FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Zakrzewski, 501-618-0234
katie@catholicclimatecovenant.org
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Sept. 29, Catholic Climate Covenant Founder and Executive Director Dan Misleh received the prestigious Ignatian Volunteer Corps Madonna Della Strada Award. The award is presented to a person or organization reflecting the Ignatian values of direct service to the poor and work dedicated to creating a more just society. The award was also presented to Joan Rosenhauer and Father Ray East.
Misleh gave the following acceptance speech upon receiving the award:
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Madonna Della Strada, Our Lady of the Journey.
My journey has been winding, for sure! From a Jesuit Volunteer in Alaska after college to working at the USCCB and now running the Covenant, and lots of stops in between, it has been a long and very satisfying journey.
Helping to lead the Covenant for the past 18 years has been the most satisfying of my career, but not because of our modest success. If we’re honest, too few of our Catholic leaders have understood and acted on the peril of climate change, even though our teaching is clear about the imperative to care for our common home.
No, the success and the hope come from the daily support, ambition, and hard work of our staff, board, and partners. To keep hope alive, we celebrate the small victories and build on them.
There are too many fellow pilgrims Our Lady of the Journey has sent to name. But I can’t express enough gratitude for their accompaniment.
In fact, I think that it is the rare exception that any individual should receive an award, and this includes me. So many have walked alongside me, from my parents and siblings to teachers, mentors, fellow workers, and dear friends. They deserve as much of the credit (and I suppose any of the blame!) as I do.
This room is filled with such friends, mentors and teachers. John Carr was chief among them, and my fellow honorees, Joan and Fr. Ray, were also there. I won’t name each and everyone, but thank you for showing up this evening and giving some recognition to Joan, Fr. Ray, and myself.
There is one person who has been on this road the longest, and it is time for her to be recognized. Without Susie Patridge Misleh, I’m not sure any of this could have been accomplished. In the 42 years since I first spotted this smart, pretty, redheaded woman on the Fairbanks, Alaska leg of the journey through Match.com — wait, that’s not right: I meant to say the Jesuit Volunteer Corps — to this very day, no one has been more encouraging, more faithful, more supportive, or more challenging when I needed it.
And when our days were at their darkest, I have no doubt that only you and you and I together could have survived the blow of losing our son. Thank you for being such a steadfast companion on this long road together, and I look forward to the winding path ahead.
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“I am deeply grateful for the Madonna Della Strada Award, which reminds us of our call to be stewards of creation,” Misleh said. “This award is a reflection of the collective efforts of our community, and it inspires me to continue the work of protecting our environment and uplifting marginalized voices. In the spirit of Ignatian discernment, let us move forward with courage and compassion.”
Established in 2006 in response to the 2001 U.S. bishops’ statement on climate change, Catholic Climate Covenant seeks to engage the Catholic community in a serious and sustained conversation about a Catholic approach to climate change from a faith lens and encourage action to ensure a viable future for all.
Misleh has spoken on the topic to dozens of local, regional, and national Catholic and secular groups and has engaged the media on broadcasts, podcasts, newspapers, articles and interviews.
Prior to his role at the Catholic Climate Covenant, Misleh spent 11 years in the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and three years in the Office of Social Action in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He is a graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and received an M.A. in Theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California.
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About Catholic Climate Covenant
Catholic Climate Covenant is a national U.S. nonprofit founded with the support of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2006 that inspires and equips U.S. Catholics and institutions to care for creation together. Through 20 national partners, we guide the U.S. Church’s response to climate change and integral ecology through faith-driven education, advocacy, and resources.
www.catholicclimatecovenant.org.
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