Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., Provincial Superior of the United States Province, received the 2013 Distinguished Community Service Award from the Anti-Defamation League on April 21 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Fr. O’Hara was recognized with Rabbi Larry Kaplan of Wilkes-Barre’s Temple Israel for “building bridges of cross-cultural diversity and mutual respect for others.”
Prior to being elected Provincial Superior in June, Fr. O’Hara served as the eighth President of Holy Cross’ King’s College (Wilkes-Barre). He is a native of the Wyoming Valley and is a 1971 King’s alumnus. Fr. O’Hara has known and worked with Rabbi Kaplan for a number of years. While at King’s, Rabbi Kaplan invited Fr. O’Hara to participate in an interfaith trip to the Holy Land. Fr. O’Hara reflected on this trip in his remarks when accepting the award (you can read about this remarkable journey in Fr. O’Hara’s Holy Thursday homily).
At Sunday’s award dinner, Fr. O’Hara commented that he was proud to be part of the “Valley with a Heart,” saying that he was honored to be co-recipient with Rabbi Kaplan because “we’re both working for the dignity of human beings.”
More on the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Community Service Awardis available at the Citizen’s Voice website.
