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Gonzaga University and the Opus Prize Foundation will honor three faith-based humanitarians and award one with the $1 million 2014 Opus Prize this Thursday evening. Two finalists will receive $100,000 each to advance their social change initiatives. The finalists, who arrived Monday afternoon, are Sister Teresa Fitzgerald of Hour Children, Queens, New York; Gollapalli Israel, of the Janodayam Social Education Centre in Chennai, India; and Rev. Joseph Maier, of the Mercy Centre Human Development Foundation in Bangkok.
Gonzaga welcomed the finalists to campus and the Inland Northwest for a series of Opus Week events, which began with a reception Monday hosted by Spokane Mayor David Condon, City Council President Ben Stuckart, and City Council members.
According to a press release, a crowd of 1,500 people – including more than 650 students, as well as dignitaries, community leaders, neighbors, friends and supporters – is expected for the awards ceremony and community reception Thursday evening at Spokane’s Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. All three finalists will speak before the winner is announced. The event will be streamed live at http://www.gonzaga.edu/
Week-long events include an Interfaith Service tonight, led by Archbishop Blase Cupich, of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane and recently appointed archbishop of Chicago.
