ICA Update
Sister Diane Receives the Archbishop Alemany Award
Remarks by Sister Diane Aruda , O . P .
Alemany Award
The Alemany Award is named after San Francisco ' s first Archbishop - Joseph Sadoc Alemany , a Spanish Dominican missionary whose life and work had a tremendous impact on the Church and society . Among many other notable works , Alemany helped to found the Western Dominican Province of which the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology is an apostolate .
Each year at this special event we honor men and women who have contributed significantly to the life of the Church with the Archbishop Alemany Award . It is a celebration of Dominican education , of the legacy of Archbishop Alemany , and of men and women who are making a difference in our society today .
- Courtesy of Br . Thomas Aquinas Pickett , O . P .
- Courtesy of Br . Thomas Aquinas Pickett , O . P .
Sister Diane and Alessandro Baccari , 2016 Alemany Award recipients with Cardinal William Levada & Fr . Peter Rogers , O . P .
Alemany Awards Benefit Gala Saturday , April 23 , 2016 Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption
This is lovely and I am both honored and humbled by this recognition . Thank you for coming together in community tonight to celebrate Dominican life and service grounded in the pillars of prayer , study , community and service . My heartfelt gratitude to the Board of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology , to the Province and to all who participated in both Alessandro and I receiving this honor . Gratitude also to my family , friends , colleagues and my Sisters / my religious community who truly have formed me in faith , in Truth and in service throughout my life .
Archbishop Alemany extended an invitation to our Sisters many years ago to travel from Brooklyn , New York , to the wild west of California . What you might not know is he asked three times before Mother Seraphina said yes . Zeal to meet the needs of the People of God in San Francisco compelled Archbishop Alemany to persevere in asking . She would send three young sisters ( 24 , 21 and 17 years old ) to teach the children of German immigrants in San Francisco at St . Boniface Parish . The Yes to Archbishop Alemany in time gave birth to a new congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and we have been blessed through our ministry experiences .
As we celebrate 800 years of ministry within the Dominican family , we give thanks for educational , formative programs such as sponsored by the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology . As Dominic spent endless hours teaching and preaching the Truth of God ’ s love for us … so we need to be formed in that Truth for the education and service of our sisters and brothers .
I leave you tonight with this final thought : As Archbishop Alemany called our sisters 140 years ago , so All of us here tonight are called to reach out in service to our sisters and brothers in need . The search for Truth is eternal and God ’ s love for us enduring . Consider : How you are called in these times to give wholehearted service ? Where might that call take you ?
Thank you again for being community tonight , rejoicing and celebrating with us & God Bless You . §
Summer 2016
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