The SVD Mission Awards

On January 29, 2010, feastday of St. Joseph Freinademetz, the first SVD Mission Awards were handed out in a short and formal program held at the Fr. Peter Yang Auditorium of Saint Jude Catholic School Manila.

The affair was graced by the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams. The following awards were given out : The Saint Arnold Janssen Mission Award to Fr. Leo Schmitt SVD; The Communio Mission Award to St. Martin Mission Hospital of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro; The Divine Word Mission to Mrs. Beatriz Buenavista Evangelista; the Vivat Cor Iesu Mission Award to Samahang Bagong Buhay Foundation, Incorporated; the Father Peter Yang SVD Mission Award to the St. Jude National Shrine Manila; the Centennial Mission Awards to Fr. William Van Kuijk SVD; the Abra Mission Award to the Catechists of Abra; the Saint Joseph Freinademetz Mission Award to Fr. Ewald Dinter SVD; and a Special Recognition to the CICM for helping the SVD in its early years of mission in the Philippines.

Each awardee received 50,000 pesos and a gold-plated medallion with the face of the Founder on one side and his favorite prayer in Latin on the other (His life is our life and His mission, our mission).