The outgoing president of The Catholic University of America said building and safeguarding Catholic intellectual life remained his primary focus as the 15th president of the national university of the Catholic Church. “Being president of CUA is the best job I’ve ever had in my life, and I enjoyed all my jobs,” said John Garvey, who will be stepping down after 12 years of service at the end of June.
Speaking at the 35th Annual John Carroll Society Awards Dinner on April 29, Garvey described God as “the point of our academic light.” He added, “Real theology has another origin – the One who loves wants to know His beloved better and better.”
The university administrator and award-winning author said he relished each annual meeting with the school’s board of trustees where he reported the number of Catholics hired throughout the year. He explained his primary role was ensuring the university aided students in getting to know and love God better.
During his tenure, Garvey maintained that “a Catholic approach to scholarship enriches every school and discipline.” To those ends he began his presidency hosting a series of intellectuals across academic fields lecturing on the importance of virtue – a course he continued over the years. In addition, during his time as president, Catholic University launched the Busch School of Business to incorporate Catholic Social Teaching into business training – and Garvey described the new school’s emphasis of service over personal gain.
Earlier in a video message to participants, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and chancellor of Catholic University, thanked Garvey with “deepest gratitude” for his efforts. “I have known his friendship as a man of faith, and as an educator of competence,” Cardinal Gregory said. “I shall miss his wit and wisdom.”
In her introduction of the keynote speaker, Elizabeth Meers, a John Carroll Society and Catholic University Board of Trustees member, wished Garvey well in Italian, as he prepares for a position at Catholic University’s Rome campus following a brief sabbatical.
Garvey, an expert on constitutional law, religious liberty and the First Amendment, previously served as the dean of Boston College Law School from 1999-2010. In 2008, he served as president of the Association of American Law Schools. Following graduation from Harvard Law School in 1974, Garvey held many jobs including at the law firm Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco, and teaching at Notre Dame, the University of Michigan and the University of Kentucky. From 1981 -1984 he served as assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States.
Married to Jeanne Walter Garvey for 47 years and a parent of five children, Garvey is a past recipient of the John Carroll Society Medal – the highest honor of the professional society. For more than 70 years, the society has promoted spiritual, intellectual, and social fellowship among its members as well as provided the archdiocese with pro-bono health care and law service. After his talk, Garvey was presented with a framed print of Archbishop John Carroll, the organization’s namesake and first Catholic bishop in the original 13 states.
More than 225 members and their guests attended the annual event that was held in public for the first time since 2019. Due to restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards dinner was cancelled in 2020 and held online in 2021. Also attending the dinner were two of last year’s honorees, Msgr. John Enzler, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities in the archdiocese, and Dominican Sister Donna Markham, the president of Catholic Charities USA who was last year’s keynote speaker.
This year’s honorees included Dr. Mark Abbruzzese, an infectious disease specialist on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic; Mary Gen Ledecky, mother of Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky; and Jeffrey Paravano, the immediate past president of the John Carroll Society, who helped the society through the unique challenges and restrictions of the worldwide pandemic.
All the former presidents of the John Carroll Society were asked to stand for recognition at the dinner. “Every single president brings new gifts and new energy” to the society, said Msgr. Peter Vaghi, the society’s chaplain for the past 35 years and the pastor of the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda.
Later the society’s most recent president, Paravano, who served from 2019-2021, received the John Carroll Society Medal for his work with the society and faithful witness to his faith. Paravano, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, is the D.C. managing partner at BakerHostetler, L.L.P. Additionally, he serves as chair of the board at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, and as a board member at his alma mater, John Carroll University in the Cleveland area as well as the Catholic Business Network of Washington, D.C. Paravano founded the Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network of Washington D.C. which gathers alumni and friends of Jesuit institutions for food, fellowship and Ignatian spirituality. Paravano with his wife of 31 years, Kathleen Paravano, raised two children and are parishioners of the Church of the Little Flower.
Dr. Mark Abbruzzese, a member of the Catholic Charities Health Care Network since 1989 and former chair of the John Carroll Society’s Rose Mass for health care workers, specialized in infectious diseases following graduation from The American University of the Caribbean and 18 months of service as a pediatric vaccine coordinator and administrator in the Dominican Republic. In addition to his private practice, he has provided clinical services and consultation to Georgetown University Hospital, Sibley Memorial Hospital and Suburban Hospital especially assisting in caring for thousands during the HIV epidemic. An active member of the Infectious Disease Society of America, Dr. Abbruzzese most recently assisted local colleagues and patients during the Covid pandemic.
Later Dr. Abbruzzese told the Catholic Standard he was humbled to receive the John Carroll Society Medal, noting that some people are just wired for service and wanting to volunteer their time helping others. The society is “a way we can bring our faith together with what we are doing every day in our lives,” said Dr. Abbruzzese, adding that no matter what work is being done, faith is at the core of all his efforts and can help in any situation such as the last two years of the Covid pandemic. “Faith makes it so you can endure,” Dr. Abbruzzese added. “So many people are more deserving – I’m blessed.”
