WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024 | 6:30 PM ET
Vince & Robyn Caponi
ROBERT M. HOLSTEIN FAITH DOING JUSTICE AWARD
Vince Caponi & Robyn Ruede Caponi first met in Cincinnati, OH, while they were both freshmen at Xavier University and Mount St. Joseph College (now University), respectively. They have been married for 51 years and are the parents of Gina Parnaby (Gary) in Atlanta, Krissy Darmody (Ryan) in Portland, OR, and Cara Caponi in Luanda, Angola. They have five grandchildren—Elizabeth, Will, Molly, Lucy, and Caleb.
During the 2003-2004 school year, their daughter, Cara, was a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. That year, Robyn chaperoned a trip to the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ) at Fort Benning in Georgia with Cara’s school and has attended every IFTJ since, with Vince accompanying many of those years. She served on the Ignatian Solidarity Network board of directors from 2010-2016, with Vince following her in ISN board service from 2016-2022, including one year as board chair. Robyn has additionally been present for every event honoring the annual Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice awardee(s) since 2010.
Robyn was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from from Seton High School in Pueblo, CO. In addition to her bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Joseph, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees, Robyn earned a master’s degree from Michigan State University. She taught English and social studies at both the junior high and high school levels. She has spent countless hours volunteering at her children’s schools, in parishes the family has attended, with the Brebeuf Mother’s Association, the Girl Scouts, and as a docent at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Vince was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Owosso St. Paul High School in Michigan. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from Xavier University, where he currently serves as chair of the board of trustees, he holds a master’s degree from Central Michigan University and an honorary doctorate in business administration from Marian University. Vince began his career in health care as a sales agent with Metropolitan Life and Connecticut General in Cincinnati, and then, spent a decade in Michigan, serving as an account executive for the Burroughs Corporation (Flint), as assistant administrator at The Memorial Hospital (Owosso), and as hospital administrator at United Memorial Hospital (Greenville). He then went on to work for St. Joseph Center for Life (Augusta, Georgia) from 1983-1989 as associate Administrator and then president; at St. Vincent Hospital (Birmingham, Alabama) from 1989-1998 as associate administrator and then president/CEO; at St. Vincent Health (Indianapolis, Indiana) from 1998-2013 as CEO; and for Ascension Health (St. Louis, Missouri) from 2013-2019 as senior vice president and as a consultant.
Vince has served on the board of trustees for Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, the Indiana Hospital Association, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the United Way of Central Indiana, the Boy Scouts of America Crossroads of America Council, and the Indianapolis Catholic Archdiocese Investment Committee. He is a lifetime retired fellow and former regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives and received the distinguished alumni award from Xavier University, the Snyder-Watt Leadership Award from Marian University, the community service award from the Indianapolis Archdiocese, and the Thomas W. Moses Good Scout Award and Sagamore of the Wasbash Award from the governor of Indiana.
Robyn and Vince also received the President’s Medal from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.
About the Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice Award
The Holstein Award is given by the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) each year to individuals who have demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice grounded in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
About Robert M. Holstein
The late Robert (Bob) M. Holstein, a former Jesuit of the California province, a labor lawyer, and a fierce advocate for social justice, was one of the founders of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ). From the late 1990s through 2009, the IFTJ was held in conjunction with the annual gathering in Columbus, Georgia, to protest the former U.S. Army School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation-WHINSEC) at Ft. Benning. Nineteen of the twenty-six Salvadoran soldiers who committed the murders of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador and their companions received training at the former School of the Americas during the 1980s. The Ignatian Family Teach-In and protest/vigil in Georgia began to remember the Jesuit martyrs and call for the close of the school/institute. In organizing the Teach-in, Holstein laid the foundation for what would become the Ignatian Solidarity Network, which began in 2004.
On January 5, 2003, Holstein passed away. In a homily remembering Bob at his funeral mass Rev. John Baumann, S.J., described Holstein as a man who “was passionate about justice and fairness for all peoples, particularly the poor and disenfranchised.” The Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice Award honors this commitment to justice by recognizing individuals each year who are connected with the Ignatian Family and have demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice.
Previous Recipients
Fr. Fred Kammer, S.J.
ROBERT M. HOLSTEIN FAITH DOING JUSTICE AWARD
Fr. Fred Kammer, S.J., celebrated 60 years in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 2023. He is known for his work in social ministries, publications on Catholic social teaching and as the former provincial of the former New Orleans Province (from 2002 to 2008). He is currently in residence at Immaculate Conception Parish in Baton Rouge, where he works in social and pastoral ministries.
