master's graduates and 71 doctoral graduates.

02:23:25.610 --> 02:23:36.110
In the pursuit of their vocation to heal, a growing number of our alumni are making an impact in the field of psychology, in the church, in the world.

02:23:37.210 --> 02:23:41.125
The ever expanding reach of the mission is truly become inspiring.

02:23:42.065 --> 02:24:00.061
To mark and recognize this history, the university presents its distinguished alumni award to a graduate who has made significant contributions to the society and whose accomplishments, affiliations, and career have honored the legacy and the mission of our alma mater.

02:24:01.000 --> 02:24:12.535
Recipients of this award are accomplished in the following areas, professional achievement, leadership, service, faithful advancement of the mission and vision of our university.

02:24:13.396 --> 02:24:23.510
So it's with great pride and joy that we present the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award to doctor Gregory Gisla, class of 2014.

02:24:34.985 --> 02:24:44.285
Doctor Giesla is recognized for his many professional achievements, his faithful spirit of service, and his enduring example of the mission and vision of our university.

02:24:45.240 --> 02:24:59.420
He completed his doctoral degree from the Institute for Psychological Sciences in May 2014 with the dissertation entitled Sexual Self Control as Essential to Psychosocial Maturity in Adolescent Males.

02:25:00.226 --> 02:25:05.045
Doctor Gisler was born and raised in Sacramento, California, the youngest of seven children.

02:25:05.665 --> 02:25:19.490
He graduated in 2009 with a BA in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College in San Paulo, California, and he subsequently attended our Institute for Psychological Sciences doctoral program in clinical psychology.

02:25:20.351 --> 02:25:38.985
After graduating in 2014, doctor Gisla, his wife, and daughter returned to Sacramento where he completed his one year post doctorate fellowship at the Sutter Center for Psychiatry, the only freestanding inpatient psychiatric facility operated by the prominent nonprofit Sutter Healthcare System.

02:25:39.765 --> 02:25:54.690
This was the beginning of doctor Gisla's career in Sutter, where over the next seven years, he worked across all three settings of the mental health continuum, emergency department, psychiatric, and partial hospitalization outpatient programs.

02:25:55.395 --> 02:26:00.135
He is currently the director of emergency psychiatric response and patient access.

02:26:00.914 --> 02:26:12.811
His departments are responsible for the psychiatric crisis evaluations at three of Sutter's medical facilities and to arrange the transition of care to inpatient psychiatry for rapid stabilization.

02:26:14.150 --> 02:26:20.410
He additionally operates a small outpatient private practice providing individual and couples therapy.

02:26:20.745 --> 02:26:25.165
And he also specializes in working with severe mental illness and suicide assessment.

02:26:25.865 --> 02:26:30.845
Doctor Giesler currently resides in Carmichael, California with his wife and two young children.

02:26:31.545 --> 02:26:43.360
Doctor Giesler is a true representation of a distinguished alumni, having made significant contributions in the field of psychology and a constant dedication to the mission and vision of our university.

02:26:44.061 --> 02:26:46.801
We are honored to present doctor Gisler with this award.

02:26:46.860 --> 02:26:48.721
Doctor Gisler, will you please come forward?

02:27:26.965 --> 02:27:28.185
Thank you so much.

02:27:29.125 --> 02:27:31.465
This was such an incredible surprise.

02:27:32.840 --> 02:27:47.340
To be nominated for this award is really quite humbling, knowing that each of my fellow alumni and all of the unique members of this community are doing extraordinary work every day and making a difference in the lives of so many people.

02:27:48.535 --> 02:28:00.075
To be selected by the DMU administration is a great honor, and I'm so grateful to be invited back to this community that holds such a fond place in my heart and to be able to share in this experience with each of you today.

02:28:01.921 --> 02:28:13.460
Today is a momentous day, one each of you earned with hours upon hours of work and great sacrifice from both you and from those who supported you throughout these years.

02:28:14.905 --> 02:28:21.405
I recall so clearly during my third year at IPS how overwhelmed I felt with classes and clinic.

02:28:22.425 --> 02:28:27.245
Then I saw my schedule for the following year, and I thought, I just can't do it all.

02:28:28.140 --> 02:28:40.720
I returned home to my beautiful wife and our infant daughter, and I confessed in a tone of total despair, I just think I'm gonna have to spread out these classes and finish this program in six instead of five years.

