The Luminosa Award for Unity recognizes institutions or persons who have given a significant contribution to the building of universal brotherhood through their work in ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, or any other aspect of social life.

The award is sponsored by the Focolare Center for Education in Dialogue and was given for the first time in 1988.

Past Recipients of the Luminosa Award for Unity:

1988 – Pio Cardinal Laghi
Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States

1989 – William Cardinal Keeler
Archbishop of Baltimore
Former President of the US National Conference of Catholic Bishops

1990 – Mother Mary Rose Schulte
Foundress, Sisters Servants of Christ the King, Wisconsin

1991 – Professor Don Mitchell, Christian
Purdue University, Indiana
Mrs. Norma Levitt, Jewish
World Union for Progressive Judaism, New Jersey
Dawud Assad, Muslim
World Muslim League, New York

1992 – Professor Abe Masao, Buddhist
Professor of Buddhism, Purdue University, Indiana

1993 – The Tekakwitha Conference
Award received by Ms. Vivian Juan, President

1994 – Rev. Diane Kessler, Executive Director
Massachusetts Council of Churches, Boston. MA

1995 – Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director
Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT

1996 – John Cardinal O’Connor
Archbishop of New York

1997 – Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, leader
American Society of Muslims, Chicago, Ill.

1998 – Dr. Paul A. Crow, Jr.
Former President of Council on Christian Unity of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ), Indianapolis, IN

1999 – Patt Shea, Screenwriter and Jack Shea, President
Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles, CA

2001 – His Royal Highness Lukas Njifu a Fontem
King of the Bangwa People of Cameroon

2002 – Dr. Shantilal K. Somaiya, Chairman
K. J. Somaiya Trust, Mumbai, India

2003 – Bishop Henrik Svenungsson
Swedish Lutheran emeritus Bishop of Stockholm

2004 – Rev. Nichiko Niwano
President of the Rissho Kosei Kai (Buddhist movement), Tokyo, Japan

2005 – Senator Douglas Roche
Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament to the United Nations
and Advisor to the Holy See

2006 – Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
Archbishop emeritus, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Rescinded

2008 – Dr. Anthony Cernera
Former President of Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut and
President of the International Federation of Catholic Universities

2010 – Mr. & Mrs. Howard and Rose Belcher
Among the Focolare pioneers of North America from Chicago

2012 – Catholic Charities Spanish Catholic Center, Washington, D.C.
Award received by Rev. Mario Dorsonville, Director

2014 – Rev John Armstrong,
Founder of ACT3network

2016 – Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia
Trustee, Sikh Council for Interfaith Relations