Pauline Albin Receives Acacia Award at the African-American Leadership Awards

Pauline Albin received the Acacia Award for her years of service, support and fidelity to the African-American Catholic community in the Louisville Archdiocese.

March 11 eight members of Loretto and three family members accompanied Pauline to the 30th Annual African-American Catholic Leadership Awards Dinner. It was a grand event at the Galt House, including an amazing array of presenters and award recipients.

The Acacia Award program notes stated about Pauline and the other two recipients that “over the years we have benefited greatly from their leadership, service and contributions to education, our local community and nationally through their diligent efforts to provide outreach and care to our African-American community. We celebrate the gifts they have given our African-American Catholic community and our community at large.”

The award was a beautiful tribute to Pauline’s 19 years of service at Christ the King Parish in Louisville.

Pauline’s response was a heartfelt expression of gratitude for God’s love and our call to be love in the world.

Kevin Lofton, the keynote speaker from Catholic Health Initiatives, used Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise” as his theme.

He spoke about building bridges and relationships to respond more effectively and continue to make a difference at both the local and national levels.

Some of the other speakers remembered Pauline from their days at Christ the King Parish, so she received several additional acknowledgements.

It was a wonderful opportunity for Pauline to reconnect with people she knew from her time at the parish.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz visited the Loretto front-row table several times. Mary Swain, Marie Ego, Claudette LoPorto, Dolores Kelledy, Maria Visse, Jean Johnson, Sue Rogers and I had a clear view of the dais and the speakers.