PRESTIGIOUS AWARD Mary Huber, former Respect Life and Pastoral Care Programs Director for the Diocese, receives the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) People of Life Award from Baltimore Archbishop William Lori on July 19.
WASHINGTON D.C.—Mary Huber, former Respect Life and Pastoral Care Programs Director for the Diocese, received the prestigious People of Life Award from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington D.C. on July 19.
Huber received the award from Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities at the annual National Pro-Life Directors Conference. “People of Life” recognizes Catholics who have answered the call outlined by Pope Saint John Paul II in The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae, 1995) by dedicating themselves to pro-life activities and promoting respect for the dignity of the human person. It is bestowed in honor of their significant and longtime contributions to the culture of life.
Huber worked for over 20 years in pro-life ministry for the Diocese before relocating to the Midwest last year. Her work in post-abortion healing retreat ministry was specifically cited at the award ceremony, along with her tireless advocacy work in the campaign against physician-assisted suicide in California. In her acceptance remarks, Huber notably thanked the immigrant community, another group for whom she advocated in her Respect Life ministry.
“That was important for other Pro-Life Directors to hear,” said Maria Valadez, current Director of Respect Life and Pastoral Care Programs for the Diocese, who attended the award reception.
Huber responded to the honor with trademark humility, even admitting that she woke up in the middle of the night several times to reread the letter notifying her of the award, just to make sure it was real.
“It’s an honor,” she said. “But the award doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to the hundreds of volunteers that I’ve had the opportunity to work with.
“If there’s anything I did right, it was to provide education and support and open doors for those who felt called to volunteer on protecting human life.”