By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer
Bishop of Allentown Alfred Schlert was bestowed the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters May 12 from Alvernia University, Reading for emulating the core values of the Franciscan tradition and for leading a life of service.
The university also conferred the honorary degree to commencement speaker John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owners of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the United States. Bryant also established Operation HOPE when he was 26 years old after the Los Angeles riots and the beating of Rodney King.
“Commencement is a time each year when we honor individuals who we hold up as models of leadership and service,” said Dr. Thomas Flynn, president of Alvernia, during the commencement ceremony in Santander Arena, Reading.
“Bishop Alfred Schlert and John Hope Bryant both embody our inclusive Franciscan core values, rooted in the ideal of ‘knowledge joined with love’ and in the historic traditions of both liberal arts and Catholic higher education.
“It is customary in higher education to recognize, on special occasions, the significant contributions of individuals who have made a difference in the world. The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, may be conferred on these individuals as a sign of their distinguished accomplishments.”
Flynn pointed out the unusualness of the Holy Father selecting a priest to be the Bishop of his home Diocese and lauded Bishop Schlert for his engaging and inclusive style.
“On a personal note, I was privileged to be invited to attend Bishop Schlert’s installation as Bishop. His deep faith, humility and servant-leadership were richly apparent in his introductory remarks to the assembled congregation. We are proud to count you as a member of the Alvernia University Class of 2018,” said Flynn.
Also during the ceremony, 407 men and women graduated with bachelor’s degrees, 192 earned master’s degrees, 33 were awarded doctoral degrees and 13 earned associate degrees.
Bishop Schlert Celebrates Baccalaureate Mass
“Graduation is a beautiful thing. Not only have you received sound academics – but you have absorbed the Franciscan spirituality as a way of life,” said Bishop Schlert while celebrating Baccalaureate Mass in the university’s Physical Education Center.
During his homily, he told the graduates that their achievements were no small task and urged them to pay close attention to their interior life as they embark on the world.
“That’s how we get through life – it is our interior that is so much at work,” said Bishop Schlert.
“Today is a day of accomplishment, but it is also a day of aspiration. It doesn’t end here. No one stops here today.”
Pushing the graduates to always strive for more, he reminded them that they are at a threshold.
“We have to strive for more in the right ways without crushing others or stepping on people. That’s not our accomplishment. Our aspirations have to rely on God’s plan for us. That has to factor in,” he said.
As a Catholic institution of higher learning, Bishop Schlert said, a place like Alvernia feeds the mind but would be an extraordinary failure if it didn’t feed their souls.
“Always allow aspirations to be guided by your knowledge of God and under the guidance of prayer as you ultimately serve God,” he advised the graduates.
“What we do on earth is part of our journey to heaven and eternal life.”
Bishop Schlert also strongly advised the graduates to prayerfully consider how God is constantly calling them to be part of his plan for salvation of the world.
“Never deviate from that. That’s what brings ultimate happiness. As long as God is part of the plan and your aspirations – God will bless it. And we will be blessed because of you,” he said.
