Dignity's 32-Year Anniversary Celebration

On July 15, 2023 Dignity NOVA celebrated its 32-year anniversary of serving the Northern Virginia area, by having a community wide dinner at the Springfield Golf and Country Club. The event began with a mass by Father Joe Hennesy. Good fun and food was enjoyed by all and awards were given out by our

President Eileen Hanrahan.

Recipients of Awards

Sister Jeannine Gramick was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. She began her ministry to gay and lesbian people in the early 1970s. Since then, Sister Jeannine has courageously dedicated her life to finding “new ways” for the Catholic Church to minister to and address the concerns of its lesbian and gay members. Through her steadfast efforts for the past 50 years, Sister Jeannine has established and guided The New Ways Ministry which advocates for LGBTQ+ persons and helps to build bridges with the Church. In the face of increasingly strident opposition from the Catholic Church through her more recent status as pen pal with Pope Francis, Sister Jeannine successfully advocated on many issues on our behalf during the AIDS crisis and including her more recent efforts on behalf of marriage equality and the rights of transgender individuals. For Sister Jeannine’s lifetime of singular focus on issues that impact our community.

Father Peter Daly was given the Community Service Award in recognition of his faithful service as a priest and pastor in the Archdiocese of Washington for more than 30 years, his service to the community of Dignity Northern Virginia as presider, his service on the Board of Directors of New Ways Ministry, and especially the example of the unselfish love and endless compassion of Jesus demonstrated by Father Daly's trip to Poland in the Fall of 2023 aiding Ukraine war refugees.

David Lamdin received the President's Award in recognition of and appreciation for exemplifying the abundant and tireless love and kindness that are the heart of our faith, for tending to those in need with humility and steadfastness, for living a life of faithful and selfless service to so many in our community.