02:28:41.500 --> 02:28:43.120
There just isn't any other way.

02:28:44.235 --> 02:28:53.695
My wife tenderly looked in my eyes and responded so calmly, there is no way in hell we're spending an extra year in grad school.

02:28:57.220 --> 02:29:00.360
We will get this program done together one way or another.

02:29:03.380 --> 02:29:07.800
And that was just the push I needed, and I literally would not be here today without her.

02:29:09.105 --> 02:29:18.725
So I know that each of you find yourself here at the end of one incredible journey, having experienced loads of love and support from people who cheered you on every step of the way.

02:29:19.025 --> 02:29:23.045
So I wanna thank all of those here today who supported these graduates through it all.

02:29:24.380 --> 02:29:34.960
I've been asked to share with you some reflections about how my education at IPS impacted my career and then offer a few lessons and insights that I've learned along the way that may be helpful to you.

02:29:35.899 --> 02:29:41.965
I am very aware that I am still so young in my career and learning new lessons myself every day.

02:29:42.745 --> 02:29:48.205
I hope, though, that these insights and recommendations help at least one of you in in your future endeavors.

02:29:49.865 --> 02:29:58.189
As was was stated in our my bio, after I graduated from IPS, I returned to my home state of California and completed my fellowship at Sutter Center for Psychiatry.

02:29:59.770 --> 02:30:05.550
Sutter is a inpatient psychiatric facility serving patients across the life spectrum as young as four years old.

02:30:07.525 --> 02:30:12.105
I find myself now the director of psychiatric emergency response and patient access.

02:30:12.885 --> 02:30:23.850
I lead those departments responsible for assessing patients and mental health crises in our medical facilities and then determining whether they need further stabilization in inpatient or can safely discharge, back home to the community.

02:30:25.270 --> 02:30:36.443
My my team is embedded in the emergency department as consulted only when a patient presents as a danger to themselves, others, or with such acute symptoms of psychosis that their ability to meet their basic needs is almost entirely impaired.

02:30:36.443 --> 02:31:01.130
Our busiest emergency department is located in When a When a patient enters the ED and presents with these concerns, a safety protocol is triggered that feels to most patients like a total loss of self agency and something very few are prepared for.

02:31:01.965 --> 02:31:13.024
The patient is escorted by security and a nurse to the bathroom where they must remove all their clothing under observation and change into a blue colored gown unique from all other patient gowns in the hospital.

02:31:13.885 --> 02:31:21.819
Their belongings are removed and stored separately, which for many of the homeless population we serve, may be all the belongings they currently have to their name.

02:31:22.760 --> 02:31:32.380
They must provide a urine sample so that we can run basic labs for medical clearance along with the toxicology screen to identify whether drugs are a contributing, factor to their current presentation.

02:31:33.775 --> 02:31:43.075
They are then placed in a room or a hallway where they will remain under constant one to one observation by a psychiatric technician to ensure they remain safe.

02:31:43.775 --> 02:31:46.835
They cannot leave the hospital or really even their room.

02:31:47.960 --> 02:31:59.180
And for those patients who meet criteria for inpatient hospitalization, they will remain in that bed for around nineteen hours on average until a bed in a psych facility becomes available in or outside our community.

02:32:00.436 --> 02:32:08.936
Most of these patients have no support with them, which means they are alone in crisis being told what to do, when to do it at all times.

02:32:10.515 --> 02:32:16.080
Unfortunately, many of our medical staff are entirely burned out and overwhelmed caring for this population.

02:32:17.101 --> 02:32:25.120
The symptoms of a psychiatric crisis can be severe, total emotional dysregulation, anger, aggression, even violence.

02:32:26.141 --> 02:32:37.815
Unfortunately, I know this from personal experience, having been charged by patients on multiple occasions and one morning finding myself on the receiving end of a firm slap to the face by a very manic young woman.

02:32:38.995 --> 02:32:46.300
Many of my patients are experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations, acting incredibly bizarre and with severe disorganized behavior.

02:32:47.720 --> 02:32:55.739
So acute can these present presentations be that at times, you find yourself entirely stunned that another human being could act in such a way?

02:32:57.436 --> 02:33:01.375
When we see these symptoms enough, a subtle desensitization occurs.

