Misericordia University Alumni Association to Honor Monsignor Bendik

The Misericordia University Alumni Association will present the Honorary Alumni Award to Monsignor John “Jack” J. Bendik, during the spring Commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2022. Monsignor Bendik has been a member of the university’s Board of Trustees since 1994.

The Honorary Alumni Award is awarded periodically to recognize individuals who are not alumni of the university and “have made significant contributions to Misericordia’s welfare, reputation, and prestige, and/or have shown lifelong devotion and demonstrated loyalty” to the university.

Monsignor Bendik’s selfless devotion is woven into the fabric of the university. According to Alumni Board President, Adam Grzech, “Monsignor’s commitment to our mission and service as a member of the Board of Trustees is immeasurable. Misericordia is a better place because of Monsignor, and we are honored to call him an Honorary Alumni of Misericordia University.”

Ordained into the priesthood in June 1967 at the Church of Nativity in Scranton, Monsignor Bendik was first assigned to St. Matthew’s Church in East Stroudsburg, where he also ministered to the students at East Stroudsburg University. He served there for 14 years before being named chaplain of Misericordia University until 1986. His other pastoral assignments included the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Clarks Summit, Church of St. Benedict in Newton Twp., and Church of St. Mary of Czestochowa in Scranton. He served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston, for more than two decades prior to his retirement in 2017. Monsignor Bendik is currently the administrator pro tem of Saint Andre Bessette Parish in Wilkes-Barre.

The University’s 96^th annual spring undergraduate commencement ceremonies will begin on Friday, May 13 with a baccalaureate liturgy followed by a reception and awards ceremony. The graduate student commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m. followed by the undergraduate commencement at 2:00 p.m. Both events will be held in the Anderson Sports and Health Center and are open to the public. Masks may be required by attendees and participants of the event; please check the Misericordia University website, https://www.misericordia.edu/commencement