NEW YORK (January 23, 2025) – In an evening that celebrated the Church’s missionary spirit, His Eminence Seán Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap. received the first-ever Blessed Pauline Jaricot Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal at a gala dinner in New York City. The award, presented by The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, recognizes Cardinal O’Malley’s extraordinary commitment to evangelization and missionary work throughout his pastoral ministry.
The inaugural Heart of the Missions Dinner, held at the Columbus Citizens Foundation, drew distinguished guests including Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. In a message to the attendees, Pope Francis’s representative in the United States praised Cardinal O’Malley’s embodiment of missionary discipleship, particularly highlighting his service to immigrant communities and those on society’s margins.
The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, said “I begin by conveying the warm greetings and apostolic blessings of His Holiness Pope Francis. Our Holy Father, who has consistently called the Church to embrace the missionary nature, sees the work of The Pontifical Mission Society as a vital expression of this universal calling. As he reminds us, the church exists to evangelize. And organizations like The Pontifical Mission Societies play an essential role in supporting this fundamental mission.”
The Blessed Pauline Jaricot Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal, Cardinal Pierre said, “bears a special meaning, as it connects the innovative spirit of a young laywoman in 19th century France to the urgent missionary needs of our time. Blessed Pauline’s genius lay not only on her ability to mobilize material support for the missions, but in her understanding that every Catholic is called to participate in the Church’s evangelical mandate.”
“Cardinal Seán’s life exemplifies what Pope Francis calls ‘missionary discipleship’ – whether serving immigrant communities in multiple languages, ministering to those on society’s margins, or bringing healing to wounded dioceses.”
Upon receiving the award from the hands of Cardinal Pierre, Cardinal O’Malley said: “The work of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is a direct response to Jesus’ final two commands in the Gospel—what I like to call Jesus’ marching orders to us. On Holy Thursday, the marching order is, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ This is the ‘new’ commandment, that we, as disciples and members of the household of faith, must love one another as Jesus loves us. His love is the measure. And how does Jesus love us? He loves us to the point of laying down his life for us. That’s the kind of love that we’re supposed to have, a love that defines us as disciples.”
The second marching order, the Cardinal emphasized, involves our call to be missionary disciples.
“On Ascension Thursday, we are given the Great Commission: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ We are here today, 2,000 years later, because a group of fishermen, farmers, and tax collectors took that command seriously. They went out to make disciples, most of them giving their lives as martyrs. Now it’s our turn—to show how to love first and to make disciples of all nations,” Cardinal O’Malley said.
The new award bears the name of a remarkable young French laywoman who, at just 23 years old, revolutionized missionary support through her innovative “penny collection” system in 1822. This initiative grew into what we know today as The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies.
Monsignor Roger J. Landry, National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA, praised Cardinal O’Malley’s enduring missionary spirit: “Throughout his priesthood and episcopacy, Cardinal Seán has demonstrated what it means to bring Christ to all. His mastery of ten languages became a tool for sharing the Gospel to so many diverse groups of people. His desire to be a missionary from the beginning of his religious life impacted how he lived out his vocation as a Capuchin, priest, bishop, and cardinal of the Church.”
“He always made whatever the Church asked of him his own missionary territory where he brought Christ’s healing, truth, and saving love. We are proud to present him this reward and a sign of his extraordinary apostolic zeal, the type of missionary spirit the Pontifical Mission Societies has sought to foster in the Church for 200 years,” Monsignor Landry said.
The evening marked the beginning of what will become an annual tradition celebrating those who advance the Church’s evangelical mission. Cardinal O’Malley, who has served on the Board of Directors of The Pontifical Mission Societies USA since 2022, embodies the innovative spirit and missionary zeal that characterized Blessed Pauline Jaricot’s life and work.
His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was unable to attend the celebration, but sent a message to those in attendance, praising his brother cardinal: “What strikes me most about Cardinal Seán is his authentic witness to the Gospel. Whether speaking in one of his ten languages to immigrant communities, sleeping on humble floors while serving in Washington D.C., or bringing healing to wounded dioceses, he has shown us what it means to be a true missionary in today’s world. His ability to transcend ideological divisions and unite diverse communities reflects the universal heart of the Church.”
In keeping with Blessed Jaricot’s vision of engaging lay Catholics in missionary work, the Heart of the Missions Dinner brought together friends and benefactors who support the Church’s global missionary efforts through The Pontifical Mission Societies USA.
