Vincentian Family - Opus Prize Finalist

Opus Prize Finalist

In August 2007, the Catholic University of America, (with the Opus Prize 2004 Foundation), announced that it would award in November a $1-million and two $100,000 Humanity prizes to organizations which contributed to solve most persistent social problems: Father John Adams (of So Others Might Eat, which serves the poor in Washington, D.C.); Brother Stan Goetschalckx, F.C., (founder and director of AHADI International Institute in Tanzania, which educates refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi); and Vincentian priest Rev. Norberto Carcellar, C.M., (of the Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, which helped squatters in Payatas, Quezon City, Philippines living on garbage dump). Victor Nakas of the Catholic University of America, an Opus Prize Foundation partner, said that The Opus Prize is the 1953 vision of founder Gerry Rauenhorst. The 2007 Opus Prize was officially handed out at Catholic University's Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. On November 8, 2007, Rev. David M. O’Connell, CM, president of Catholic University personally bestowed these Opus Prizes of over one millions dollars for systemic change projects to these Vincentian Family priests and brothers.