The Cardinal Suenens Living Water Award is made occasionally and honors women and men whose life and work re-energize the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. The award is inspired by the gift of ‘living’ water Jesus speaks of in the Gospel of John (John 7:38) and provides water, in a variety of forms, to people whose source of water is either acutely limited or non-existent.
Recipients of the Cardinal Suenens Living Water Award:
1996 – Joseph Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago and Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Funds provided for irrigation systems in Tanzania.
Award presented to Cardinal Bernardin at JCU during the 1996 Suenens Inaugural Conference.
Award presented in New York City to Mother Teresa by Mrs. Margaret F. Grace.
1998 – Godfried Cardinal Danneels of Belgium
Funds provided for water wells for the people of the Meguet region of Burkina Faso, West Africa.
Award presented to Cardinal Danneels by Professor Donnelly at JCU during his visit to our campus to deliver the first Margaret F. Grace Lecture.
2000 – Franz Cardinal König of Vienna
Funds provided for water for agricultural use in Bosnia Herzegovina.
Award presented to Cardinal Konig by Professor Donnelly in Vienna, Austria.
2002 – Roberto Cardinal Tucci, S.J.
Funds provided for wells in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
Award presented to Cardinal Tucci by Rev. Edward Glynn, S.J. and Professor Donnelly during Board of Trustees’ visit to Rome, Italy, in 2002.
2004 – Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J.
Funds provided for water was provided in Darfur, Sudan.
Award presented to Sister Prejean by Professor Donnelly at the conclusion of the Margaret F. Grace Lecture – 2004.
2006 – Professor Giuseppe Alberigo, Bologna
Paroquia São Pedro in Brazil received funds to support the construction of wells.
Award presented to Professor Alberigo by Prof. Donnelly at the conclusion of “The Contribution of the Belgians to VCII” conference in Leuven, Belgium.
2010 – In Honor of Pope John XXIII
Funds provided for water was provided in Darfur, Sudan.
Award presented posthumously.
2016 – The Vatican Observatory
Award will be presented to Father Jose Funes, Director of the Vatican Observatory, for a water project to be determined by the staff of the Observatory.