Laetare Medal

Last updated
Laetare Medal
Sponsored by University of Notre Dame
Date Laetare Sunday
Location University of Notre Dame
Country United States
First awarded1883
Website https://laetare.nd.edu/   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. The award is given to an American Catholic or group of Catholics "whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity." [1] First awarded in 1883, it is the oldest and most prestigious [2] award for American Catholics.

Contents

Overview

Rev. Hesburgh presents the 1961 Laetare Medal to President John F. Kennedy. Fr Edmund P. Joyce to the side. Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh Delivers Remarks at the Presentation of the Laetare Medal to President John F. Kennedy.jpg
Rev. Hesburgh presents the 1961 Laetare Medal to President John F. Kennedy. Fr Edmund P. Joyce to the side.

The medal is an external award which can be given to a person from outside the University of Notre Dame. It is named the Laetare Medal because the recipient of the award is announced in celebration of Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent. [3] [4] The Laetare Medal was conceived by University of Notre Dame professor James Edwards as an American version of the papal award the Golden Rose. [5] [6] It was approved of by the university's founder Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C. The Golden Rose has existed since the 11th century, and was customarily awarded to a royal person on Laetare Sunday, although this was rarely done during the 20th century. The university adapted this tradition — awarding a gold medal, instead of a rose — to a distinguished American Catholic on Laetare Sunday. The medal has the Latin inscription Magna est veritas et praevalebit, meaning "Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail." [7] The medal is awarded during commencement at Notre Dame, during which the laureate delivers a remark.

A candidate for the award must be a practicing American Catholic who has made a distinctively Catholic contribution in his or her professional or intellectual life. A committee generally takes names of potential recipients from faculty and staff at the University of Notre Dame. They select two or three candidates from this group, which are voted on by the Officers of the University. [4]

History

John Gilmary Shea, a historian of the Catholic Church in the United States, was the first person to be awarded the Laetare Medal in 1883. The recipients of the Laetare Medal come from varied fields. Recipients include jazz musicians, Cardinals, philanthropists, ambassadors, authors, opera singers, Senators, doctors, generals, and a U.S. President. Both Catholic Presidents of the United States, Kennedy and Biden, are recipients of the award.

2009 Medal

Harvard Law School professor and former United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon, was chosen as the 2009 recipient but declined the award when the university, as part of its justification for naming Barack Obama as its commencement speaker and grant him an honorary degree, stated:

"President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal. ... We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about."

In light of Obama's strong pro-choice policies, Glendon considered Notre Dame's decision to be in violation of a 2004 pronouncement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops instructing Catholic institutions not to provide "honors, awards, or platforms" to "those who act in defiance of [Catholic] fundamental moral principles." She also believed that the University's statements had placed her in an untenable position; as she wrote in her letter declining the medal:

"A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice." [8]

Notre Dame ultimately selected 1984 Laetare recipient Judge John T. Noonan, Jr. to speak, choosing not to award the 2009 medal at all. [9]

List of recipients

YearLaetare MedalistPositionYearLaetare MedalistPosition
1883 John Gilmary Shea Historian
1884 Patrick Charles Keely Architect
1885 Eliza Allen Starr Art Critic
1886 General John Newton Engineer1956General Alfred M. Gruenther Soldier
1887Edwin PreussPublicist1957 Clare Boothe Luce Diplomat
1888Patrick V. HickeyFounder and Editor of The Catholic Review 1958 Frank M. Folsom Industrialist
1889 Anna Hanson Dorsey Novelist1959 Robert Daniel Murphy Diplomat
1890William J. OnahanOrganizer of the American Catholic Congress1960George N. ShusterEducator
1891Daniel DoughertyOrator1961 John F. Kennedy President of the United States
1892Henry F. BrownsonPhilosopher and Author1962Francis J. BracelandPsychiatrist
1893 Patrick Donahoe Founder of the Boston Pilot 1963Admiral George Whelan Anderson, Jr. Chief of Naval Operations
1894 Augustin Daly Theatrical Producer1964 Phyllis McGinley Poet
1895 Mary Anne Sadlier Novelist1965 Frederick D. Rossini Scientist
1896General William Starke Rosecrans Soldier1966Patrick F. & Patricia Caron CrowleyFounders of The Christian Movement
1897Thomas Addis EmmetPhysician1967 J. Peter Grace Industrialist
1898 Timothy Edward Howard Jurist1968 Robert Sargent Shriver Diplomat
1899Mary Gwendolin CaldwellPhilanthropist1969 William J. Brennan Jr. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
1900 John A. Creighton Philanthropist1970Dr. William B. Walsh Physician
1901 William Bourke Cockran Orator1971 Walter Kerr & Jean Kerr Drama Critic and Author
1902 John Benjamin Murphy Surgeon1972 Dorothy Day Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
1903 Charles Joseph Bonaparte Lawyer1973Rev. John A. O'Brien Author
1904 Richard C. Kerens Diplomat1974 James A. Farley Business Executive and Former Postmaster General
1905Thomas B. FitzpatrickPhilanthropist1975Sr. Ann Ida Gannon, BVM President of Mundelein College
1906Francis J. QuinlanPhysician1976 Paul Horgan Author
1907 Katherine Eleanor Conway Journalist and Author1977 Mike Mansfield Former Senate Majority Leader
1908James C. MonaghanEconomist1978Msgr. John Tracy Ellis Church Historian
1909Frances Tieran (Christian Reid)Novelist1979 Helen Hayes Actress
1910 Maurice Francis Egan Author and Diplomat1980 Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill Jr. Speaker of the House
1911 Agnes Repplier Author1981 Edmund Sixtus Muskie Secretary of State
1912 Thomas M. Mulry Philanthropist1982 John Francis Cardinal Dearden Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit
1913 Charles George Herbermann Editor of the Catholic Encyclopedia 1983Edmund & Evelyn StephanChairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees and his wife
1914 Edward Douglass White Chief Justice of the United States 1984 John T. Noonan, Jr. Lawyer
1915 Mary Virginia Merrick Philanthropist1985 Guido Calabresi Dean of the Yale Law School
1916 James Joseph Walsh Physician and Author1986Thomas & Mary Elizabeth CarneyChairman of the Board of Trustees and his wife
1917Admiral William Shepherd Benson Chief of Naval Operations 1987Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC President of the University of Notre Dame
1918 Joseph Scott Lawyer1988 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Founder & Chairwoman of the Special Olympics
1919George L. DuvalPhilanthropist1989 Walker Percy Novelist
1920 Lawrence Francis Flick Physician1990Sister Thea Bowman (posthumously)Educator
1921 Elizabeth Nourse Artist1991 Corinne Lindy Boggs Former Louisiana Congresswoman
1922 Charles Patrick Neill Economist1992 Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Senator from New York
1923Walter George SmithLawyer1993 Donald R. Keough Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees
1924 Charles Donagh Maginnis Architect1994Sidney CallahanEducator and Journalist
1925 Albert Francis Zahm Scientist1995 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Archbishop of Chicago
1926 Edward Nash Hurley Businessman1996Sister Helen Prejean Death Penalty Abolitionist
1927 Margaret Anglin Actress1997Rev. Virgilio Elizondo Theologian and Activist
1928John Johnson SpaldingLawyer1998Dr. Edmund D. Pellegrino Medical Ethicist and Educator
1929 Alfred Emmanuel Smith Statesman1999Philip GleasonProfessor Emeritus of History, Notre Dame
1930Frederick Philip KenkelPublicist2000Andrew McKennaChairman of the Board of Trustees
1931James J. PhelanBusinessman2001Msgr. George G. Higgins Priest and Labor Activist
1932Stephen J. MaherPhysician2002Father John SmythExecutive Director of Maryville Academy
1933John McCormackArtist2003 Peter and Margaret O'Brien Steinfels Editors of Commonweal
1934 Genevieve Garvan Brady Philanthropist2004Father J. Bryan Hehir President of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston
1935 Francis Hamilton Spearman Novelist2005Dr. Joseph E. Murray Surgeon & Nobel Prize Winner
1936Richard ReidJournalist and Lawyer2006 Dave Brubeck Jazz Pianist
1937 Jeremiah D. M. Ford Scholar2007Patrick McCartanChairman of the Board of Trustees
1938 Irvin William Abell Surgeon2008 Martin Sheen Actor
1939Josephine Van Dyke BrownsonCatechist2009NOT AWARDED (SEE ABOVE)
1940General Hugh Aloysius Drum Soldier2010 Dana Gioia Poet and Chairman of National Endowment for the Arts
1941 William Thomas Walsh Journalist and Author2011Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M., & Joan McConnonSocial Advocates
1942 Helen Constance White Author and Teacher2012 Ken Hackett Former President of Catholic Relief Services
1943 Thomas Francis Woodlock [10] [11] Editor2013Sister Susanne Gallagher, S.P.

