The Catholic Lawyers’ Guild presented Dominican prioress Sister Attracta Kelly with the Thomas More Award at a banquet on October 1. The banquet followed the guild’s annual Red Mass, celebrated at St. Mary Cathedral by Bishop Earl Boyea.
During the banquet, author and administrative law Judge Lisa K. Gigliotti presented the award to Sister Attracta in recognition of her tireless efforts to shield children and adults from human trafficking, to protect women from violence, and to advocate for immigrants in need of asylum.
“In this day when immigrants are being so maligned and mistreated in this country, I want to congratulate and thank the Catholic Lawyers Guild members who chose this type of advocacy for this award,” Sister Attracta said. She considers the award to be an acknowledgement of the “thousands of immigrants who have been forced because of war and violence to leave their homelands,” as well as the women, children, and men—sometimes families—who are enslaved for sex or work.
The award “is also an acknowledgement of so many people who, like our ancestors, in order to save their families from starvation were forced to leave their homeland to find any kind of labor which would provide food and shelter,” Sister Attracta added, noting her gratitude for the opportunity to offer assistance to immigrants for the past 15 years.