02:33:01.835 --> 02:33:05.775
We begin to treat the patient in front of us as a bed number instead of a person.

02:33:06.556 --> 02:33:12.500
We become more aggressive ourselves, usually out of fear or because we feel helpless to meet their needs.

02:33:14.560 --> 02:33:22.899
We use sometimes offensive humor to reduce the intensity of the situation and to create a buffer between us and the crisis unfolding before us.

02:33:24.105 --> 02:33:32.925
Our patients rarely express gratitude or offer us any form of validation that we're being helpful, often resulting in a hardened response and a subtle resentment.

02:33:34.265 --> 02:33:36.685
Suddenly, I'm not treating a human being.

02:33:36.825 --> 02:33:38.045
I'm dealing with a problem.

02:33:39.421 --> 02:33:43.761
I'll hear some of our medical staff say, here's another psycho or borderline.

02:33:44.860 --> 02:33:46.400
I don't think he's really suicidal.

02:33:46.620 --> 02:33:49.280
He's been demanding sandwiches since the moment he's arrived.

02:33:50.061 --> 02:33:52.160
He's just here for two hots and a cot.

02:33:52.935 --> 02:33:57.034
I'm so tired of this meth head taking up a bed from someone who really needs it.

02:33:58.135 --> 02:34:00.555
I try to give these staff the benefit of the doubt.

02:34:00.774 --> 02:34:02.234
They don't hate these patients.

02:34:02.694 --> 02:34:07.675
They're frustrated with the system of care that feels like it's failing people more often than helping them.

02:34:08.920 --> 02:34:16.221
However, it's in this exact moment where the rubber meets the road and my education and training at IPS shines through.

02:34:17.240 --> 02:34:24.875
I know that the patient before me is a human person, one created inherently good in the image of a god who does not have favorites.

02:34:25.814 --> 02:34:29.115
Their goodness was not earned and cannot be taken from them.

02:34:29.655 --> 02:34:34.955
He knows and loves this specific person with all of their strengths and all of their limitations.

02:34:35.255 --> 02:34:41.540
Their Their integrity is inherent even when they deny it themselves or act in ways that appear abhorrent.

02:34:42.641 --> 02:34:50.340
He created them as relational beings, one who is incomplete without God and with an inherent need to make meaningful connection with others.

02:34:51.275 --> 02:34:56.896
We are body and soul, and we must satisfy the needs of both in order to truly treat the whole person.

02:34:57.755 --> 02:35:03.136
He, in fact, does need that sandwich before he can even begin to share his emotional distress.

02:35:04.580 --> 02:35:15.400
I know that sin and trauma can create unimaginable pain, and that pain can lead us to make terrible decisions and push away others who don't who want to love and help us.

02:35:16.275 --> 02:35:21.495
And although this pain can feel like a prison, there is always hope of freedom no matter what.

02:35:22.354 --> 02:35:30.775
So even before I assess the presenting complaint and symptoms or come to a diagnosis or treatment plan, I must first acknowledge the human person.

02:35:31.620 --> 02:35:36.439
When I start there, I can so much more clearly see what is needed from me in that moment.

02:35:37.220 --> 02:35:44.040
I can see that this patient's behavior and response toward me is a symptom of their crisis, not a reflection of their worth.

02:35:44.985 --> 02:35:49.965
I cannot reject this person in front of me because I share the same fragile human nature.

02:35:50.345 --> 02:35:58.686
So I know as well how great pain can dramatically reduce our sense of choice and lead us to ends that contrast so starkly with our good.

02:35:59.840 --> 02:36:06.261
I can, however, create a connection amid this chaos that can start to feed that deep desire for relationship.

02:36:07.200 --> 02:36:11.061
I can validate them and reduce their sense of being a burden on others.

02:36:11.865 --> 02:36:14.365
I'm so glad you're here today and that you're safe.

02:36:14.585 --> 02:36:15.965
You came to the right place.

02:36:17.064 --> 02:36:30.360
No matter how they present, whether they just swallowed an entire bottle of ibuprofen or haven't bathed in a week, they, without a doubt, deserve my time, my respect, my help, and and, really, my love.

02:36:31.301 --> 02:36:39.000
And when that is freely and authentically given, you see the powerful impact it has on that imperfect and beautiful person in front of you.

02:36:39.365 --> 02:36:46.345
You see the softening, and then the resilience and grit emerge, and you stand back in complete admiration.

