ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson received the 2024 Spirit of Saint Francis Award from Catholic Extension Society on December 3. The honor recognizes an individual or group who has made a significant impact on the mission of the Catholic Church in America through service or philanthropy.
Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension Society, and Sister Carol Keehan, D.C., former president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association and a previous recipient, presented the award to Robinson during the organization’s tenth annual New York City Spirit of Francis Award dinner.
“Kerry, tonight we are here to recognize you as a great mentor of faith, hope, love and leadership,” Fr. Wall said. “You are one of the most articulate and inspirational voices in the Church today, and you are giving continual witness to the transformative power of the risen Christ at work right here, right now. You are a great woman of faith.”
Proceeds from the dinner will support ministries led by Catholic women, lay and religious, in regions served by Catholic Extension Society, which works in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America.
“My work on behalf of the Church, for which I am profoundly grateful, has always included work to promote the role of women in meaningful positions of leadership in the Church and at the tables of decision-making,” Robinson said. “It has always been a matter of managerial and moral urgency, not for women’s sake, for the Church’s sake. For without the leadership, expertise, judgment, participation, generosity and talents of women, along with men, the whole Church is impoverished.”
As president and CEO of CCUSA, Robinson oversees the national membership organization representing 168 Catholic Charities agencies around the country who collectively serve more than 16 million vulnerable people annually. During the awards dinner, she and Fr. Wall spoke about the important connection between CCUSA and Catholic Extension Society.
“As Father Jack mentioned, Catholic Charities has a special affinity and affection for Catholic Extension Society,” Robinson said. “You are truly our partner in serving the poor in mission dioceses, and I want to acknowledge and thank the extraordinary women who are with us tonight from across the country who work tirelessly to serve the poor.”
A member of Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is the membership office for Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. CCUSA’s members provide help and create hope for more than 15 million people a year regardless of religious, social or economic backgrounds. To learn more about CCUSA, please visit our website at CatholicCharitiesUSA.org or contact Kevin Brennan, Vice President for Media Relations and Executive Communications, at media@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Latest News
