WEBVTT 00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:12.180 Since our foundation in 1999, Divine Mercy University has conferred 890 master's graduates and 121 doctoral graduates. 00:00:13.075 --> 00:00:24.135 In the pursuit of their vocation to heal, our growing number of alumni are making an impact in the field of psychology and counseling in the culture, in the church, and in the world. 00:00:24.915 --> 00:00:27.895 This ever expanding reach of the mission is truly inspiring. 00:00:31.870 --> 00:00:46.125 University presents the distinguished alumni award to a graduate who has made significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments, affiliations, and career have honored the legacy of excellence of their alma mater. 00:00:47.145 --> 00:00:59.070 Recipients of this award are accomplished in the following areas professional achievement, leadership, service to the community, and faithful advancement of the mission and vision of the university. 00:01:00.570 --> 00:01:09.390 It is with great pride and joy that we present the twenty twenty six distinguished alumni award to Bishop Cholinski, class of 2014. 00:01:10.875 --> 00:01:19.695 Bishop Chielinski, a native of New York who also moved throughout Connecticut and Pennsylvania, received his Bachelor of Music degree from Temple University. 00:01:20.715 --> 00:01:22.555 He entered priestly formation at St. 00:01:22.555 --> 00:01:26.335 Charles Borromeo Seminary in 2001. 00:01:27.250 --> 00:01:34.390 He earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2006 and a Master of Arts degree in Theology in 2007. 00:01:34.770 --> 00:01:39.670 He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2007. 00:01:40.125 --> 00:01:54.305 A student wasn't complete, after five years in ministry, he studied clinical psychology here at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences and received his master's degree. 00:01:55.010 --> 00:01:58.450 That same year, he was appointed to the faculty of St. 00:01:58.450 --> 00:02:02.390 Charles Borromeo Seminary and in 2022, rector. 00:02:03.970 --> 00:02:09.110 He was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia in March 2024. 00:02:10.195 --> 00:02:16.615 Among his responsibilities, he directly supports the Office for Catholic Education and the important work in the diocese. 00:02:18.355 --> 00:02:32.500 He is a true representative of a distinguished alumni with significant contributions to the field and constant dedication, service, and care to the mission and vision of the university and of the human person. 00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:36.500 We are honored to present Bishop Cholinski with this award. 00:02:37.040 --> 00:02:38.100 Please come forward. 00:03:13.085 --> 00:03:14.545 Thank you so much, Jesse. 00:03:15.405 --> 00:03:26.840 Father Charles and to the board of directors, to faculty, administration, staff, bishop Laverty, mister Anderson, it's a great joy to be with all of you today. 00:03:27.380 --> 00:03:35.960 I also send warm greetings and congratulations from Bishop Burbridge, who I was in touch with this morning, knowing of his prayers and support. 00:03:38.935 --> 00:03:41.675 I wish to share just a brief little story. 00:03:42.455 --> 00:03:55.490 When the Victorford clergy called me to his office saying that he wanted me to go and study psychology, he told me, I don't know where I'm gonna send you but we need someone to study psychology. 00:03:56.430 --> 00:03:57.330 I said, okay. 00:03:57.870 --> 00:04:05.490 So I went back to my office that afternoon and I said a prayer to the Holy Spirit and then I turned on Google. 00:04:08.805 --> 00:04:15.545 Because even in my limited experience, I knew that there were all kinds of programs teaching all kinds of things. 00:04:16.405 --> 00:04:31.970 And so I prayed to the Holy Spirit and I googled and I just typed in Catholic graduate school psychology and a few different things came up but all of a sudden I saw this thing called IPS and I saw a picture of Father Groeschel and I was like, what is this? 00:04:33.155 --> 00:04:39.015 And then I started reading, and all of a sudden as I was reading through this, it was it was done. 00:04:39.155 --> 00:04:40.035 I knew it. 00:04:40.035 --> 00:04:44.375 The Holy Spirit was telling me so clearly, this is where I'm supposed to go. 00:04:44.890 --> 00:04:48.750 And so I presented it to my diocese and and thank God it was accepted. 