Witnessing the faith and service of his parents – Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver – Mark Kennedy Shriver saw the power of saying “yes” to God and to those in need.
Mark Shriver – the president of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School & Corporate Work Study Program in Takoma Park, Maryland – cited the example of his mother and father as he accepted the Spirit of Father Judge Award from Trinity Missions of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity at a March 25 reception at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C.
Shriver also emphasized how Father Thomas Augustine Judge, who founded the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, said “yes” to God and to serving immigrants and the poor. Father Judge, the son of Irish immigrants, founded that religious order of priests and brothers in 1921 dedicated to revitalizing the faith of Catholics, especially immigrants, and to serving the poor and abandoned, and encouraging lay people to be Jesus’s apostles in today’s world.
The Spirit of Father Judge Award reception honors the legacy of Father Judge and supports Trinity Missions’ current outreach to the poor including educational facilities, mission medical clinics, food pantries, housing, empowerment initiatives to lift men and women out of poverty, addiction programs and efforts to foster the faith across communities in need. Trinity Missions serves the poor through 43 missions in seven countries, including in Central and South America, the Caribbean and the United States.
Also at the reception, Randall and Christine Scott, a Catholic couple known for their support to the U.S. military through MANDEX, Inc., and for their charitable service, received the James J. Norris Award, which recognizes people who use their gifts and talents to impact the Church and the lay community around them. James J. Norris was a layman who played a crucial role in supporting the Missionary Servants in the religious order’s early years during the Great Depression, and he served as an administrator for Catholic Relief Services as the agency assisted refugees in Europe after World War II. Norris was a lay auditor during the Second Vatican Council and also championed the cause of migrants and refugees as the first president of the International Catholic Migration Commission.
As he received the Spirit of Father Judge Award, Mark Shriver said, “It made me think of my Mom and Dad, this emphasis on the laity, both of whom were daily communicants, both of whom said ‘yes’ to what many people thought were crazy ideas.”
“Creating a corps of young people working in the name of peace? It’s a crazy idea, right? Dad said ‘yes’ and started the Peace Corps out of nothing,” Mark Shriver said of his father, Sargent Shriver, who was the founding director of the Peace Corps from 1961 to 1966.
Mark Shriver then noted, “And then a few years later, my mother had young people with developmental differences playing sports in her backyard in Rockville, Maryland, just a few miles from here…. Another crazy idea in the mid-sixties. But with faith, it was the beginning of a worldwide movement for those with developmental differences to lead and inspire and to play… the Special Olympics!” Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics, died in 2009, and Sargent Shriver died in 2011.
“The Peace Corps and Special Olympics happen because faith-filled people said ‘yes’ to crazy ideas that I believe were truly inspired by the Holy Spirit,” Mark Shriver said.
He was joined at the reception by his wife Jeanne Shriver and by his brother Timothy Shriver, the chairman of the Board of Directors for Special Olympics International.
After 30 years of leadership serving at-risk youth and children in underserved areas, Mark Shriver himself said “yes” in 2021 to becoming the first lay president of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School & Corporate Work Study Program in Takoma Park, a coeducational high school sponsored by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the Salesians of Don Bosco. The school offers a rigorous college-prep curriculum for students from families with limited economic means, and it is known for its innovative Corporate Work Study Program, where students gain experience working at leading Washington-area businesses, organizations and institutions and help pay for nearly one-half of their education costs. Since the school’s first graduating class in 2011, 100 percent of Don Bosco Cristo Rey’s graduates have gained college acceptances, and many of its students are the first members of their families to attend college.
The master of ceremonies at the reception, Michael Steele – an MSNBC commentator and host who earlier served as Maryland’s lieutenant governor – said Mark Shriver is “someone who embodies Father Judge’s spirit of service and shares our charism for the poor.”
Before leading Don Bosco Cristo Rey, Mark Shriver served as senior vice president of U.S. Programs & Advocacy at Save the Children and as president of Save the Children Action Network, its political advocacy arm that he founded in 2013. Shriver joined Save the Children in 2003 and developed the agency’s domestic early childhood and school-age education programs, and he also created its domestic emergencies programs to ensure the safety and well-being of children before, during and after disasters.
Mark Shriver served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994 to 2002 and was the first chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families. He is also the author of best-selling books including A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver, and Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis.
Noted Catholics and people today who said ‘yes’
In his remarks, Mark Shriver said that day, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, commemorated how Mary said “yes” to becoming the mother of Jesus. He also noted how Father Judge, the son of immigrant parents, said “yes” to God in becoming a priest and in founding the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, who continue his work in serving the poor and abandoned and by encouraging the Catholic laity to live their faith in the world.
Shriver also pointed out how St. John Bosco – the patron saint of the high school that he now leads – “said ‘yes’ to working with young people at a time in Italy when the young were all but forgotten, they were marginalized and taken advantage of.”
Known as Don Bosco, from the Italian word for father, the priest in the mid-1800s began providing an education and a place to live to poor boys and young men in Turin, Italy. Don Bosco founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales, popularly known as the Salesians. On its website, the order says its mission “is to evangelize and educate young people, especially those who are poor and at risk, in the style of Don Bosco.”
During his remarks, Mark Shriver acknowledged a Washington-area priest, Msgr. John Enzler, who is known for saying “yes” to God and to serving others. As the pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac from 1990 t0 2004, “Father John” as he is known, worked with parishioners to establish Potomac Community Resources that provides therapeutic, social, recreational and respite care programs for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and he worked with parishioners to establish Mercy Health Clinic in Gaithersburg that provides primary and specialty health care, health education and medications free of charge to patients experiencing poverty and a lack of access to health care.
