Mary Luke Tobin Social Justice Award 2024

Emmy Stoll and Brendan Staff, 12th annual Mary Luke Tobin Social Justice Award honorees, impressed the selection committee with their deep commitment to social justice.

Emmy, born in Ethiopia and adopted by her American family as an infant, shares that “God says all people are created equal and in the likeness and image of God. Therefore, every single person has equal value.” She is passionate about serving others, and particularly about orphan care. As an orphan in Ethiopia, she says, she “was born into struggles to develop and thrive.” Emmy has been supporting Yabesara, an Ethiopian who is her age, since she was 12. His education, medical needs and food cost $43 a month, which she earns as a soccer referee. Her family continues to help families in the adoption and foster care processes. Emmy is heading to Texas Christian University where she will major in social work.

Brendan finds inspiration in the examples of Mary Luke Tobin SL and Pope Francis and says pursuing social justice enables him to act on his Catholic beliefs. He is especially concerned about the issues of homelessness and justice for immigrants. Brendan has valued nurturing relationships with clients at Harvest of Hope, a food pantry in Boulder, Colo., saying, “I saw how simple conversations made the clients very happy, and we enjoyed building relationships through recurring visits.” Immigrants, he says, are our brothers and sisters who should be “thought of as humans with dignity capable of contributing to the common good of society.” He is heading to Boston College to study economics.

The first Mary Luke Tobin Social Justice Award was presented in 2012. Ken Fitch, Holy Family High School graduate and teacher at the school, was inspired by Mary Luke’s commitment to social justice to create a scholarship for seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to social justice.
Ken shares, “The recipients, in their years at Holy Family, have consistently echoed the cry of the poorest of our society for dignity and labored in their own way for justice and peace — both inside and outside the Church.” Recipients plan to continue their social justice actions beyond high school.

Congratulations Emmy and Brendan! The Loretto Community commends your steadfast commitment to social justice and wishes you Godspeed as you embark on your college journeys.

To read all of the articles in the fall 2024 issue, click here.