ANNUAL LUMINOSA AWARD FOR UNITY AWARDED TO SHU PRESIDENT ANTHONY J. CERNERA, PH.D.
Sacred Heart University News
Contacts: Funda Alp, 203-396-8241, alpf@sacredheart.edu
John Galayda, 203-371-7751, galaydaj@sacredheart.edu
For Immediate Release
May 21, 2008Annual Luminosa Award for Unity Awarded to Sacred Heart University President Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D.
Conference on “The Search for Unity: The Role of Religiously Affiliated Colleges and Universities” To be held Sunday, June 1, 2008, at Mariapolis Luminosa, Hyde Park, NY
This year's Luminosa Award for Unity will be awarded to Dr. Anthony Cernera, president of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and president of the International Federation of Catholic Universities which represents Catholic colleges and universities throughout the world. In a letter informing Dr. Cernera of his nomination, Focolare East Coast Directors, Marigen Lohla and Fr. Terence Gunn, expressed their desire to pay tribute to his "lifelong commitment to excellence in education" and his dedication to interreligious dialogue, as evidenced by his support for the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding.
Through the annual presentation of the Luminosa Award for Unity, the Focolare Movement seeks to recognize persons or associations whose lives and works have given a significant contribution to the building of universal brotherhood. Over the years, award recipients have represented various Christian denominations and faith traditions. Including:
o William Cardinal Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore;
o Rev. Nichiko Niwano, president of the Japanese Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai;
o Rabbi Jack Bemporad, recognized for his work in Christian-Jewish dialogue;
o Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, Muslim American leader and director of “The Mosque Cares”;
o Dr. Shantilal K. Somaiya, chairman of the K.J. Somaiya, dedicated to the cultural regeneration of India;
o Rev. Diane Kessler, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, Boston;
o Canadian Senator Douglas Roche, author, parliamentarian and diplomat. (Complete list available upon request.)
The award ceremony will take place during a conference titled, “The Search for Unity: the Role of Religiously Affiliated Colleges and Universities,” sponsored by the Focolare’s Center for Education in Dialogue. Panelists: Dr. Anthony J. Cernera; Prof. Russell G. Pearce, Edward & Marilyn Bellet Professor of Legal Ethics, Morality and Religion, Fordham University School of Law; Professor Mohammad Ali Shomali, John Cooper Memorial Fellow, Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, England; Dr. Judith Povilus, Provost, Sophia University Institute, Florence, Italy.
The program begins at 11:00 a.m. and concludes at 4:00 p.m. with a reception in honor of Dr. Cernera. Tickets for luncheon, reception and ceremony are: $20 (adults), $15 (youth 13-17). To RSVP, for directions or more information, call (845) 229-0230 ext. 133 or e-mail luminosa@focolare.us
# # #
About Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University, the second-largest Catholic university in New England, offers more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut, and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. Approximately 5,800 students attend the University’s four colleges: Arts & Sciences; Education & Health Professions; University College; and the AACSB-accredited John F. (Jack) Welch College of Business. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its “Best 366 Colleges: 2008,” U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2008” ranks SHU among the best master’s universities in the North, and Intel rates it #11 among the nation’s most “unwired” campuses. SHU fields 32 division I athletic teams, and has an award-winning program of community service. www.sacredheart.edu
For additional Sacred Heart University news, please visit http://www.sacredheart.edu/pressroom.cfm.
Previous Page Back to May 2008 Next Page