Rolheiser Honored at Dominican Gala
By Artie Pingolt, President, Missionary Oblate Partnership
On February 24, OST President Emeritus Ron Rolheiser, OMI was given the 2022 Yves Congar Award by the Congar Institute, a ministry of the United States Southern Province of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans.
Co-presenting the award to Rolheiser were Wayne Cavalier, OP, the Institute’s Director and Paul Vance, D.Min, President of the Institute’s board of directors, OST board member, and a Missionary Oblate Partner.
In his acceptance remarks, Rolheiser noted that because Yves Congar and a few other theologians were such “giants” for the Church in the last century, particularly during Vatican II, the rest of us don’t have to be, but we still benefit from their vision and are called to carry it on. Putting it in humble and human terms, Rolheiser told the gala attendees that “I was just a farm boy from a remote area in Western Canada, but was given something very big to be a part of these past 40+ years as a theologian.”
The Congar Institute for Ministry Development is housed at OST and partners with the Oblates and other Catholic entities in its mission to form lay women and men for leadership in the Church. It serves throughout the US, especially in the Hispanic Catholic community and in under-resourced dioceses.
The gala was held at St. Mark the Evangelist Event Center, filling the room with a diversity of representatives from the San Antonio Catholic community and several congregations of sisters, priests and brothers.
In addition to OST President Scott Woodward, D.Min and OST Vice President Rene Espinosa, Oblates Ken Hannon, Billy Morell, Antonio Ponce and Thomas Klosterkamp attended the event to honor Rolheiser.
Also in attendance were several Oblate Partners who sat together at two tables underwritten by the Partnership: Gee Gee & John Whitehurst, Michael & Katie Whitehurst, Paul Vance, Vivian Vance, Dr. & Mrs. Charles Biediger, Greg Blasko, Artie Pingolt and several guests that Partners included in the evening.