Extension magazine - Fall 2023
Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echevarria stands outside a ruined school in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. She was hired as principal after an earthquake toppled the parish church and school. But three years later, school enrollment has tripled. Rodriguez is one of our seven Lumen Christi Award finalists this year. Their stories showcase how throughout America, the Catholic Church has a positive impact on our society.
Carmen Alicia Rodriguez Echevarria stands outside a ruined school in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. She was hired as principal after an earthquake toppled the parish church and school. But three years later, school enrollment has tripled. Rodriguez is one of our seven Lumen Christi Award finalists this year. Their stories showcase how throughout America, the Catholic Church has a positive impact on our society.
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<strong>Extension</strong> | <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 17<br />
INSPIRE Features of faith<br />
<strong>2023</strong> u 2024<br />
Introducing the <strong>2023</strong>-2024<br />
Lumen Christi Award finalists<br />
Lumen<br />
Christi<br />
AWARD<br />
ST. MARÍA EUFRASIA HOME<br />
DIOCESE OF ARECIBO, PUERTO RICO<br />
BROTHER DALE MOONEY, FSC<br />
DIOCESE OF HELENA, MONTANA<br />
FATHER OLIN PIERRE-LOUIS<br />
ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO<br />
THE LUMEN CHRISTI AWARD is Catholic <strong>Extension</strong>’s highest honor given to people who radiate and<br />
reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve.<br />
This year, 41 of our <strong>Extension</strong> dioceses submitted nominations for the award. On page 40, you<br />
can read how this year’s nominees are offering their hearts and hands to serve God’s children.<br />
The following seven nominees have been chosen as award finalists and will receive $10,000 to<br />
support and enhance their ministries. From among these finalists, the <strong>2023</strong>-2024 Lumen Christi<br />
Award recipient will ultimately be selected and given a $25,000 grant, along with an additional<br />
$25,000 grant for the nominating diocese. The award recipient will be revealed in the next edition<br />
of <strong>Extension</strong> <strong>magazine</strong>.<br />
The annual award is a unique reminder of the positive and transformative impact of the<br />
Catholic Church in our society. This good work often goes unnoticed by larger media outlets, but<br />
it is felt very deeply in the poorest corners of our country. This year’s finalists see the value and<br />
potential within each refugee family escaping violence, each young student trying to learn in a<br />
disadvantaged community and each child born into fraught circumstances. They are everyday<br />
citizens who sacrifice their time, energy and even safety to share Christ’s love here on earth.<br />
SISTER CATHERINE NAGL<br />
DIOCESE OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA<br />
CARMEN ALICIA RODRÍGUEZ ECHEVARRÍA<br />
DIOCESE OF PONCE, PUERTO RICO<br />
SISTERS OF THE ORDER OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT<br />
UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC ARCHEPARCHY OF PHILADELPHIA<br />
MARÍA-CRUZ GRAY<br />
DIOCESE OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
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