Stephen Patrick O’Meara Tribute

Stephen Patrick O’Meara Tribute, September 21, 2020

We Notre Dame Sisters had hoped to award Stephen Patrick O’Meara at our 2020 Celebration of Spirit Dinner, which moved to an online event due to COVID-19. As spring turned to summer, we began to realize that physical distancing due to the pandemic will be a part of our daily life for a long time to come. We imagined a day when a crowd of 300 people could hear about Stephen Patrick O’Meara and his contributions to his community.

However, we resigned to the reality that a large gathering to pay tribute to the great work of O’Meara won’t be possible any time soon, so we presented O’Meara with a private tribute. Below are some of the sentiments shared by the Notre Dame Sisters:

  • You have touched so many lives because you have been touched so wonderfully through your family and your faith.  What you learned from your family in their loving you and caring for you, was compassion.  And you said once, “Compassion runs in the family.”  Your wife Val now doubt received your compassion and together you became a compassionate couple, parents and givers to so many.
  • Think you the many you have touched over the years:  your own children and immediate family, neglected and violated children, the homeless and the trafficked.  You have pioneered many efforts and most recently the Coalition Against Human Trafficking, especially the Hotels/Motels Program with Sr. Celeste.
  • You are a man of compassion, truth and determination to bring about changes in our society and cultures.  We Notre Dame Sisters are grateful for your witness and now award you with this honor, the Mother Qualberta Service Award.

 

Notre Dame Sisters

Mother Qualberta Service Award

Presented to
Stephen Patrick O’Meara, JD

  • For his pioneering spirit that established task forces and programs that work to restore dignity to the abused and discounted;
  • For his effective leadership and presentations teaching the need to change a culture of violence into a culture of respect;
  • For his relentless dedication and efforts to end Human Trafficking on the national, state and local levels;
  • For 45 years of dedicated service in the private and public sectors;
  • For his witnessing the importance and value of family life;
  • For his fidelity to God’s call to be an active, compassionate minister and advocate.

Notre Dame Sisters

Celebration of Service Dinner

March 29, 2020