Sister Mary Therese Harrington, S.H.

Rev. James H. McCarthy
Founders of S.P.R.E.D. (Special Religious Education Development Network)
1944 Anne O'Hare McCormick Journalist2014 Kenneth R. Miller Professor of Biology at Brown University
1945Gardiner Howland ShawDiplomat2015 Aaron Neville R&B Singer
1946 Carlton J. H. Hayes Historian and Diplomat2016 Joseph Biden
John Boehner
Vice President of the United States (and later President of the United States)

former Speaker of the House of Representatives

1947William G. BrucePublisher and Civic Leader2017Father Greg Boyle, S.J. Founder of Homeboy Industries
1948 Frank C. Walker Postmaster General and Civic Leader2018Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J.Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley
1949 Irene Dunne Griffin Actress2019Dr. Norman Francis President Emeritus, Xavier University of Louisiana and civil rights leader
1950General Joseph L. CollinsSoldier2020Kathleen McChesneyFormer FBI executive assistant director and director of USCCB Office of Child Protection
1951 John Henry Phelan Philanthropist2021Carla HarrisFinance executive, gospel artist, and motivational speaker
1952 Thomas E. Murray Member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 2022 Sharon Lavigne Environmental justice activist and founder of RISE St. James
1953I.A. O'ShaughnessyPhilanthropist2023Sister Rosemary Connelly, R.S.M.former executive director of Misericordia Home
1954 Jefferson Caffery Diplomat
1955 George Meany Labor Leader

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References

  1. Skinner, Rosemary, (editor), 2006, Encyclopedia of Women And Religion in North America, Indiana University Press, p. 877, ISBN   0-253-34685-1.
  2. "The Laetare Medal". University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  3. Laetare medal to labor priest, Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine Notre Dame Magazine, Summer 2001.
  4. 1 2 Antonacci, Kate (2005-03-18). "Laetare winner named: Murray to be honoured by milestone surgery". The Observer. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07.
  5. Scholastic (PDF). Vol. XVII, no. 28. March 22, 1884 http://archives.nd.edu/Scholastic/VOL_0017/VOL_0017_ISSUE_0028.pdf.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "THE LAETARE MEDAL" (PDF). Scholastic . Vol. LV, no. 23. March 25, 1922. p. 522.
  7. Tomme, Alyson, 2001-05-18, Higgins wins Laetare Medal, Archived 2006-11-07 at the Wayback Machine The Observer.
  8. Glendon, Mary Ann (2009-04-27). "Declining Notre Dame: A Letter from Mary Ann Glendon". The Institute on Religion and Public Life. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  9. Brown, Dennis (2009-04-30). "Former Laetare Medalist Judge John T. Noonan to deliver address at Notre Dame's Commencement". Newswire. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  10. "Thomas F. Woodlock Wins Laetare Medal". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, IN. April 4, 1943. p. 13 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. "Notre Dame Honors New York Author". The Star Press. Muncie, IN. Associated Press. April 4, 1943. p. 2 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg