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Washington, DC dinner benefits aging religious

WASHINGTON — The SOAR! Annual Awards Dinner in Washington honored Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM and law firm Jones Day for their  respective service and leadership in local, national and global communities.  

Proceeds from this event on November 2 benefit SOAR!, which provides funding to meet the immediate needs of aging Catholic sisters, brothers and priests across the United States.  

Sister Mary Bourdon, a Religious of Jesus and Mary, accepted the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Award. Like Mother Seton, she is a woman who truly witnesses her faith in action.  

Sister Mary co-founded the Washington School for Girls in 1997, a tuition-free private school in southeast Washington. Under her guidance, the school grew from a small after-school program into a two-campus school that has helped hundreds of girls thrive.  

Jones Day received the Saint Katharine Drexel Award in recognition of its pro bono cases and projects. Lawyers at Jones Day have tackled issues including affordable housing and access to education, provided critical services to nonprofit organizations, and made a dedicated effort to advance the rule of law in countries around the world.  

Their work, which varies from complex litigation to representing needy individuals, echoes Saint Katharine Drexel’s call to justice and to serve one another. Firm administrative partner Michael R. Shumaker accepted the award.  

At the dinner, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton, Pennsylvania accepted a grant from SOAR! to replace chipped, cracked flooring in their infirmary so that aging Sisters can safely walk without risk of falling.  

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