Divine Mercy University Honors the 2026 Graduates and Sends Them into the Mission Field of the Human Mind and Heart
A Milestone Celebration
Divine Mercy University (DMU) celebrated 156 graduates this year at its 25th Graduation Mass and Commencement Exercises held on May 9th, 2026, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston, Virginia.
This year’s graduates came from 32 different states and eight different countries, and included 19 priests, deacons, and consecrated persons. An additional 60 students received certificates in the spiritual direction program this year.
The main celebrant of this year’s graduation Mass was DMU alumnus Most Reverend Keith Chylinski, auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Mass was concelebrated by Most Reverend Paul Loverde, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Arlington and longtime supporter and board member of DMU.
In his homily, Rev. Chylinski reminded this year’s graduates that theirs is a vocation to heal, and through healing, to evangelize:
“The new evangelization is a new landscape. It’s not necessarily going to new territories but going into the landscape of one’s own mind and heart. So many people are confused, angry, or resistant to God’s grace for many reasons, because of the many ways that they’ve been hurt. So, God needs us to be a part of his saving plan to heal, to allow them to experience the truth that they’re loved, that they’re worthy of belonging, that they have a purpose in this life, and that there is always hope.”
A Call to the Mission Field of the Human Heart
Fr. Charles Sikorsky, LC, JD, JCL, has served as president of DMU since 2007, leading the university through significant growth over the past two decades. He provided the opening remarks of the commencement exercises, recalling the words of Pope Leo XIV in his first papal Mass:
“There are many places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family, and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”
“Each one of you is an answer to many prayers, and the world has tremendous need of you. I’m confident that each one of you has been prepared to heal those wounds, and to give meaning, mercy, and consolation to so many individuals, families, and our entire society, to all the different peripheries in our world.”
Recognizing a Lifetime of Catholic Leadership
This year, DMU presented an honorary degree to Carl Anderson, a lawyer and educator who served as Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from 2000 to 2021. Anderson had a distinguished career in government and academia, having served as a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan, as a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and as the founding dean and vice president of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Washington, DC. He is a trustee emeritus of the Catholic University of America and former board member of the National Catholic Education Association.
During the pontificates of St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, Anderson served as a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and the Pontifical Council for the Family. He is also a best-selling author whose books have been translated into eight languages and is an Emmy Award-winning executive producer of documentary films. He holds degrees in philosophy and law.
In his address, Anderson urged graduates to recognize that the peripheries in need of evangelization today are not geographic but interior, that of the human person. He challenged new clinicians to go out into these peripheries of the “mystery of the human psyche,” bringing a Christ‑centered vision of the human person into their work.
“We are now in the springtime of a Catholic moment in psychology. The degree to which this moment will be realized will depend upon the courage of DMU—its graduates, colleagues and friends—to be fully, faithfully, and distinctively Catholic. What the world needs, desperately needs, is a new psychology infused with the love of Christ, and you can give that to the world.”
Celebrating Leadership in the Vocation to Heal
Since its foundation in 1999, DMU has conferred 890 master’s graduates and 121 doctoral graduates. In the pursuit of their vocation to heal, the 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. To mark and recognize this history, the 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.
The 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award was awarded to Bishop Keith Chylinski, class of 2014.
A native of New York who also moved throughout Connecticut and Pennsylvania, Bishop Chylinski received a bachelor of music from Temple University. He entered priestly formation at St. Charles Boromeo Seminary in 2001, earned a master of divinity in 2006 and a master of arts in theology in 2007. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2007. After five years in ministry, he received his master’s degree in clinical psychology at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (now DMU) and that same year was appointed to the faculty of St. Charles Boromeo Seminary. In 2022, he became rector there, and in 2024, was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia. Among his responsibilities, he directly supports the Office of Catholic Education and the important work in the diocese.
The president’s service award recipient is selected annually by the president to recognize a member of the community whom he believes consistently works to further the mission through selfless service to the institution. This year’s president’s service award was awarded to Dr. Diane Graves in recognition of her exceptional service while serving as interim dean with grace and joy over the past year.
Over 25 Years of Mission
As it continues to celebrate over 25 years of creating healers-in-faith as a Catholic graduate university dedicated to the scientific study of psychology and counseling, Divine Mercy University congratulates its 2026 graduating class!
For more information about the degree programs at Divine Mercy University, contact Steven Showalter at 571-290-7580 or via email at admissions@divinemercy.edu.
Divine Mercy University (DMU) is a Catholic graduate institution of higher education offering degree programs in psychology and counseling, founded in 1999 as the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS). The university offers a Doctoral (Psy.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology, Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES), Master of Science (M.S.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology, and a certificate in Spiritual Direction.
Divine Mercy University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award masters and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Divine Mercy University.
The IPS doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202)-336-5979 / Email: apaaccred@apa.org / Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.
The Board of Directors of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the School of Counseling at Divine Mercy University. The accreditation cycle for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialty area started on July 6, 2023 and runs through October 31, 2031.
