At the University of Notre Dame’s 180th commencement ceremony on May 18, Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, will receive the 2025 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics according to the University.
Robinson, a lifelong advocate for Catholic Social Teaching, women’s leadership and humanitarian work, has led Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) since 2023. The organization represents 168 agencies that serve more than 15 million people annually through services including food assistance, affordable housing and disaster relief.
“Kerry Alys Robinson has dedicated her career to serving the Church, standing in solidarity with those on the margins so that they may experience the abundant love of God,” University President Fr. Robert Dowd, said in a statement. “In awarding her the Laetare Medal, the University celebrates her boundless compassion, visionary leadership and inspiring example of faith-filled service.”
Before joining CCUSA, Robinson spent nearly two decades with Leadership Roundtable, a nonprofit that fosters leadership accountability within the Catholic Church in response to the clergy abuse crisis. As founding executive director and later global ambassador, she helped shape efforts in more than 75 percent of U.S. dioceses and influenced Catholic leadership internationally.
A noted speaker and author of “Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy and A Spiritual Call to Service,” Robinson has received 10 honorary degrees and multiple national awards, including the 2024 Spirit of Saint Francis Award.
“I have always loved the Church and held its potential in the highest esteem,” Robinson said, in a press release by the University of Notre Dame. “Promoting the role of women in meaningful leadership and advocating for young adults has been a consistent commitment of mine.”
The Laetare Medal, established at Notre Dame in 1883, is awarded annually to a Catholic who has enriched the Church and society. Previous honorees include Dorothy Day, former President John F. Kennedy, former President Joe Biden and actor Martin Sheen.
Robinson, who holds degrees from Georgetown University and Yale Divinity School, continues her family’s multigenerational commitment to Catholic philanthropy. She began her career at Yale’s Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center.
The Laetare Medal recipient is traditionally announced on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. The medal bears the Latin inscription, “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” — “Truth is mighty and it shall prevail.”
