2023-2024 Lumen Christi Award finalists

The Lumen Christi Award is Catholic Extension Society’s highest honor given to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve.

This year, 41 dioceses submitted nominations for the award. Each nomination celebrates the humble heroes offering their hearts and hands to serve God’s children. Seven of the 41 nominees were chosen as award finalists and received $10,000 to support and enhance their ministry.

We are pleased to announce that the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great received the award. Read their story here.

The annual award is a unique reminder of the positive and transformative impact of the Catholic Church in our society. This good work often goes unnoticed by larger media outlets, but it is felt very deeply in the poorest corners of our country. This year’s finalists see the value and potential within each refugee family violence, each young student trying to learn in a disadvantaged community, and each child born into fraught circumstances. They are everyday citizens who sacrifice their time, energy and even safety to share Christ’s love here on earth.

Below are the inspiring stories of the 2023-2024 finalists for the Lumen Christi Award: