Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Betsy Van Langen Rev. Gillespie was honored by Fordham University two weeks ago. This was the second presentation of the "Sapientia et Doctrina" award.

Many on the Evergreen campus may not know Loyola's Department of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care, but last month the department received recognition of a much greater stature. Fordham University awarded Rev. Kevin Gillespie, S.J., associate professor of pastoral counseling and interim chair at the Loyola Columbia Campus, the "Sapientia et Doctrina" on Oct. 20. Fordham's Graduate School of Religion and Religions Education gave Gillespie the award, whose title means, "wisdom and knowledge" and honors service to the renewal of the Church. The award presentation was the second annual Sapientia et Doctrina Celebration at the College's Rose Hill Campus in New York.

"It was an honor and it was surprised," said Gillespie. "I didn't know such an award existed as it's only the second year they had done it."

Gillespie's work with pastoral counseling and spiritual care has been extensive and beneficial toward his entire department. He has worked with several other departments with his own on finding new relationships and comparisons to spirituality, including psychology and soon speech pathology and audiology, as well as education.

Gillespie was recognized by the Loyola students in 2005 as he was asked to lead the freshman.

"Father Gillespie had a lot of good and encouraging things to say during the retreat," said now senior John Dougherty. "He is very insightful, extremely personable, and easily able to relate to the students. He connected important topics to our group by integrating faith into all he discussed."

The collaborate efforts from Gillespie and the department of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care have expanded beyond their Columbia campus grounds. The department has worked all over the world in countries like Chile and Italy and just recently just received a grant to work in Kenya and Sudan.

"He is one of the bright stars in our department. His sense of humor, kindness, and student centered focus is a real blessing for us," said Sharon Cheston, faculty professor in the Pastoral Counseling. "In addition, he developed the M.A. program in Spiritual and Pastoral Care from a handful of students to over 75 students in less than 10 years. This success resides squarely on [his] shoulders. In addition to being a competent, kind, successful professor, he dances a mean Irish jig."

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