On Saturday, January 3, 2015, the American Catholic Historical Association held its annual Presidential Luncheon in the Social Hall at St. Paul the Apostle Church in midtown Manhattan during its 95th Annual Meeting. In addition to hearing the address delivered by ACHA president, Daniel Bornstein of Washington University in St. Louis, the ACHA honored recipients of its Distinguished Scholarship, Service and Teaching awards as well as Shea book prize winner and Koenig Biography winner.
Professor William Portier of the University of Dayton received the Distinguished Scholar Award, Professor Dennis R. Ryan of The College of New Rochelle was the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Distinguished Service Award for Service to Catholic Studies was presented to the Institute of Jesuit Sources, an apostolic work of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus. The Rev. John Padberg, former director, received the award on behalf of the IJS.
ACHA President Anglyn Dries, O.S.F., presented the John Gilmary Shea book prize for Catholic history to the Rev. John W. O’Malley, S.J., for “Trent: What Happened at the Council”, and she presented the inaugural Harry C. Koenig book prize for Catholic biography to Dr. Robert Ventresca of King’s University College of the Western Ontario University.
At the 95th Annual Meeting, approximately 150 members participated in the conference, presenting, chairing and commenting on 30 panels that covered all aspects of Catholic history. The next Annual Meeting will be held in Atlanta, GA, next January.