After earning his law degree from Yale University, Fr. Kammer began his active ministry with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, first as a staff attorney (1972-1973) and then, after theology studies, as director of the Senior Citizen’s Law Project (from 1977 to 1983). He then served as the managing attorney for Capital Area Legal Services in Baton Rouge (from 1983 to 1984). During his time in Baton Rouge, he also was community superior and associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish and director of Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge, Inc. (1984 to 1989).
Beginning in 1990, Fr. Kammer began a long ministry of social action in the Washington, D.C., area. For two years, he served as the health and welfare policy advisor for the Social Development Department of the United States Catholic Conference. He then served from 1992 to 2001 as the president and chief executive officer of Catholic Charities USA, the nation’s largest private social service network.
After his term as provincial, Fr. Kammer became executive director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute of Loyola University in New Orleans from 2009 to 2021.
Father Kammer is the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province’s delegate for reconciliation with Descendants of people enslaved by Jesuits.
Father Kammer earned a bachelor’s in philosophy from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., a law degree from Yale University, and a Master of Divinity from Loyola University Chicago’s Jesuit School of Theology. He has written numerous articles and three books: Doing Faithjustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought(4th edition, 2023); Salted with Fire: Spirituality for the Faithjustice Journey(1995); and Faith. Works. Wonders.: An Insider’s Guide to Catholic Charities(2009).
About the Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice Award
The Holstein Award is given by the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) each year to individuals who have demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice grounded in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
About Robert M. Holstein
The late Robert (Bob) M. Holstein, a former Jesuit of the California province, a labor lawyer, and a fierce advocate for social justice, was one of the founders of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ). From the late 1990s through 2009, the IFTJ was held in conjunction with the annual gathering in Columbus, Georgia, to protest the former U.S. Army School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation-WHINSEC) at Ft. Benning. Nineteen of the twenty-six Salvadoran soldiers who committed the murders of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador and their companions received training at the former School of the Americas during the 1980s. The Ignatian Family Teach-In and protest/vigil in Georgia began to remember the Jesuit martyrs and call for the close of the school/institute. In organizing the Teach-in, Holstein laid the foundation for what would become the Ignatian Solidarity Network, which began in 2004.
On January 5, 2003, Holstein passed away. In a homily remembering Bob at his funeral mass Rev. John Baumann, S.J., described Holstein as a man who “was passionate about justice and fairness for all peoples, particularly the poor and disenfranchised.” The Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice Award honors this commitment to justice by recognizing individuals each year who are connected with the Ignatian Family and have demonstrated a significant commitment to leadership for social justice.
Previous Recipients
CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salvador)
LEGACY OF THE MARTYRS AWARD
CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salvador) is an ecumenical faith-based organization dedicated to building bridges of solidarity between the Church of the poor and marginalized communities in El Salvador and communities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries.
CRISPAZ’s commitment to justice, compassion, and solidarity has guided the organization’s mission for over three decades. Born out of a tumultuous period in El Salvador’s history, CRISPAZ was founded by three American Christians who were deeply moved by the violence and human rights abuses inflicted upon the Salvadoran people. Faced with the knowledge that their own government was involved in funding and training the Salvadoran military, they embarked on a path to make a difference.
Today, CRISPAZ stands as a beacon of hope, fostering meaningful connections and transformative experiences through accompaniment.
At the core of CRISPAZ’s work is El Salvador Encounter, a faith-based immersion experience where participants learn from the Salvadoran people about their lives, histories, and hopes for the future. A major focus of the encounter is to reflect on the meaning of working for justice rather than working for charity, understanding one’s role as a global citizen, and humanizing the different issues that are present in our societies.
About the Legacy of the Martyrs Award
November 16, 2022, marks thirty-three years since Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J., Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., Segundo Montes, S.J., Juan Ramón Moreno, S.J., Joaquín López y López, S.J., Amando López, S.J., and their housekeeper Elba Ramos and her 15-year-old daughter Celina Ramos were murdered at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador.
The legacy of the Jesuit martyrs significantly influenced the Church and the Jesuit community around the world. Across the Ignatian network of Jesuits and lay collaborators, new ways of working for justice, grounded in Christian faith, have developed over the course of these thirty years.
The Ignatian Solidarity Network is a direct product of the martyrs’ legacy. The deaths of 70,000 innocent individuals over the course of El Salvador’s 12-year civil war, many killed by Salvadoran soldiers who received U.S. military training at the former U.S. Army School of the Americas, gave ISN founders like Robert Holstein and Fr. Charlie Currie, S.J., the impetus to invite the Jesuit network to be part of working to bring attention to U.S. involvement in Central America. From 1996 to 2009, the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice took place in conjunction with SOAWatch’s vigil at the gates of Ft. Benning, the location of the former School of the Americas before it was renamed in 2001. While the Teach-In moved to Washington, D.C., in 2010, the legacy of the martyrs remains at the core of ISN’s social justice education and advocacy efforts.
