Ellie Hidalgo & Jack Raslowsky Honored for Commitment to Faith and Justice

BY ISN STAFF | May 17, 2023

“In this room tonight there are countless people dreaming of the world that God dreams of, of the Church that God dreams of, and doing the work to make that happen.”
-Jack Raslowsky

On May 10, 2023 at Ignite: A Celebration of Justice in New York City, the Ignatian Solidarity Network honored Ellie Hidalgo, and Jack Raslowsky, for their commitment to faith and justice—for “dreaming of the world that God dreams of…and doing the work to make that happen.”

As co-director of Discerning Deacons, Ellie Hidalgo works to engage Catholics in the active discernment of our Church about women and the diaconate. Discerning Deacons is deeply engaged in the global synod process, and Ellie is committed to serving this bold, prophetic vision of a synodal Church that walks together as the people of God, in our faith-filled struggles for justice, dignity, and peace.

Jack Raslowsky is a committed Catholic educator and administrator with thirty-five-years of experience. In his current role as president of Xavier High School in New York City and in every role in which he has served, Jack has found ways to integrate the critical concept of Jesuit Catholic education, a lived “faith that does justice”—from the fabric of his classrooms and curriculum early in his career to the experiences of students and colleagues as an administrator.

Each was presented with the 2019 Robert M. Holstein Faith Doing Justice Award, which annually recognizes 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 (Jesuits).

The award’s namesake, the late Robert (Bob) M. Holstein, was a former California Province Jesuit, labor lawyer, fierce advocate for social justice, and one of the founders of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice—the precursor to the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Previous Holstein award honorees include Fr. Bryan Massingale, Marie Dennis, Sr. Simone Campbell, Fr. John Baumann, S.J., Fr. James Martin, S.J., Sr. Norma Pimentel, Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J., Patricia McGuire, Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., Sr. Carol Keehan, D.C., Rev. James L. Connor, S.J., and Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J.

ISN also presented the Legacy of the Martyrs Award to Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national organization that mobilizes Catholics and all people of goodwill to end the use of the death penalty and to transform the U.S. criminal justice system from punitive to restorative. The award honors individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to sustaining the witness and legacy of the Salvadoran martyrs—the six Jesuits and two laywomen who were killed for their commitment to upholding the dignity of those who were oppressed.

Two young alumni of Jesuit universities, Michael Libunao-Macalintal (Fordham University ’15) and Teresa Marie Cariño Petersen (University of San Francisco ’13), were also recognized at the event, presented with the Moira Erin O’Donnell Emerging Leaders for Justice Award. Libunao-Macalintal is the liturgical minister of Marquand Chapel at Yale Divinity School where he puts his passion for equity and justice in the ecumenical liturgies he develops with students, faculty, and staff, with the hopes of bringing forth the beloved community we are called to create with one another. Cariño Petersen is an educator and activist living and working in the Bay Area. Her work focuses on ethics, spirituality, and embodiment with a special concentration on racial justice.

Generous sponsors of the event included Loretta Holstein, Dan Denihan, the ISN Board of Directors, Jack & Sarah Raslowsky, Paul & Eileen Scariano, Regis High School, The Loyola Foundation, Xavier High School, Peter Albert & Charlotte Mahoney, Matt Allen & Kaija DeWitt-Allen, Vince & Robyn Caponi, Anthony Petrosino Jr., Canisius High School, Fairfield College Preparatory School, the Jesuits USA East, Maniscalco & Picone, CPAs, P.C., McQuaid Jesuit, the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Michael J. & Terry Kennedy, Chris Lowney & Angelika Mendes-Lowney, Kevin & Danielle Raslowsky, John & Mary Spollen, Robert & Jacqueline O’Donnell, Bellarmine College Preparatory, Catholic Women Preach, and the Jesuits East Office of Ignatian Spirituality.