02:36:47.845 --> 02:36:53.945
I know you know these things already, but now you must be ready to live it every day with the people you care for.

02:36:54.490 --> 02:37:02.030
I'm so profoundly grateful that my education at IPS helped establish within my practice these basic yet invaluable truths.

02:37:03.930 --> 02:37:09.390
So what can I offer you that may be of some help as you each begin your career in this fantastic field?

02:37:10.476 --> 02:37:13.455
First and most important, stay close to God.

02:37:13.995 --> 02:37:16.415
You won't be successful in this field without him.

02:37:16.875 --> 02:37:25.215
If you try to take on human suffering alone, you'll get buried in all the pain, and you'll lose sight of the hope and redemption guaranteed through his resurrection.

02:37:26.311 --> 02:37:27.610
God got you this far.

02:37:28.230 --> 02:37:31.610
Trust that he will give you what you need to be successful in this vocation.

02:37:32.950 --> 02:37:37.450
Second, do not be afraid of this field and others who practice in it.

02:37:37.990 --> 02:37:47.595
After I graduated from IPS, I was nervous that what I had to offer was so unique and so countercultural that I would be, at minimum, rejected and, at most, attacked.

02:37:48.615 --> 02:37:50.875
I'm pleased to say that hasn't been my experience.

02:37:51.814 --> 02:38:00.250
In fact, I found that what I have to offer, what you have to offer is so desperately needed and genuinely wanted by others.

02:38:00.950 --> 02:38:02.010
And I'm not alone.

02:38:02.630 --> 02:38:07.210
I am surrounded by solid Christians and people of faith at every level of leadership.

02:38:08.086 --> 02:38:14.506
When you work with the mental health population, you find that most people don't want nor have time for the superficial or unsubstantial.

02:38:15.285 --> 02:38:18.266
They can't afford to when their lives are sometimes hanging by a thread.

02:38:19.365 --> 02:38:21.865
People want the meaningful, and they want the truth.

02:38:22.700 --> 02:38:33.601
Now it's really important, though, that you learn how to speak the accepted language and develop the skill set to share these incredible truths in ways that others can understand and are willing to listen to.

02:38:34.140 --> 02:38:40.015
If you can't speak the language and others won't listen, it doesn't matter what incredible gifts you have to offer.

02:38:40.955 --> 02:38:45.775
In addition, be exceptional in your clinical skills in every possible way.

02:38:46.396 --> 02:38:53.455
I've worked with incredible clinicians and supervised brilliant trainees, so I know we have lots of competition in this field.

02:38:54.210 --> 02:39:00.470
You won't be invited to the table unless you know your practice as well as, if not better, than everyone else.

02:39:01.090 --> 02:39:02.630
I want you at that table.

02:39:02.850 --> 02:39:05.270
So don't let your education stop here today.

02:39:06.565 --> 02:39:10.186
Third and lastly, be ready to respond to the call for leadership.

02:39:11.125 --> 02:39:17.386
You will be asked to take on a leadership role in some capacity because you will stand out among your colleagues.

02:39:18.405 --> 02:39:26.250
The call to lead will always feel like it's come too soon, but lean into every opportunity to lead, both great and small.

02:39:26.950 --> 02:39:30.890
I volunteered to be part of our hospital's LGBTQ policy committee.

02:39:31.750 --> 02:39:32.250
Why?

02:39:33.030 --> 02:39:42.045
Because I want clinicians with our training and our values to be making policies that most vulnerable populations.

02:39:42.045 --> 02:39:51.185
If you're not on those committees, then it's left to others who the secular world will praise, but who offer very little to the people those policies are meant to serve.

02:39:52.070 --> 02:39:53.931
You are now the leaders in this field.

02:39:53.990 --> 02:40:00.891
And with your gifts, you will change the world by changing the organizations you serve and by changing the lives of the people you care for.

02:40:01.351 --> 02:40:04.891
May god continue to be with you and your families every step of the way.

02:40:28.890 --> 02:40:34.030
Each year, our university recognizes those students who go above and beyond.

02:40:34.646 --> 02:40:38.665
They demonstrate excellence in the areas of leadership and in service.

02:40:39.365 --> 02:40:45.386
The student excellence award recipients are nominated by their peers and also by their faculty and staff.

