“There is no greater honor,” shared Jean, “than to be recognized for doing the work of Christ. All we do, all the time is God’s work.”
As the Lumen Christi Award recipient, Jean’s ministry received $25,000 from the Catholic Extension. In addition, the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Tucson received a matching $25,000, which will establish an endowment for Sister Jose Women’s Center to support her life-changing ministry for decades to come.The Catholic Extension leadership was present for a very special reason: to name this year’s national recipient of their prestigious Lumen Christi Award. For the first time ever, the national recipient comes from the Diocese of Tucson: Jean Fedigan.
Looking around the ballroom, any attendee at the Cornerstone Gala may have seen countless familiar faces; the Catholic community in our Diocese is close-knit and active in the Church. From parishioners and clergy, to parish staff, Catholic school teachers, and two Bishops, Catholics of all origins and ministries were gathered as one body in Christ and sent forth to continue the generous and life-changing mission of the Church.“For as in one body, we have many parts and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them” (Romans 12: 4-6).