The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors honors an individual or individuals who have made unique contributions to the achievement of the Catholic vision of social justice in the national and/or international community. Their work will:
have made an impact on significant numbers of persons, set a precedent or example which affected many,
have affected progress in the national or international communities toward eliminating social, economic, or political injustice or discrimination, or
have affected progress towards guaranteeing basic human dignity and rights as defined in Catholic social teaching.
They will have shown evidence of linking faith and justice, in light of Catholic social teaching, through education which leads to action (advocacy, empowerment, and organizing) on issues, policies, and social structures that contribute to the building of God’s kingdom on earth.
Previous Award Winners
Rev. J. Bryan Hehir (1987)
Ronald T. Krietemeyer (1988)
Sr. Nancy Sylvester, IHM (1989)
Most Rev. Joseph M. Sullivan (1990)
Harry A. Fagan (1991)
Sharon M. Daly (1992)
John L. Carr (1993)
Rev. Msgr. George Higgins (1994)
Rev. Msgr. John Egan and Margaret Roach (1995)
Dr. Mary Heidkamp and James Lund (1996)
Most Rev. James Malone (1997)
Rev. Eugene Boyle (1998)
Sr. Miriam Mitchell, SHSp (1999)
Msgr. Raymond G. East (2000)
Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ (2001)
Most Rev. Ricardo Ramírez, CSB (2002)
Rev. Msgr. Philip J. Murnion (2003)
John J. Sweeney (2004)
Donna M. Hanson (2005)
Jack Jezreel (2006)
Rev. Greg Boyle, SJ (2007)
Most Rev. John E. McCarthy (2008)
Joan Rosenhauer (2009)
Rev. Bryan Massingale (2010)
Sr. Katherine Feely, SND; Fr. Jim Hug, SJ and Dr. Jane Deren (2011)
Jan Benton, SFO (2012)
Gerald Flood (2013)
Most Rev. Francis Chullikatt (2014)
Dan Misleh (2015)
Rev. Fred Kammer, SJ (2016)
Ralph McCloud (2018)
Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ (2019)
*no award given in 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic
His eminence, Wilton Cardinal Gregory (2021)
Ms. Sharon Lavigne (2022)
US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking (2023)
Harry A. Fagan (1939-1992)
We honor the recipient of the Harry A. Fagan Roundtable Award in memory of Harry, because of the spirit of care for the poor and exploited, which he embodied. Harry, formerly a Cleveland Plain Dealer advertising executive, joined the Cleveland diocese’s Commission on Catholic Community Action (CCA) in 1971 as its associate director. He was named executive director in 1976. In this capacity, he chaired the Social Concerns Department of the Ohio Catholic Conference and became a board member of the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry (CCUM). He joined Msgr. Phillip J. Murnion in 1983 when the National Pastoral Life Center (NPLC) was established. Under the umbrella of the NPLC, Harry served as staff to The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors.
So, we celebrate the memory of one man’s life: Harry A. Fagan, a man who challenged many of us personally and greatly influenced the lives of so many. We have been blessed by his presence among us. We are blessed with the memory of a bold, yet gentle man, who lived life to the fullest, who respected each person in the process, and who always kept his sense of humor. His life and work have helped build the capacity of the Church to act concretely on its social heritage to empower people in their parishes, dioceses, and communities.
Today, we honor Harry’s memory best if we “keep on keeping on,” meeting the urgent demands of justice, and by reminding one another that the last thing this world needs is one more “grim do-gooder.”