2012 Annual Luminosa Award for Unity
For outstanding contribution to universal brotherhood

Saturday, November 17, 2012
6 to 8 p.m. in: The Great Room of the Pryzbyla Center
The Catholic University of America
620 Michigan Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20064

The Luminosa Award, begun in 1988, recognizes persons or associations whose lives and works have given a significant contribution to building bridges of mutual understanding and concern among the diverse Christian denominations and major faith traditions and all people of good will in all aspects of social life.

The Luminosa Award Committee has selected the Catholic Charities Spanish Catholic Center as the recipient of the 2012 Luminosa Award for Unity. In the letter notifying Rev. Mario E. Dorsonville, Vice President of Mission, Director of Immigration and Refugee Services, the motivation for the award was given: “We are aware of the many concrete works that you perform for the benefit of the community. In choosing the Center, which you represent, we wish to pay tribute in a particular way to the service this Center has given to many ethnic groups, bringing them together and helping them to offer a valid, unique contribution to the life of the city.” Click here to see the article “Lab of Faith” in the November issue of Living City magazine.  It highlights the holistic and multicultural approach of the Center in its 45 years of service to the Washington, DC metropolitan community.

Focolare Co-Directors of the U.S. East Coast Region, Clare Zanzucchi and Marco Desalvo will present the Award.

Past Luminosa Award recipients include:

• John Cardinal O’Connor, Archbishop of New York
• Norma Levitt, former president of WCRP and honorary president of Women of Reform Judaism
• Rev. Nichiko Niwano, President of the Japanese Buddhist Organization, Rissho Kosei-kai
• His Royal Highness Lukas Njifua Fontem, King of the Bangwa People of Cameroon
• Cardinal William Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore
• Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, American Muslim leader
• Pat Shea, Screenwriter and Jack Shea, President of the Directors Guild of America
• Vivian Juan, President of the Tekakwitha Conference
• Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, DC