Meet Legatus’ 2012 award winners

Legatus will honor members and other outstanding leaders at the 2013 Legatus Summit . . .

John J. Hunt

A highlight of the annual Legatus Summit is the presentation of awards to deserving individuals. While these awards express our appreciation, Summit attendees also come away inspired by recipients’ depth of faith and eloquent example.

Our three 2012 Cardinal John J. O’Connor pro-life award winners are outstanding witnesses. Chuck Donovan, president of the Susan B. Anthony List Education Fund, has worked in the pro-life movement for three decades, including service in President Reagan’s administration. Richard Doerflinger is associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. He has served the Church in that capacity for 32 years. Michael Schwartz has served as the chief of staff to Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) since 1995. He is a long-time pro-life leader, strategist and activist.

Legatus also annually recognizes other outstanding leaders. This past year saw a frontal attack on the Catholic Church and religious freedom with the passage of ObamaCare. This single piece of legislation radically threatens our Second Amendment freedoms.

Archbishop William Lori, chairman of the bishops’ ad hoc Committee on Religious Freedom, has rallied Catholics across the country to more rigorously defend our First Amendment rights, which prompts us to honor him with Legatus’ 2012 Defender of the Faith award.

Legatus also honors three extraordinary members in this fight for freedom with our Courage in the Marketplace award. These members — Daniel Weingartz (Detroit Northeast), Christopher and Mary Anne Yep (Chicago), and Bill and Andy Newland (Denver) — are worthy of this award by virtue of their filing lawsuits against the federal government in protest of the HHS mandate.

Legatus’ Courage in the Marketplace award goes to Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli. On behalf of his state, Cuccinelli filed the first lawsuit in protest of the HHS mandate.

For their perseverance in achieving charter status for their respective chapters, Michael Caspino (Orange Canyons Chapter) and John Reid (Dublin Chapter) are being honored with the 2012 Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization. For his dedication to the Indianapolis Chapter and his generous service as member of Legatus’ Board of Governors, Tom Spencer is the recipient of the 2012 Officer of the Year award.

The 2012 Ambassador of the Year award is presented to Jimmie and Rosemary Sheehan (Dublin) for the visibility of their Catholic faith in the administration of their medical clinics in Ireland.

John Hunt is Legatus’ executive director. He and his wife Kathie are charter members of Legatus’ Chicago Chapter.