On November 6, 2023, the Breukelein Institute presented Commonweal with its annual Gaudium Award of Merit in recognition of the magazine’s outstanding contributions to the arts and public service.

“I can’t express how honored all of us at Commonweal are to be recognized with the Breukelein Institute’s Gaudium Award of Merit,” Editor Dominic Preziosi shared in his acceptance speech.

Your recognition of Commonweal is a testament to the work that everyone on our staff does to keep the magazine going strong, as well as to the support and guidance of our board of directors, as we approach our 100th anniversary of continuous publication in 2024.

Dominic’s full remarks can be found here.

In a letter of tribute, Commonweal board member and chair emeritus John T. McGreevy shares,

How wonderful that you’ve received the Breukelein Institute’s Gaudium Award of Merit, and in such distinguished company! As you know better than anyone else, Commonweal’s history is extraordinary: founded almost 100 years ago and continuously publishing, lay edited, and a vital voice on matters of Catholicism, the world of ideas, and politics. And its future will be extraordinary too. I’m proud to be associated with the enterprise and thrilled that you’ve received this much-deserved recognition.

Commonweal was presented with the award during a ceremony at the Lotos Club in New York City. The magazine was recognized alongside Tony-Award nominated actress and singer Karen Akers; Kerry Brodie, founder and executive director of Emma’s Torch; jazz pianist and composer Aaron Diehl; and Fr. Columba Stewart, O.S.B., international antiquities preservationist and executive director of the Hill Museum in Collegeville, MN.

Past honorees have included political figures, journalists, movie actors, Broadway performers, writers—as well as people associated with Commonweal over the years, including board member Alice McDermott, Phil Klay, Robert Drinan, Mary Gordon, Diane Ravitch, Dan Barry, Marilynne Robinson, and Sr. Helen Prejean.

The Breukelein Institute, which is dedicated to raising funds and organizing programs that would improve the quality of life in New York City, is inspired by St. Philip Neri, whose legacy is best described as a joyful and creative commitment to “good works” in an urban setting. Learn more about St. Philip Neri’s Eucharistic joy here.