November 25, 2025 - Archbishop Richard G. Henning Presents 2025 Cheverus Awards

Archbishop Richard G. Henning presented 102 Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons and religious during a Midafternoon Prayer Service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, in Boston’s South End on Sunday, November 22nd. 

The Archbishop said, "The Church is centered around the core belief that Jesus is our one, true Savior. Therefore, we are bound together by a commitment to serve Christ and the Church in building communities of faith, hope, and love. We honor these 102 individuals who have contributed to the life of the Church and God’s people by living out the episcopal motto of Bishop Cheverus “diligamus nos invicem” (let us love one another)."To view the list of 2025 Cheverus Award recipients, please click here.

CatholicTV broadcast the service live. To watch click here.

First awarded during the bicentennial year of the Archdiocese of Boston (2008), the medals are conferred upon selected recipients from throughout the Archdiocese annually at the Cathedral on or around the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The oval-shaped, silver medal bears the image of Bishop Jean-Louis Anne Magdelaine Lefebvre de Cheverus. On the reverse side is Bishop Cheverus’ coat of arms and episcopal motto “diligamus nos invicem” (let us love one another).

Bishop Cheverus was the founding Bishop of Boston and led the diocese from 1808 until his return to France in 1824. He died in 1836 as the archbishop of Bordeaux.

The medal recipients -- who include laypeople, religious and deacons -- are chosen for their service to the Church and God’s people. Most recipients are nominated by their pastor, forwarded by their area vicar and approved by their regional bishop and Archbishop Richard Henning. Some recipients are personally selected by Archbishop Henning.

Each year, one-third of the parishes of the archdiocese are asked to nominate a parishioner; therefore, most parishes will have one honoree every three years. The criteria given to pastors is that the nominee should be a lay person who has served the parish well over an extended period of time and has done so in a quiet, unassuming and, perhaps, unrecognized fashion.

The Regional Bishops each year are asked to nominate from their respective regions a religious and a deacon of similar qualifications to be honored with the Cheverus medal. The Central Ministries of the Archdiocese also make nominations from among religious, deacons and lay persons who serve on Archdiocesan committees or lead important ministries.