On May 12, 2021, Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak was awarded an honorary doctorate by St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Philadelphia Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church). On behalf of the seminary's Board of Trustees, the degree was awarded to Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia.
This is reported by the UGCC Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Among those who have received this title is Dr. Jacqueline K. Rivers, Professor Andreas Widmer, Judge Samuel Alito, Holy Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and former Pennsylvania Chief Justice Robert N. K. Nix.
On this occasion, the assistant bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Timothy K. Senior, rector of the seminary said: "It is an honor for St. Charles Borromeo Seminary to present an honorary doctorate to such an experienced scholar and figure of the universal Catholic Church."
In his speech to graduates and seminarians, Archbishop Gudziak noted that they, future priests, will serve in difficult times and that the problems faced by the Church are growing:
"One of the misconceptions that we have, and it is one of the most dangerous in spiritual life, is a sense of self-confidence, self-sufficiency. America welcomes independence, this is a position, we see it in the words and behavior of athletes, politicians, movie stars and business people. American responsibility is important, and I hope that we can grow in it as citizens and as a nation. However, we must understand that we will not be able to do this ourselves... Don't remain alone! Don't commit heroic suicide! Be with God! Build relationships. Develop your friendship."
Among the current graduates of the seminary is Deacon Volodymyr Radko, who serves in the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He received the status of a master of theology with honors summa cum laude.
Background reference
St. Charles seminary was founded in 1832. Since then, for more than 180 years, this educational institution has been forming children and men for priestly service in the Catholic Church. In August 2019, 165 seminarians studied at the seminary. The geography of seminarians is becoming increasingly diverse. About 30 percent of seminarians come from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.