This year Loretta Gallagher, President of Serra Club of Boston, was named Catholic Laywoman of the Year at this year’s Boston Catholic Women’s Conference.
Loretta was given the award for her work to found the Boston-based chapter of Serra International, her efforts to coordinate and promote the Monthly Prayer Request for Priests apostolate, and her life as a lay Carmelite.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley congratulates Loretta Gallagher on the award.
Loretta was introduced to the stage by Vocations Director and Serra Club chaplain Fr. Dan Hennessey. As Chris Harding noted in his recap of the conference:
Fr. Daniel Hennessey, who heads the Archdiocese of Boston’s vocations office, beamed as he presented the “Laywoman of the Year” award to colleague and friend, Loretta Gallagher, whom he called a “spiritual mother to so many priests and seminarians in the archdiocese.”
As shown in the photo below, Fr. Dan also promoted our “Pray for Priests” magnets in his introduction.
Fr. Dan Hennessey (Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Boston, and chaplain of the Serra Club of Boston) showcases the "Pray for Priests" car magnets.
Loretta accepted the award on behalf of all those who promote vocations, and encouraged those in the audience to support priests by attending this year’s ordination, write letters to newly ordained priests, and other efforts.
To see a video of her acceptance speech (with Fr. Dan’s introduction), please click on the “play” button in the video below.
The Archdiocese of Boston web site posted photos of the event, which can be viewed below. (All photos © George Martell 2009.)
Loretta Gallagher accepts the award on behalf of all those who promote a culture of vocations.
Cardinal Sean, Scot Landry, and Mary Jo Kriz watch the acceptance speech.
During both the Men’s and Women’s conference, several members from the Serra Club of Boston helped run the Vocations Boston table in the exhibitors’ hall. The vocations table can be seen in the following photos:
Loretta Gallagher and Fr. Dan Hennessey stand in front of the vocations table in the exhibitors' hall at the Boston Catholic Women's Conference.
Several members from the Serra Club of Boston helped run the vocations table at the Boston Catholic Women's Conference 2009. Pictured here (from left to right): Francis Jesch, Fr. Dan Hennessey, Loretta Gallagher, and Mary Jesch.
Several publications and web sites covered the conference and provided photos and video. For more information, please visit the following links:
- Boston Pilot: Prayer, song and talks inspire at Catholic Conferences
- BostonCatholic.org: Boston Catholic Women’s conference photo slideshow
- Boston Catholic Women’s Conference recap
Congratulations to Loretta on her devotion to the Catholic lifestyle, and for living out the Serran mission to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life!