Mary Gen Ledecky echoed those comments, remarking that her recognition was “really representative of everybody in this community who helped everyone else.” The John Carroll Society honored Ledecky for being a “beacon of loving support, steadiness and humility” while raising two children including three-time Olympian swimmer, Katie Ledecky. Mary Gen and her husband Dave supported the family’s home parish, the Church of the Little Flower, while also actively supporting their children’s schools, including Little Flower School, Gonzaga College High School in Washington, and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. Mary Gen Ledecky currently serves on the hospital board of Children’s National Medical Center. She herself was a champion swimmer at the University of New Mexico and has also held administrator positions at the University of New Mexico Hospital and Georgetown University Hospital.
Mary Gen Ledecky dedicated her John Carroll Society Medal to “the real network of schools, and other parents and mothers” who raise children and to the “so many good things” taught in Catholic schools.
Her daughter Katie Ledecky who was unable to attend the dinner because of a swim meet, also praised the support she received from the local community in a video message presented at the dinner. The gold medalist described the many ups and downs of training for the Tokyo Olympics during a global pandemic and an additional year of training away from her family. “My faith sustained me. It kept me grounded and focused on what was important in life,” Katie Ledecky said. She told participants that the Catholic education and caring she received from the D.C. faith community helped motivate her and provided offer life lessons on serving others, forming friendships, and living out her faith.
In his video message Cardinal Gregory praised all the award honorees “for their sacrifice and their time … in caring for our neighbors with strong witness to faith in the public square.” The cardinal said he was “pleased to recognize the vital work of the John Carroll Society” and thanked the society “for all that you do, (and) your willingness to work on faith formation of your members as you put your faith into action.”
In addition to the honors, the awards dinner helps raise funds for outreach to students in the form of an essay contest and a renewable scholarship to Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington. The current Agnes E. Vaghi and Joseph P. Vaghi Scholarship recipients at Archbishop Carroll are Paul Dyson, Franklin Ayissi-Etoh and Monique Clark.
Dyson, a member of the junior class at Archbishop Carroll, attended the event with his mother, Yolanda Strachn-Dyson. She said with the scholarship “all my prayers were answered.” Her son said the annual scholarship helps him receive an opportunity for a quality education, and it shows appreciation “for all my hard work these three years.” Dyson, who plays baseball at Archbishop Carroll, is also involved in the school’s Men of Valor club and plans on studying mechanical engineering or sports journalism in college. Dyson attends Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Takoma Park and said “being Catholic is a privilege. I should not be taking it for granted.” Dyson also advises fellow students to “not fool around – it will come back to haunt you.” In his free time, Dyson plays basketball and gets together with his friends.
Larry Savoy, the president of Archbishop Carroll High School, said the John Carroll Society scholarship offers another chance “to help another young person have an opportunity for education in the Catholic faith.” The administrator said, “The scholarship takes the financial pressure off the family and allows the school to offer an education that prepares a student not just in this life but for the life after.”
Each year the John Carroll Society holds an essay contest for all students attending Catholic high schools in the archdiocese. Elizabeth Kolesar, a junior at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, received first prize for her entry, “Young People and the Church” submitted with 336 other essays to the 2022 John Carroll Society Margaret Mary Missar High School Essay Competition.
Kolesar, a parishioner of Church of the Little Flower attended the dinner with her parents. She said she submitted an essay last year as part of her religion course at Visitation, but the paper was not selected. This year, she chose to enter once again and write about young people and the need for better education in the Catholic faith. In her essay she wrote, “ … Catholics of all ages may believe that the Church must modify its beliefs in order to attract younger generations and gain the approval of modern-day society. However, rather than preaching societal norms, the Church must resolutely maintain its over 2,000 year-old message of truth. By doing so, it will attract young people who posses a deep, authentic love of Catholicism and who use their gifts for the good of the Church.” Her complete essay and a list of winners will be posted to the society website at johncarrollsociety.org.
Kolesar said she finds religion interesting especially learning how the Church applies beliefs to real-world situations. Her favorite subject is chemistry which she plans to study in college. In addition to writing, Kolesar is a member of varsity crew, the chorus, and the Spanish Honor Society. In her free time, she likes to read and knit baby blankets for a pro-life pregnancy organization. “It’s really important to know your faith and understand it,” Kolesar said.
The president of the John Carroll Society, Andrew Cook noted the great turn-out for the evening as members gathered in-person for the first time since 2019. Cook said he was “privileged to honor a number of great Catholics and (be) treated to a wonderful speech.” The 35th annual dinner “was a wonderful tribute to our awardees, our society and our faith,” he said.
