Catholic Charities USA Presents Centennial Medal to Reverend Monsignor J. Jerome Boxleitner

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Dec 15, 2010, 09:02 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the 100-year-old social service network working to reduce poverty in America, has presented its Centennial Medal to Reverend Monsignor J. Jerome Boxleitner, of Minneapolis, MN, in recognition of his life's work on behalf of the poor and his commitment to the vision and mission of Catholic Charities USA. The award was presented at the annual fundraising dinner for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN.

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Since his ordination in 1956, Msgr. J. Jerome Boxleitner has devoted his life to working for the rights of the poor, both locally as director of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and nationally as the chair of the Catholic Charities USA board of trustees.

In 1977, Msgr. Boxleitner united the four Catholic social service organizations in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis into what is now known as Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the largest non-government human services provider in the Twin Cities. He served as executive director for 35 years.

"On behalf of the entire network, I thank Msgr. Boxleitner for his many years of service and commitment to our mission," said Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. "I had the privilege of working with Msgr. Boxleitner at Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for nine years, and I witnessed his compassion for the poor and commitment to justice first-hand. As a leader, and personally as a mentor to me, he inspired so many to live out our Gospel mandate and build the reign of God among us."

CCUSA is presenting 100 specially-commissioned Centennial Medals in honor of its 100th anniversary, marking a century of human services for the least among us. CCUSA was founded in 1910 "to bring about a sense of solidarity" among those in charitable ministries. Since 1910, CCUSA has encouraged professional social work practice, provided opportunities for training and networking, and served as a national voice and expert on poverty issues.

For more information visit http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

Catholic Charities USA's members provide help and create hope for more than 9 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. In 2010, Catholic Charities USA celebrates its centennial anniversary. For more information, http://www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA