Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., president of Fairfield University, will be honored with the St. Edmund's Medal for Service to the Church and Community on Friday, Oct. 9, in Mystic, Conn.

In making the announcement, the St. Edmund's Retreat Board of Trustees and Father Thomas F.X. Hoar SSE, Ph.D., President, explained that the St. Edmund's Medal of Honor for Service to the Church and Community was established by St. Edmund's Retreat to recognize those individuals who exhibit the values and spirit of St. Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury. St. Edmund was a man who made a difference and enriched the Church and his Community as a scholar, as an administrator, as a preacher, as a pastor and as a man. He was a person with a deep spiritual life and served as a role model to his contemporaries.

Other recipients will be The Most Reverend Daniel A. Cronin, S.T.D., Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Hartford; Ambassador Raymond L. Flynn, former Mayor of Boston and former US Ambassador to the Holy See; Mr. James E. Baron, Head Coach, University of Rhode Island Men's Basketball, and Mrs. Noreen M. Kepple, Preschool Director for the Stonington Community Center and an Elementary and Special Needs Educator.

In July 2004, the Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., became the eighth Jesuit to be named President of Fairfield University since the institution's founding in 1942. An historian by discipline, Fr. von Arx brought to Fairfield broad academic interests, an integrated view of learning, and a commitment to a diverse campus population, all of which have been the hallmarks of his presidency. His approach to the intellectual life reflects the best of what Jesuit education offers the world - the integration of knowledge and values as the foundation for the unity of mind, body, and spirit.

Before joining Fairfield as president, Fr. von Arx taught history at Georgetown University and served as Dean at Fordham University. A graduate of Princeton University, he holds an M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University.

Fr. von Arx has served or is currently on the boards of trustees of Boston College, Canisius College, Loyola Marymount University, and Xavier University, as well as on the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC). He was appointed to the Fairfield Board in 2002 and as president, continues to serve as a trustee.

The St. Edmund's Medal of Honor Dinner and Celebration will take place Friday, October 9, beginning with a 4:30 p.m. Mass at Enders Island, Mystic, followed by a 6:30 p.m. reception and 7:30 p.m. dinner and presentations at the Mystic Marriott. The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, will be Principal Celebrant for the Mass. The third annual St. Edmund's Honor Scholarship will also be presented to a member of the St. Bernard School Class of 2010.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Salisbury, Director of Development at (860) 536-0565, ext. 112 or visit www.endersisland.com .

Posted On: 09-25-2009 10:09 AM

Volume: 42 Number: 64