02:40:46.165 --> 02:40:57.381
This award is presented to a graduating student in each of our degree programs who most strongly emphasizes the qualities that help to further the mission of Divine Mercy University.

02:40:58.480 --> 02:41:13.605
This year's recipients of the student excellence award have shown a commitment to serve others well outside of their classrooms.

02:41:13.985 --> 02:41:24.130
They They've shown outstanding leadership qualities as they mentored with other students and helped others to grow academically, personally, and spiritually.

02:41:25.070 --> 02:41:29.650
They are encouraging, and they are consistently excellent in their classrooms.

02:41:30.445 --> 02:41:32.785
They provide support to those around them.

02:41:33.325 --> 02:41:40.865
These graduates are also highly respected by their fellow classmates and by our entire Divine Mercy University community.

02:41:41.965 --> 02:41:47.980
Will the twenty twenty one recipients of the student excellence award please come forward when their names are called?

02:41:48.840 --> 02:41:53.900
From the masters of science in counseling graduate cohort, Kathleen Kowalke.

02:42:20.880 --> 02:42:35.705
From the master's in science of psychology graduating cohort, Jacqueline Rose.

02:42:46.660 --> 02:42:50.360
From the Master of Psychology graduating cohort, Randall Vette.

02:43:06.904 --> 02:43:12.000
From the Doctor of Psychology and Clinical Psychology graduating cohort, Deidra Gargan.

02:43:27.625 --> 02:43:33.245
Please join me now in congratulating and honoring the twenty twenty one student leadership award recipients.

02:43:55.574 --> 02:43:59.755
I invite father Charles back to the podium to present the president's service award.

02:44:17.900 --> 02:44:23.524
So we a lot to reflect on after those great talks.

02:44:25.104 --> 02:44:27.685
Final award and we'll get on our way.

02:44:28.145 --> 02:44:30.064
It's the president's service award.

02:44:30.064 --> 02:44:47.460
We have so many dedicated faculty and staff members who do so much work behind the scenes and go above and beyond the call of duty to carry out our mission and to satisfy the needs for our programs and our students.

02:44:48.795 --> 02:44:55.695
Many times behind the scenes and it means a lot to me to be able to recognize someone and their hard work during the graduation ceremony.

02:44:57.115 --> 02:45:05.430
So the president's services award is meant to recognize a member of our community who has consistently worked to further the mission through selfless service.

02:45:06.930 --> 02:45:17.670
This year's recipient is someone whose work, hidden service, and always cheerful spirit has made DMU a better place for the last eight years.

02:45:18.835 --> 02:45:34.450
After beginning as an assistant in the library, she became a key member of the PsyD and institutional effectiveness team, logging many hours in helping DMU to achieve APA accreditation and the renewal of our SACS accreditation.

02:45:35.950 --> 02:45:44.131
Her patience and computer skills have been indispensable in organizing everything from course evaluations to tracking clinical hours.

02:45:44.995 --> 02:45:52.215
And she always did it with a smile on her face and because of her deep love for Christ, our students and our faculty.

02:45:52.915 --> 02:46:05.120
So for her consistent willingness to go above and beyond in service to the mission, It's a joy and honor for me to recognize miss Rebecca Sheptock as the recipient of the 2021 president service award.

02:46:50.646 --> 02:46:51.926
She won't be giving a speech.

02:46:51.926 --> 02:47:04.500
She So to close, to close our ceremony today, I'd just like to invite archbishop Broglio to give us a final benediction.

02:47:23.880 --> 02:47:35.500
Father in heaven, we give you thanks for all of the good things that you have done, all of the work that has been accomplished by the students, the faculty, and the staff.

02:47:36.745 --> 02:47:45.085
We ask your continual blessing on the future and the service of those who have received degrees today.

02:47:45.785 --> 02:47:53.301
And we ask you to continue to bless and foster the work of Divine Mercy University.

02:47:54.240 --> 02:48:05.061
And may the blessing of almighty God, the father, and the son, and the holy spirit descend upon you and remain with you forever and ever.

02:48:17.596 --> 02:48:17.756
Amen.

02:48:17.756 --> 02:48:21.069
This concludes our 2021 commencement exercises.

02:48:21.529 --> 02:48:25.390
Would you kindly remain in your seats so that our graduates may exit first?

02:48:25.930 --> 02:48:29.630
And congratulations to the class of 2021.