Susan Montalvo-Gesser, director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Owensboro, stands before Resurrection Catholic Church in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, just days after the church was damaged by a historic tornado in December 2021. Catholic Charities was among the first onsite after the storms, which devastated western Kentucky. Montalvo-Gesser was one of those nominated for Catholic Extension Society’s 2026-2027 Lumen Christi Award, which honors those who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities they serve. COURTESY OF CATHOLIC EXTENSION SOCIETY
Catholic Extension Society announces the 2026-2027 Lumen Christi nominees
Owensboro Catholic Charities director among those nominated for prestigious award
PRESS RELEASE
CHICAGO – Catholic Extension Society today announces the 46 nominees for the 2026-2027 Lumen Christi Award. The Lumen Christi Award is Catholic Extension Society’s highest honor. Since 1978, it has been presented annually to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve.
Each year, bishops are asked to nominate one individual, group, or institution from their diocese for this award. Collectively, their stories of spiritual care, compassionate service, and compelling self-sacrifice for others showcase the mission of the Church in this country. Susan Montalvo-Gesser, director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky, was among this year’s nominees.
“The Lumen Christi Award is a real-time window into the incredible impact of people of faith in America,” said Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension Society. “Born out of their love for God, the dedication of these nominees to the good of the Church and the good of their neighbors should make us all proud to be Catholic.”
From these outstanding nominees, a group of finalists will be announced later this summer, followed by the selection of a national honoree in the fall. Award finalists will receive $15,000 each, and the national honoree will be awarded $100,000 to support their ministry.
This tenacious leader takes on one crisis after another
Susan Montalvo-Gesser | Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky
After Susan Montalvo-Gesser became the director of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Owensboro in 2019, she had one “normal” year, so to speak.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended everyone’s lives. Montalvo-Gesser mobilized Catholic Charities to provide services to people hurting across western Kentucky, facing evictions due to lost work. Shortly after that, the Catholic Charities agency began assisting and resettling Afghan families who escaped to the United States following the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan. Catholic Charities went from two or three arrivals to nearly 170 arrivals in three months, ultimately helping resettle 500 Afghan refugees.
“Then we had the tornadoes,” said Montalvo-Gesser of the December 10, 2021, storms that devastated western Kentucky. The tornadoes killed 89 people and caused nearly $4 billion in damages.
In the 30 days following the tornadoes, the Catholic Charities staff was transformed from two people to 18. Montalvo-Gesser quickly became the director of a large group that was still getting to know each other as they worked across more than a dozen counties. Read more here.
The full list of 2026-2027 Lumen Christi Awards nominees are as follows:
Catholic Charities of Central Louisiana | Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana
Liz Loeffler | Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, Alaska
Movidos por el Espíritu | Diocese of Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Marcel Karian | Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg
Barbara Comer | Diocese of Baker, Oregon
Carolyn Fernandez | Diocese of Beaumont, Texas
Jennifer Williams | Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi
Mother Mary Joseph Campbell | Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota
Deacon Ken Pitlick | Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming
Father Guillermo Treviño| Diocese of Davenport, Iowa (posthumous nomination)
Coleen Stein | Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas
Deacon Bryan Bassa | Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota
Monsignor Arturo Bañuelas | Diocese of El Paso, Texas
Father Christopher Nahra | Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Greg Sauvageau | Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota
Andres Zamudio | Diocese of Fresno, California
Vicki Trujillo | Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico/Arizona
Manuel Obando and Maria Victoria Perez | Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan
Jean Ann Molczyk | Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska
Lori Purpura | Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana
Patricia “Pat” Caillouet | Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana
Father Guy Wilson, S.T. | Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi
Home Heating Assistance | Diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Bridgette Mouton | Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana
Deacon Enrique Peñuñuri | Diocese of Laredo, Texas
Father David Powers | Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky
Connie Cobb | Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas
Plainview Pastoral Planning Committee | Diocese of Lubbock, Texas
Bishop Baraga Association | Diocese of Marquette, Michigan
St. Patrick Champion Community Outreach Center | Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee
Kim Derrick | Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee
Susan Montalvo-Gesser | Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky
Deacon Santiago Molina | Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida
Sister Patricia Pora, RSM | Diocese of Portland, Maine
Sapa Un Jesuit Academy | Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota
Father Joe Walsh | Diocese of Reno, Nevada
Michael Edwards | Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah
Patricia Stokes-Santana | Diocese of San Angelo, Texas
Deacon Andy Orozco | Diocese of San Bernardino, California
Martin Noriega | Diocese of Savannah, Georgia
Marianne Jones | Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Mother Marla Marie Lucas | Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn
Yvonne Huck | Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio
Deacon Fidel Carrillo | Diocese of Stockton, California
Michael Mosyjowski | Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio
Cristina Hernandez | Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio
Read more about each nominees’ inspiring stories here.
