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Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award


The award is presented annually by the Seminary Department of the National Catholic Educational Association in recognition of distinguished service to the Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States and Canada.

The Seminary Department established this award to honor the memory and the legacy of Pope John Paul II. In choosing to present this award to a North American church leader, the department seeks to affirm the qualities of creativity, leadership, and service of individuals who contribute to the development of effective priestly formation programs in the U.S. and Canada.

When established in 1984, the award was given in the name of Bishop Loras Lane, the former bishop of Rockford who chaired the United States Bishops' Committee on Priestly Formation and who was named to the Roman Curia Congregation for Catholic Education. The John Paul II designation continues this established tradition and we proudly list the past honorees below.


Hear from the 2012 Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award winner, Dr. Christa Klein, about this national honor.

2012 Dr. Christa Klein
2011 Most Rev. Gregory Aymond
2010 No award given
2009 No award given
2008 Dr. Dean Hoge
2007 Mrs. Margaret A. “Mickey” Paluch
2006 Rev. Louis Cameli
2005 Victor Klimoski
2004 Mrs. Dorothy Foss
2003 Sr. Donna Marie Bradesca, OSU
2002 No Award Given
2001 Rev. James Walsh
2000 Rev. Melvin Blanchette, SS
1999 The Federation of Seminary Spiritual Directors
1998 The Knights of Columbus
1997 Rev. Raymond Brown, SS
1996 Rev. Donald Senior, CP
1995 Most Rev. John A. Marshall
1994 Msgr. Robert J. Wister
1993 Mr. Fred Hofheinz
1992 Rev. Vincent Cushing, OFM
1991 Rev. Eugene Hemrick
1990 Rev. Adrian Fuerst, OSB
1989 Sr. Katarina Schuth, OSF
1988 Most Rev. Thomas J. Murphy
1987 Msgr. Robert Bacher 
1986 Rev. Gerald L. Brown, SS
1985 Msgr. Wm. Baumgartner 
1984 Most Rev. Michael J. Murphy