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Rick and Karen Santorum to Receive Poverello Medal
The citation is to honor their years of work in defense and promotion of the dignity of life.Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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STEUBENVILLE, OH—Franciscan University of Steubenville will bestow the 2010 Poverello Medal on former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and his wife, Karen, for their outstanding pro-life and pro-family witness as Catholics in public life.
University President Father Terence Henry, TOR, will present the award at a formal reception on Thursday, March 11, at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, at 7:00 p.m.
“The Honorable Rick and Karen Santorum have dedicated themselves to the pro-life cause, standing up for the sanctity and dignity of the human person in their professional and personal lives,” says Father Henry. “They are true pro-life heroes, and Franciscan University is happy to honor them, especially during this time of increasing attacks on the weakest and most vulnerable in our society. Their witness as a pro-life couple inspires us all to keep fighting the good fight.”
Rick Santorum was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990, then served in the United States Senate from 1995 through 2007.
He authored legislation that outlawed Partial Birth Abortion and championed the successful fight to pass the “Born Alive Infant Protection Act,” the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act,” and the “Combating Autism Act,” believing each and every individual has value and the most vulnerable in our society need to be defended.
Knowing the power of public diplomacy, he led the fight to rid Africa of the scourge of AIDS and to provide religious liberty and equal rights to women in totalitarian regimes.
An accomplished author, Rick wrote the 2005 New York Times Best Seller It Takes a Family. He is now a Senior Fellow at The Ethics and Public Policy Center, the Friday host of Bill Bennett’s “Morning in America” nationally-syndicated radio program, a contributor on the FOX News Channel, a columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer, and President of Reston, Virginia-based MPower Media. Rick and Karen are the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, Peter, Patrick, and Isabella.
By profession, Karen Garver Santorum is both a nurse and attorney. She received a degree in nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and worked for several years in a neonatal intensive care unit, treating premature and very sick infants. Karen earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was a member of the Pittsburgh Law Review. She is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
A stay-at-home mom to their seven children, Karen is the author of the acclaimed book, Letters to Gabriel, which chronicles the deeply personal and tender story of a mother’s love and the heartbreak Karen, Rick, and their family experienced at Gabriel’s premature birth and death.
The Poverello Medal is the highest non-academic honor awarded by Franciscan University of Steubenville. Named after St. Francis of Assisi, who was called Il Poverello ("the little poor man"), the award commemorates organizations and individuals who, through great strength of character and the practice of Christian charity, have imitated St. Francis in their love for and service to the poor. Past recipients include Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Senator Mark O. Hatfield, and Charles W. and Patricia Colson.
For more information or to attend, please contact Franciscan University's Advancement Office at the Poverello Medal event page or at 800-783-6447.