At the 2021 Annual Respect Life Convention in St. Louis on October 17, the Cardinal Carberry Award was presented. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the pro-life cause. This year’s recipient was Molly C. Kertz. Molly was the Respect Life Director for the St. Louis Archdiocese from 1995 to 2007 and is a current member of Vitae Foundation’s St. Louis Advisory Council.
The evening also featured a keynote speech, homily, and mass by Archbishop Joseph Naumann who serves as the Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, and USCCB Chair of the Pro-Life Committee. Archbishop Naumann was ordained a priest in 1975 in St. Louis by Cardinal Carberry, and served as the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Coordinator from 1984 to 1995. In 1995, he asked Molly Kertz to succeed him in leading the pro-life office for the St. Louis Archdiocese.
Archbishop Naumann has always been a champion for the Pro-Life Movement and Vitae Foundation. During his keynote speech, he touted the important work of Vitae Foundation numerous times, once saying, “We have to be creative in searching for words and images that can spark a curiosity and enlighten minds, as well as transform the hearts of those who have been seduced by the culture of death.” The Archbishop is often looked to for his impactful work in the Pro-Life Movement and has been a loyal supporter of the Vitae Foundation for many years.