By
Blase J. Cupich Archbishop of Chicago
In September of 2014, Pope Francis chose Bishop Blase Cupich to lead the Archdiocese of Chicago, the third-largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States and home to more than 2.2 million Catholics.
Named after his father and Croatian immigrant grandfather, he and his eight siblings were raised in Nebraska by parents who taught them the value of hard work, prayer, and respect for others.
Known for his down-to-earth style characterized by humility, humor, and pragmatism, he began his ministry 40 years ago as a parish priest in his native city of Omaha. In 1998, he was appointed bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, where he made deep connections with Catholics and the wider community. Twelve years later, he was named bishop of the diocese of Spokane, Washington, where he was credited with helping to revitalize Catholic schools.
An advocate for Catholic education, he has chaired the Board of Directors of the National Catholic Educational Association and served as head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People.
Like Jesus, he has consistently reached out to those on the margins, including immigrants, Native Americans, and the poor, championing the call for economic and social justice on their behalf. The night before his installation Mass in November he said, “So many are left unconnected because of poverty spread across generations, racism, or not having mentors to guide and inspire them.…Our aim should be to make sure everyone has a place at the table of life.”
In recognition of his four decades of pastoral care, leadership, and service to the Church, Boston College confers on Archbishop Blase J. Cupich the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
Sister Marie Chin, RSM
Sister Marie Chin, a native of Jamaica, embodies the mission and commitments of her religious order, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. Its more than 4,000 members serve in North, South, and Central America, the Caribbean, Guam, and the Philippines and vow to live lives marked by service and advocacy for those on the margins of society.
Since she heeded the call to serve and entered religious life more than a half century ago, she has dedicated her life to alleviating poverty and suffering as a leader within the Sisters of Mercy.
She taught adolescent girls for more than a decade, and served her religious community as director of formation, vice president, and president. Now a promoter of vocations and administrator for the Sisters of Mercy, she also serves as vicar for religious for the Archdiocese of Kingston.
Sister Marie is not only responsive to the needs of her Jamaican homeland but is an acclaimed speaker and spiritual director who, for the past 30 years, has led retreats worldwide focused on religious life and multiculturalism.
Reflecting on her life of service, she describes it as a tapestry woven with three strands of thread: teaching adolescent girls, learning to tap into and channel the desires of newer members of the Sisters of Mercy, and unleashing the incredible energies of women of Mercy for community, mission, and ministry.
In recognition of her profound faith and service, Boston College presents Sister Marie Chin the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
Michael J. Motyl
Connecticut native Michael J. Motyl first glimpsed life on the US-Mexico border as a Boston College undergraduate. He immersed himself in the lives of residents and migrants in both countries during a break between semesters and heard the call to use his education and talents in the service of society.
In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where more than one-third of the population lives in poverty, Motyl is the president of Guadalupe Regional Middle School in Brownsville, which provides a tuition-free, Catholic education to 80 boys and girls in grades six through eight. Founded in 2002, Guadalupe Regional is one of 35 tuition-free Catholic middle schools in the NativityMiguel Coalition.
Appointed principal in 2008 and named president two years later, this 2001 Lynch School of Education graduate has spearheaded the development of an academically challenging school and a community permeated by the Gospel values of love, justice, and respect for others. Small class sizes, an extended school day, and a longer school year offer more time for instruction and enrichment in a safe and caring environment.
Motyl lives in Brownsville with his wife and son and serves on the Board of Directors of the Moody Clinic, the city’s only non-profit rehabilitative center for children with special needs.
For his steadfast commitment to ensuring access and excellence for those most in need, especially through Catholic education, Boston College awards Michael J. Motyl the degree of Doctor of Science in Education, honoris causa.
Stephen Joseph Pemberton
Steve Pemberton’s life serves as a powerful example of what hope, humility, and tenacity can help us achieve. A caretaker once wrote that he “didn’t have a chance in the world,” but through hard work and strong will he triumphed over adversity to become a corporate executive, youth advocate, best-selling author, husband, and father of three.
Separated from his siblings by state authorities as a young child, he was placed in a physically abusive foster home environment. Instilled with a love of learning by a caring neighbor and dedicated teachers, he eventually graduated from Boston College and excelled in the business world as the first diversity and inclusion officer at Monster.com, and then as vice president and chief diversity officer at Walgreens. Fortune Magazine has cited him as among the top 20 in his field.
A New Bedford, Massachusetts, native, he wrote the critically acclaimed memoir A Chance in the World—also the name of the non-profit corporation he co-founded. He has testified before Congress and inspires others to overcome difficulty, see challenge as opportunity, and become more than their circumstance.
He once said: “I am not special; I’m simply an example of what is possible for someone whom society had forgotten and discarded. And I want my legacy to be that I showed others that you can take a crooked road and make it straight for other generations to build from.”
For demonstrating how extraordinary accomplishment can be achieved against all odds, for believing that change is worth fighting for, and for inspiring others to discover the potential within themselves, Boston College awards Stephen Joseph Pemberton, a member of the Class of 1989, the degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.
Lee Woodruff
“Life can change in an instant.” For Lee Woodruff, these words came to describe the harsh reality that altered the course of her life.
A successful public relations executive, this mother of four—including Cathryn, Boston College Class of 2015—saw her world change dramatically nine years ago when her husband Bob, a respected network news reporter on assignment in Iraq, suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took his life.
Out of this ordeal came a new calling. Along with Bob, she wrote a best-selling memoir drawn from journals she kept during his recovery. Their book, In An Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing, put a public face on traumatic brain injury. She and her husband also established the Bob Woodruff Foundation to help wounded veterans get much-needed care and support. It has raised more than $20 million for grassroots organizations and programs around the country to serve the long-term needs of veterans and assist in their reintegration into society.
Through writing, appearances on such programs as CBS This Morning, and speaking engagements, she offers her perspectives on the challenges and rewards of family and marriage, and provides a voice for military families.
In recognition of her success in finding strength and wisdom in adversity and crisis, and for helping so many in need, Boston College bestows on Lee Woodruff the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.