The Legacy of the Martyrs award is bestowed on individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to sustaining the witness and legacy of the Jesuit martyrs and their companions.
Previous Award Recipients
Jordan Denari Duffner & Miriam Uribe
MOIRA O’DONNELL EMERGING LEADERS AWARD
Jordan Denari Duffner (Georgetown University ’13) is an author, educator, and public theologian whose scholarship and activism focus on Muslim-Christian relations, interreligious dialogue, and Islamophobia.
Her two award-winning books are Finding Jesus among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic, and Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination.
Jordan is an alumna of Jesuit schools, attending Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She completed her Bachelor’s in international affairs from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and earned her Master’s and Ph.D. from Georgetown in Theological and Religious Studies.
Jordan currently serves on National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, and is a member of the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace. A former Fulbright scholar in Amman, Jordan, she is also an associate of the Bridge Initiative, where she previously worked as a researcher studying Islamophobia. Jordan has published dozens of articles and essays in both academic and lay publications. She serves as a frequent media commentator and consultant for non-profits, journalists, and church leaders, and gives lectures and webinars across North America. She has experience both facilitating and participating in interreligious dialogue, and teaches undergraduate courses on Islam.
Jordan lives with her husband and son outside Washington, D.C.
Miriam Uribe (University of San Francisco ’17) is a passionate mujerista and undocumented immigrant hailing from Mexico and currently thriving in Brooklyn after a California upbringing. Miriam is on a mission, championing the cause of immigrant workers’ rights while diving headfirst into the fascinating world where workers’ rights advocacy meets technology.
Miriam’s advocacy journey began at the University of San Francisco, where she earned her BA in politics and Latin American studies. From 2013 to 2017, Miriam carved her path, leaving an indelible mark—advocating for undocumented students, co-founding USF’s UndocuWeek, and contributing to the establishment of the Magis Fellowship.
Post undergrad, Miriam made waves in the non-profit sector, passionately advocating for workers’ rights, particularly in the realm of domestic workers. A force to be reckoned with, Miriam played pivotal roles in unionization efforts in two non-profit organizations, serving as a member of a bargaining team, union co-chair, and union mobilizer.
In 2022, Miriam embarked on an exciting journey into big tech as a policy specialist. Not one to blend into the background, she etched her name in history by organizing the first-ever UndocuWeek at a major tech company in April 2023. Miriam now proudly wears the hat of co-lead for a Latinx Employee Resource Group, bringing her advocacy flair to the tech realm. She remains an engaged member of No Tech for Apartheid and CWA Local 9009, pushing for ethical practices in the tech industry.
Despite her shift from the non-profit sector, Miriam stays connected to her roots, conducting digital literacy and resume workshops with organizations like the Carroll Gardens Nanny Association.
December 2023 marked a new chapter as Miriam proudly earned her masters of arts in labor studies from the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies where she was also the recipient of the Joseph S. Murphy Diversity in Labor Scholarship.
Outside the hustle and bustle of professional life, Miriam finds joy in the company of her two cats. A dedicated powerlifter, she channels her energy into physical strength, reflecting the resilience she brings to her advocacy work. She also loves to explore and support the vibrant BIPOC art and music scene in the heart of New York.
About the Moira O’Donnell Emerging Leaders Award
The O’Donnell Award, given yearly, will honor one to three individuals ages 23-33 who have 1) received an undergraduate degree from a U.S. Jesuit university, and 2) demonstrated significant social justice leadership in their communities.
About Moira O’Donnell
Moira Erin O’Donnell, the late daughter of Bob and Jackie O’Donnell, and sister of Aimee and Matt, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on October 9, 2005. Moira was truly a loving and gifted young woman who lived her life with brilliance, generosity, compassion, and a commitment to social justice.
She graduated magna cum laude from Santa Clara University in 1994 with a B.A. in English and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Nu societies. While at Santa Clara she earned a full scholarship to study at Oxford University for a year. Following Oxford she continued her studies at Boston College (M.A., English, 1996), and the University of London (M.A., Intellectual and Cultural History, 2002).
Moira spent a year following her college graduation as a member of the Vincentian Service Corps working as a teacher at St. Aloysius School in New York City. She then went to work for Catholic Charities of San Francisco at St. Joseph’s Village, a shelter for homeless families. From 1998 to 2004, Moira worked for Hamilton Family Center, another family shelter in San Francisco. In 2005, Moira accepted an offer to become the executive director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network and quickly began establishing ISN’s roots as a national social justice network inspired by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Previous Recipients