The 2026 Mustard Seed Award Honorees

We are delighted to announce the 2026 Rostro de Cristo Mustard Seed Award honoring and recognizing Msgr. J. Bryan Hehir, Randy McGrorty, and Jill Rauh.

  • Sunday, October 25, 2026
  • 11:00 a.m.
  • Braintree, Massachusetts

Msgr. J. Bryan Hehir

Msgr. J. Bryan Hehir is one of the Church’s most respected voices on Catholic social teaching, ethics, and public policy. He currently serves as Secretary for Health and Social Services for the Archdiocese of Boston and teaches at Harvard Kennedy School. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has helped shape the Church’s engagement on issues of peace, human rights, and social justice. Rostro de Cristo is honored to recognize Msgr. Hehir with the Mustard Seed Award for his lifelong witness to a faith that does justice.

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Randolph “Randy” P. McGrorty

Randolph “Randy” McGrorty is the founding CEO of Catholic Legal Services, where he has spent more than three decades defending the rights of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. A tireless advocate for vulnerable communities, Randy has also been a longtime supporter of Rostro de Cristo, serving on its founding Board and helping guide the organization’s mission. We are proud to honor Randy for his extraordinary commitment to human dignity and justice.

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Jill Rauh

Jill Rauh serves as Executive Director of the Secretariat of Justice and Peace for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where she leads efforts to advance the Church’s social mission through education, advocacy, and outreach. A Rostro de Cristo alumna who served in Ecuador, Jill has dedicated her life to integrating faith, solidarity, and structural change. Rostro de Cristo is proud to honor her for her leadership and enduring commitment to Catholic social teaching.

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In 2022, the Rostro de Cristo Board of Directors established the Mustard Seed Award to honor our founder, Fr. Jim Ronan, and to recognize individuals whose lives embody our mission of faith, solidarity, and justice.

 

“Like the Mustard Seed, the presence of God in us continually grows and expands to fill our very being.”

— Sr. Evelyn Ronan, S.S.N.D., Emeritus Board Member

Past Mustard Seed Awards

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Honorees Pat McTeague and Sonya Rendón with Fr. Jim Ronan.

Pat McTeague and Sonya Rendón have been great friends to Rostro deCristo since our beginning. Drawn to work together by their shared faith and their belief that a quality education is the main pathway to overcome poverty they founded the Nuevo Mundo (New World) School andFoundation. Generations of Rostro de Cristo volunteers and retreatants have been impacted by them. In the words of Fr. Ronan, “Pat and Sonya have been a truly formative inspiration in their relationships with our volunteers due to the relationships they have had with the people they serve which is, of course, fueled by their relationship with God which has caused them to dream and envision a new world.”

Rdc Board member Barbra Rosiello with honoree, Nancy Lukitsh.

Nancy Lukitsh is a woman of deep faith and commitment to young people in their faith journeys. Nancy served on Rostro de Cristo’s Board from 2012 - 2021. Bringing her many successful years working in the financial sector her critical guidance and support ensured Rostro deCristo’s promising future. Close friend of 40 years and fellow BoardMember, Barbara Rosiello, said of Nancy, “The mustard seed imagery is truly perfect in describing how Nancy moved Rostro forward. Graciously, gracefully, and generously.”

Rostro de Cristo Board Chair Ed Hardiman with honoree Paul Saleeb, M.D.

Paul Saleeb, M.D. is a Rostro de Cristo alumnus (1999-2000) and physician in infectious disease. Since his year with Rostro Paul has volunteered in Kenya and Sudan; conducted research and offered technical support in Mali and Tanzania; and served as a resident faculty director in Botswana. In addition, he has worked at the National Institutes of Health. Currently, Paul practices medicine in Baltimore and serves on the faculty of U. of Maryland School of Medicine. Rostro de Cristo volunteer and Paul’s community-mate in Ecuador, Claire Ribando, introduced Paul at the awards sharing, “I think Paul has always had agreat faith. I have seen how he has carried it forward in his work, his research, his service, and his travels.”