Fundraiser for Congar Institute to include award presentation

Intermountain Catholic

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The Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Yves Congar award 2011 will be presented to Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, in an event full of joy, gifts and fun.

Msgr. Fitzgerald will be honored because of his support for lay ministry development in the diocese, said Susan Northway, the diocese's director of Religious Education Ministry.

"His whole life as a priest, he has always called for the gifts of the laity and he has done that through encouraging, personally, and through fostering opportunities for laity in theological education and ministry development," Northway said. "He has been the primary moving force during the lay ecclesial ministry program, and that's the spirit of Yves Congar."

The Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence recognizes the contributions of contemporary theologians working, writing, and teaching, as did Cardinal Yves Congar, OP (1904-1995).

While Msgr. Fitzgerald was vicar general, the first class of lay ecclesial ministers were certified in the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 2010. Another two LEM classes – one of English-speakers and the other of Spanish-speakers – began this year, before Msgr. Fitzgerald's retirement.

"He [Monsignor Fitzgerald] is always there for us; he is always helping everybody, so it's just fair that now that he is retired the Congar Institute and LEM get together in this honor to him," said Maria-Cruz Gray, the diocese's director of Hispanic Ministry. "Msgr. Fitzgerald has always been very supportive and concerned with the Hispanic needs. He loves everybody, and he was a lot of help to the Hispanic ministry in the diocese."

The award that will be presented to Msgr. Fitzgerald is a crystal in the shape of a flame.

"The flame represents many things, but the most important one is the Holy Spirit, which is the gift that Christians receive at baptism that gives us the power to share in the mission of the flame. That is the responsibility that we all share," said Dominican Father Wayne Cavalier, director of the Congar Institute., which provided direction and many of the instructors for the local LEM program.

Fr. Cavalier and Dominican Father Luis Roberto Aguilar, also from the Congar Institute, will present the award to Msgr. Fitzgerald.

"Monsignor has been a champion of lay ministry in the Diocese of Salt Lake City," Fr. Cavalier said. "He is a realist when it comes on the needs of the Church and he recognizes that lay people can serve an important role in providing pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Salt Lake City."

After the award celebration there will be an evening of entertainment, called Casino Congar.

"The evening is an occasion for everybody to mix together; the fundraising will go to support the Congar Institute with their work in this diocese and in other rural areas that they work with," Northway said.

The event will be Aug. 27. The award ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Holy Family Center of Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Salt Lake City. It will be followed by Casino Congar, an evening of games, appetizers, silent auction, and prizes. Those attending must be 21 years of age or older.

"We think this event is a good opportunity to gather the Anglo and the Hispanic communities as one community and together celebrate and honor Msgr. Fitzgerald," Gray said.

For information about the event, call Susan Northway at 801-328-8641x326 or e-mail Susan.Northway@dioslc.org.