00:04:50.170 --> 00:05:04.055 Interestingly, right around the same time when, people were finding out I was going to study psychology and I they didn't know where I was studying yet, This one religious sister came up to me, a friend of mine, and she said, are you you're going to study psychology? 00:05:04.115 --> 00:05:04.835 I said, yes. 00:05:04.835 --> 00:05:06.915 She said, I'm gonna pray for you. 00:05:06.915 --> 00:05:08.195 I said, well, thank you. 00:05:08.195 --> 00:05:09.315 She said, well, no. 00:05:09.315 --> 00:05:12.375 I'm gonna pray for you so that you don't lose your faith. 00:05:15.230 --> 00:05:27.420 The reason being, there's been many in history, previous decades, previous programs, where people would study psychology, and psychology would present itself almost as if it was another religion. 00:05:28.195 --> 00:05:30.295 Almost as if it was another religion. 00:05:32.115 --> 00:05:41.175 But I'm happy to say that not only did I not lose my faith, but coming to Divine Mercy, then IPS, it actually increased my faith. 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.340 It increased my faith. 00:05:44.960 --> 00:05:56.340 It increased my faith in just learning so much about the human person and God's design for what flourishing is really supposed to be. 00:05:57.355 --> 00:06:04.155 Learned so much about who he is and who I am as a human being, as a son of God. 00:06:04.155 --> 00:06:13.830 I learned so much through this beautiful metal meta model that was still being developed and nuanced and and refined when I was there. 00:06:14.370 --> 00:06:18.950 And it creates this beautiful lens and that's what I would tell the seminarians. 00:06:19.170 --> 00:06:32.605 I said, you know, one of the most important things a clinician, a counselor can learn is the lens through which he sees the person sitting in front of him or her because that lens is gonna guide everything. 00:06:32.905 --> 00:06:34.365 It's gonna guide your counsel. 00:06:35.385 --> 00:06:37.405 It's gonna guide the advice you give. 00:06:38.825 --> 00:06:56.895 And so I learned so much, not only content wise, but my faith increased through the people that I met, through my peers, through their beautiful faith and dedication, through my cohort, and through the faculty. 00:06:58.475 --> 00:07:02.895 The story of IPS and Divine Mercy is truly a miracle. 00:07:04.315 --> 00:07:05.935 It's truly a work of God. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:22.385 And the image that I see, it's like a mustard seed starting in that little room in the Marriott Hotel with a few faculty members who really walked out in trusting faith to follow the Lord in this noble adventure. 00:07:23.565 --> 00:07:43.840 And so among all of the faculty who I was so inspired by, I do wish to acknowledge several by name, part of that early cohort who got things running, such as doctor Sweeney, doctor Nordling, doctor Vitz, doctor Moncher, doctor Titus, doctor Scrofani, and so many others. 00:07:45.275 --> 00:07:47.055 Thank you for all that you've done. 00:07:47.195 --> 00:07:48.975 You've increased my faith. 00:07:50.555 --> 00:07:53.615 I was blessed to work at the seminary for eleven years. 00:07:54.715 --> 00:07:59.775 And for eight of those years, I oversaw the counseling services and human formation. 00:08:00.490 --> 00:08:05.630 And everything I learned at IPS just gave me that foundation. 00:08:06.650 --> 00:08:17.165 And they always say at the heart of human formation, you go from self awareness to self acceptance to self gift, all in the light of our relationship with the Lord. 00:08:18.665 --> 00:08:21.405 And divine mercy teaches those things. 00:08:22.665 --> 00:08:25.965 Divine mercy is a gift to the church and to the world. 00:08:26.425 --> 00:08:39.820 And as an auxiliary bishop in the new roles I have, I hope to be an even better ambassador for the importance of of good mental health care within the context of our faith. 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.780 So I'm so thankful for this award. 00:08:43.225 --> 00:08:47.725 I'm so thankful to be part of the IPS divine mercy legacy. 00:08:48.265 --> 00:08:52.445 And I leave you with this quote that sums it all up for me. 00:08:52.905 --> 00:09:00.140 Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there's a future for every human being. 00:09:00.680 --> 00:09:02.860 That's pope Benedict the sixteenth. 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:10.200 This place has increased my faith, and may those seeds continue to grow in all of you. 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:10.940 Thank you.