Caritas

What is Caritas?

Caritas is a Latin term meaning loving kindness towards others. It is linked to the generosity and helpfulness one extends to another; the act of self-sacrifice for the good of others; genuine charity motivated by love. Caritas is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit.

Women and men honored with the Bishop McNamara Caritas Award exhibit these qualities and exemplify the values and vision of Father Basil Anthony Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Nominations for Caritas Awards

Please read the description of each award within the nomination form and then take the time to nominate a colleague, a parent and alumni member that you believe is worthy of this honor using the online forms above. Nominations will now be taken year-round for these awards.

Please note, in order for a member of the faculty or staff to be nominated, they must have completed five (5) years of full-time employment at Bishop McNamara High School. If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Mammano, Development Director, at Sandy.Mammano@bmhs.org.

We are now accepting nominations for the following awards:

Community Awards

Distinguished Fine and Performing Arts Volunteer

The Caritas Award for Distinguished Fine and Performing Arts Volunteer is presented annually to a person (or couple) who have contributed their time and talents to the Bishop McNamara High School community,specifically to the Fine Arts Department, over an extended period of time. Fine and Performing Arts Volunteers help the department flourish, and have helped Bishop McNamara become the leading name in high school fine arts in the Washington Metropolitan area. These volunteers help during our fine arts productions and events in helping them run smoothly.

The award is for non-compensated contributions to the school community. The service should be completed in a spirit of generosity and be consistent with the mission of a Holy Cross education. Persons nominated for a Caritas award should be of good character and moral standards; they should be role models for their peers and throughout the school community.

While there are many volunteers who take on a single project and do an outstanding job for the Fine Arts Department in any given school year, please note that a Caritas nominee should have exhibited ongoing contributions to BMHS Fine and Performing Arts.

To nominate someone for this award, contact the Advancement Office at Advancement@bmhs.org.

Distinguished Athletics Volunteer

The Caritas Award for Distinguished Athletics Volunteer is presented annually to a person (or couple) who have contributed their time and talents to the Bishop McNamara High School community,specifically to the Department of Athletics, over an extended period of time. Volunteers who give their time and effort in support of BMHS Athletics help during our athletic events, lead by example in helping our student-athletes gain confidence, strength and skill in their respective sports - all the while cheering the Mustangs on to victory.

While there are many volunteers who take on a single project and do an outstanding job for the Department of Athletics in any given school year, please note that a Caritas nominee should have exhibited ongoing contributions to BMHS Athletics.

To nominate someone for this award, go to Distinguished Athletics Volunteer.

Distinguished Parents' Club Volunteer

The Caritas Award for Distinguished Parents' Club Volunteer is presented annually to a person (or couple) who have contributed their time and talents to the Bishop McNamara High School community,specifically to the Parents' Club, over an extended period of time. The Parents' Club coordinates several on-campus events, helps organize fundraisers and arranges meetings to contribute to the continuing success of the School.

While there are many volunteers who take on a single project and do an outstanding job for the Parents' Club in any given school year, please note that a Caritas nominee should have exhibited ongoing contributions to the Parents' Club.

To nominate someone for this award, go to Distinguished Parents' Club Volunteer.

Holy Cross Award

“Zeal is the great desire to make God known, loved, and served, and thus to bring knowledge of salvation to others.” – Blessed Basil Moreau.

The Holy Cross Award was created to honor members of the Bishop McNamara community to honor overall service and advancement of Bishop McNamara High School. Through their hard work, this honorees have helped us continue our Holy Cross mission and spread the word about our School and extraordinary students. Nominees for the award should, as Blessed Basil Moreau stated, "make God known, loved and served" through their work with the School.

Nomination for the Holy Cross Award is open to parents, Bishop McNamara faculty and staff, as well as Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School alumni who have made God known, loved and served by performing charitable acts in their personal and professional lives.

To nominate someone for this award, go to Holy Cross Award

Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni

The purpose of the Distinguished Alumni Award is to recognize Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School alumni who have made significant contributions to society, and whose accomplishments, affiliations and careers have honored the legacy of excellence at Bishop McNamara High School. The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to alumni who have distinguished themselves by obtaining the highest level of professional accomplishments and who possess the highest standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the mission of Bishop McNamara High School.

The Distinguished Alumni Award does more than honor its recipients. It also increases the pride that students, staff, faculty, parents, friends and benefactors have for the school. This award further demonstrates the School’s commitment to Holy Cross education--namely the four pillars of Being Family, Building Respect, Educating Hearts and Minds, and Bringing Hope--as lived out in the personal and professional lives of our graduates.

To nominate someone for this award, go to Distinguished Alumni Award Nomination Form.

St. Andre Medal

“Practice charity with your neighbor—and this doesn't mean only to give money to the poor. There are many ways to practice charity. We could, for example, keep ourselves from examining our neighbor’s conscience. There is also visiting the sick, who often do not need money, but who need good advice to help them get closer to God.” –Saint André Bessette

Known as “The Miracle Man of Montreal” thousands of healings were attributed to his prayers for the intercession of St. Joseph. A humble servant, Brother André always insisted that he was not a miracle worker: “I am nothing . . . only a tool in the hands of Providence, a lowly instrument at the service of St. Joseph.” Blessed Father Basil Moreau instilled in the Congregation of Holy Cross a great zeal for bringing others into relationship with God. This zeal is a characteristic that burned brightly in the life of Brother André. Between his dedication to prayer and the demands of his ministry, Brother André maintained an exhausting schedule. Yet he never sought to attract a following for himself; his exhaustive labors were always dedicated to leading others to God.

The Saint André Medal is awarded to Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School alumni who, in their personal and professional lives, embody the virtues of humility and service and have made, over the years, an enduring contribution to the mission of Bishop McNamara High School in making God known, loved and served through the Christian experience.

To nominate someone for the St. Andre Medal, go to Caritas St. Andre Medal Award Nomination.

Distinguished Young Alumni

The purpose of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award is to recognize Bishop McNamara High School alumni who have made significant contributions to society, and whose accomplishments, affiliations and careers have honored the legacy of excellence at Bishop McNamara High School. The Distinguished Young Alumni Award, as its name states, recognizes alumni who have made these contributions and shown this level of dedication at a young age with the hope that they will continue this level of service later in life. This award is given annually to alumni who have distinguished themselves by obtaining professional accomplishments as well as possess the highest standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the mission of Bishop McNamara High School.

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award does more than honor its recipients. It also increases the pride that students, staff, faculty, parents, friends and benefactors have for the school. This award further demonstrates the School’s commitment to Holy Cross education--namely the four pillars of Being Family, Building Respect, Educating Hearts and Minds, and Bringing Hope--as lived out in the personal and professional lives of our graduates.

To nominate someone for this award, go to Caritas Distinguished Young Alumni Award Nomination Form.