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Friends and supporters gathered at the USCCB's annual Social Ministry Gathering cheer U.S. Catholic Award winner Sharon Daly.
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Sharon Daly, former Vice President of Social Policy for Catholic Charities USA and previous director of domestic social policy for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), received the 2006 U.S. Catholic Award for Furthering the Cause of Women on February 13, 2007 during the USCCB Social Ministry Gathering in Washington.
"There's a lot of people talking about Jesus in Washington these days," said Kevin Clarke, managing editor of Salt of the Earth as he presented the award to Daly, "but it took Sharon and people like her to smuggle Jesus past Capitol security and into Congress."
The award was presented to Daly, one of the most visible and effective lobbyists for the Catholic Church’s social-justice agenda, in recognition of her exceptional commitment to advocating for those in need in the United States.
“We are proud to present this award to Sharon Daly,” said Claretian Father John Molyneux, publisher of U.S. Catholic magazine. “As one of the highest-ranking lay women leaders in the church, Sharon has been a trailblazer and mentor for women in church leadership. Her leadership and efforts to bring Catholic social teaching to bear on the political process in the country exemplifies the spirit of the U.S. Catholic Award.”
Daly is recognized for having brought a new level of professionalism and savvy to the church’s lobbying efforts and for her ability to build bridges across the partisan divide in Congress to promote and achieve legislation for the poor and disadvantaged. Her work has left a legacy of hope for low-income people across the country and has opened the eyes of many Catholics to the importance of working for social justice in the political arena.
Since 1978, the editors of U.S. Catholic have been recognizing important contributions of individuals working to further the cause of women with the annual U.S. Catholic Award. Daly joins a distinguished group of recipients, including last year’s recipient, Justice Anne Burke, and Sister Joyce Rupp, O.S.M., Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., Sister Dianna Ortiz, O.S.U., the Erie Benedictine Sisters, Diana Hayes, the Catholic Theological Society of America, and Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.
For more information contact: Michelle Warner, Communications Manager at 312.236.7782, ext. 411. For more information about U.S. Catholic or to find out how to subscribe, please visit the magazine’s website at www.uscatholic.org, or call 1-800-328-6515.