Msgr. Enzler retired as the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2023 after 12 years in that role, during which he led the agency as it launched several initiatives, including the St. Maria’s Meals program serving the poor, the Newcomer Network helping immigrants find housing and jobs, and the Family Peace Initiative, which assists families experiencing domestic violence. Now he serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities and as the chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington.
Mark Shriver pointed out how Msgr. Enzler, through his “support, encouragement and prayers,” also played a key role in the establishment and growth of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School.
“Father Judge said ‘yes’ just like Don Bosco did, just like my parents did, just like Father Enzler did – and still does,” Mark Shriver said, before then pointing out how the students at his school likewise say “yes.”
“At Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, almost all of our students are the children of immigrants, just like Father Judge was. All of our students work hard academically, and they also do much service for and with the poor and the forgotten and the excluded, just like Father Judge did. And our students care about their faith, with 18 of our young people saying ‘yes’ to joining the Catholic faith last year, and 18 more saying ‘yes’ this year!” Mark Shriver said.
Concluding his remarks, the Spirit of Father Judge Award recipient said, “I really do think Father Judge would be filled with hope and consolation by their example. I accept this award on behalf of our students, and I thank Father Judge for saying ‘yes,’ and for inspiring all of us to say ‘yes’ to God, and to serving our neighbors.”
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, could not attend the reception at the nunciature because he was participating in the March 25 installation of Bishop Joe S. Vásquez as the new archbishop of Galveston-Houston. In remarks that were delivered on the nuncio’s behalf by Msgr. Većeslav Tumir, the first counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature, Cardinal Pierre said, “We need the spirit of Father Judge today. During the early 1900s when he lived, the United States was receiving many immigrants, especially from Eastern and Southern Europe. Because of the gospel which Father Judge had been ordained to serve, he understood what the Lord asks us in regards to people who are migrating. We must welcome them, protect them, promote them, so they can achieve their potential, and integrate them as valuable contributors to our culture.”
In his prepared remarks, Cardinal Pierre praised that evening’s honorees, noting how Mark Shriver in his role as president of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School “welcomes students who have limited resources and helps them achieve their great potential,” and he commended Randall and Christine Scott for how they, “in their professional life and volunteer work, promote educational opportunities for students, especially for The Catholic University of America.”
The reception guests were also greeted by two leaders of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity – Very Rev. Jesús Ramírez, the general custodian of Trinity Missions, and Father Michael K. Barth, its chief operating officer.
Lives of faith and service
Roxana Semorile, who chaired the awards reception with her husband Jose Semorile, introduced Randall and Christine Scott as the recipients of the James J. Norris Award.
Randall Scott’s career spanning more than 55 years has included service in the U.S. military and as a contractor of the nation’s defense. He is the majority owner, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of MANDEX, Inc., which provides a broad range of national security and information technology services to the U.S. military, and to other government agencies and entities.
He has served on several boards and committees, including on the Catholic University Board of Trustees and as chairman of the Board of Visitors for Catholic University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies. Christine Scott’s 42-year career has included service as a financial analyst, auditor, board secretary and treasurer, and she has served on the Board of Visitors for Catholic University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies, the CUA Parents Council and the CUA 1887 Society.
The Scotts’ charitable work has included offering overseas financial support for building and renovating new churches and schools in Uganda, and also supporting the renovation of a home for aging nuns and their health clinic. They have sponsored 10 to 15 students per year for the past 24 years for elementary school, high school, college, medical school and seminary studies. The Scotts have also supported Catholic University’s operational and educational programs and facility renovations, and provided support for information technology systems at local Catholic elementary and high schools. They have also supported missions in Latin America and Catholic schools serving Native American children.
Praising the impact that the Scotts have had, Roxana Semorile said, “Their lives are a testament of the power of love, faith and selflessness… Through their hands, hearts and unwavering dedication, they have changed lives, especially in our Church, where their generosity has touched so many. They have supported countless students through the scholarships they provide, creating opportunities for a brighter future for so many young people.”
Roxana Semorile said Randall and Christine Scott “have shown us what it means to truly live a life of faith… They are living examples of Christ’s love to all of us, giving without expectation, helping without hesitation, and loving without limits.”
Their example, she said, “inspires us to walk with faith, to serve with love, and to serve with purpose.”
Joining the Scotts at the reception was their son John, who is completing work on his master’s degree in Church history at Catholic University and preparing to enter the doctoral program there.
After Randall and Christine Scott accepted the James J. Norris Award, Randall Scott praised Norris’s life and legacy, saying “his lifelong dedication to service and advocacy, as well as his work supporting justice and peace, exemplify the values we hold dear in our faith journey.”
Reflecting on the honor, Randall Scott said, “Our love for our heavenly Father and our faith are at the heart of everything we do. Chris and I have always tried to live our lives rooted in that faith, seeking opportunities to serve those who need it most, whether supporting students through scholarships… assisting veterans, or addressing missionary support needs, such as shelter, clothing, hunger, and health issues. It is not about accolades or recognition but about responding to the call to serve others in Christ’s name. That is what has driven us, and that continues to move us every day.”
Concluding his remarks, Randall Scott said that he and his wife will “do our best to live up to the James Joseph Norris legacy and serve with the same dedication and the love that he shared.”
And he noted that as they accepted that award, they were reminded of the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Randall Scott said, “That is why we strive to do, small things daily with great love and to serve others.”
(For more information on Trinity Missions and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, go to www.TrinityMissions.org.)
