Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Opus Prize?
A $1 million award to a great humanitarian person or organization working at grass-roots level to help others in need. Two other finalists for the prize are named $100,000 awardees. (Individuals who are named Opus Prize awardees do not actually receive the $1 million or $100,000 themselves. Rather the monetary awards are granted to their organizations in their honor.)
What are the criteria for getting the Opus Prize?
Recipient must be:
- an unsung hero
- currently helping others to help themselves
- engaged in faith-based service addressing serious societal problems
- a person or organization for whom/for which $1 million would have a dramatic impact on their humanitarian work
Who are this year's finalists?
- The finalists this year are two individuals and one organization.
- Father John Adams is president of SOME (So Others Might Eat), an interfaith non-profit organization that serves the poor and homeless in Washington, D.C. Father Adams has directed SOME for the past 29 years and under his leadership, SOME has grown from a soup kitchen serving 50 to 60 people daily to an organization that serves more than 800 meals a day and offers a clinic, dental services, job training, addiction treatment, counseling and affordable housing to the poor, elderly and individuals with mental illness.
- Brother Constant Goetschalckx, F.C., founder and director of AHADI International Institute, in Kigoma, Tanzania, leads this organization with a Swahili name that means "working toward the fulfillment of a promise." Annually, AHADI educates 26,000 refugees from the war-torn countries of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi by providing post-secondary training via a distance-learning program to 1,000 students, and instruction to obtain a high school diploma for 25,000 students.
- Homeless People's Federation Philippines represented by Rev. Norberto Carcellar, C.M., executive director, is an organization that has enabled squatters living on a sprawling garbage dump in Quezon City, Philippines, to create community savings and credit programs, purchase land, build housing and set up waste disposal and water distribution systems.
How is Catholic University involved?
Under the leadership of Father David O'Connell, CUA president, Catholic University:
- organized the process of nominating candidates for the award and picking judges who selected the finalists
- CUA representatives interviewed the finalists
- is organizing a series of events during the fall semester, culminating in the awarding of the Opus Prize on campus.
Who were the CUA representatives and what did they do?
- CUA seniors Anthony Buatti, Victoria (Tori) Engelstad, and Jonathon Meyer were invited to go to Tanzania, the Philippines and Washington, D.C., respectively, to interview the finalists.
- Each student was accompanied on the trip by a CUA administrator (William Jonas or Emmjolee Mendoza Waters) and Opus Prize representatives.
Why were these three students selected?
They were chosen because of their abiding interest in service and in their faith and because they are all active members of the Catholic University community with strong academic records.
What events are being planned on campus this semester in connection with the Opus Prize?
Events are being organized to take place in the fall before the finalists arrive on campus and also during their Nov. 6-8 visit to campus.
What will happen before they arrive on campus?
In conjunction with the Opus Prize, CUA's student life office is working with faculty from the Department of Media Studies and the National Catholic School of Social Service to organize a documentary film series on the topic of social justice in October. On three evenings in October, documentary filmmakers will come to campus to show their films and discuss them with students.
What will occur between Nov. 6 and Nov. 8?
- The finalists will be on campus those three days.
- During their Washington visit, the $1 million awardee will be announced.
- They will attend an open forum in the Great Room of the Pryzbyla Center from 12 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6, where they will talk about the work of their humanitarian organizations.
- On Thursday, November 8, an afternoon Mass at St. Vincent's Chapel will be followed by the Opus Prize Awards dinner and awards ceremony in the Great Room.
- Other events to be announced later are also being planned.
Will students have the chance to meet and talk to the finalists?
- That is one of the major purposes of the Opus Prize – for students to interact with these inspirational humanitarian leaders. Everyone on campus will be invited to the open forum on November 6. Students will also be presented with other opportunities to meet the finalists.
Is it possible for those who are interested in the Opus Prize to attend the dinner and awards ceremony?
- Due to limited seating capacity, the dinner is by invitation only. More than 200 student leaders will receive invitations and will represent CUA's student body. Everyone on campus will be invited to attend the Nov. 6 open forum (box lunches to be provided) and the Nov. 8 Mass at St. Vincent's at 4:30 p.m.
Why was Catholic University asked to host the Opus Prize?
- The Opus Prize Foundation partners with a university every year to host the award. This is the fourth year the award will be given.
- One of the goals of the Opus Prize is to inspire students to make service part of their lives through the example of humanitarian heroes.
Will Catholic University host the Opus Prize again next year?
The Opus Prize will be hosted elsewhere next year. So far, the prize has been hosted by a different university each year.
What's the connection between the Opus Prize and Opus Hall? Between the Opus Prize and Opus Dei?
- The Opus Prize Foundation was founded by the same company – the Opus Group real estate development company -- that is building CUA's new residence hall. But the prize and the building project are completely separate initiatives that are coincidentally occurring at the same time.
- The Opus Prize Foundation has no connection to the religious organization know as Opus Dei. "Opus" is a commonly used Latin word that means "work."
How do I learn more about the Opus Prize at CUA?
More information on the Opus Prize at CUA is available on two Web sites: www.opusprize.org (the Web site of the Opus Prize Foundation) and www.opusprize.cua.edu (a CUA Web site devoted to this year's events at CUA related to the Opus Prize).
I would like to get involved in organizing Opus events on campus this semester. How do I do that?
- If you are a student or staff member, please contact William Jonas, director, Office of the University Center, Student Programs and Events, at 319-5291 or jonas@cua.edu.
- If you are a faculty member, please contact Merylann J. (Mimi) Schuttloffel, chair and associate professor, Department of Education, at 319-5805 or schuttloffel@cua.edu.
Last Revised 12-Sep-07 12:07 PM.
