CATHEDRAL DEANERY — In honor of his dramatic leadership in helping New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina, Catholic Charities USA presented its 2007 Vision Award to Dr. Norman C. Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, during its annual gathering in Cincinnati last week.

The annual Vision Award recognizes an individual whose life and work personifies Catholic Charities USA’s vision for a moral, just, and compassionate society.

Following the catastrophic floods brought on by Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Francis responded with courage and commitment and immediately went to work recovering the Xavier campus — most of which was damaged. He also chaired the governor’s Louisiana Recovery Authority, managing the recovery effort for the entire state.

"Our Vision Award is presented to those who, in their life and work, share Catholic Charities commitment to ensuring that the needs of individuals, families, and communities — especially the poor and vulnerable — are front and center in conversations about the kind of society we want. Dr. Francis’ commitment to these principles was nowhere more evident than in the leadership role he took in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," said Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. "In the face of one of the most extraordinary crises this nation has ever experienced, Dr. Francis remained a voice of reason, possibility, and hope."

"I am so honored and pleased to accept Catholic Charities USA’s 2007 Vision Award," said Francis, upon accepting the award. "In America today, we have to deal with catastrophes equitably, honestly, and with moral values. And I am happy to say Catholic Charities has established a principal and model for working together: we have to work together across lines — across race, across culture, and across economic backgrounds."

Francis also has selflessly dedicated himself to quality education. Xavier, the nation’s only historically black Roman Catholic university, has benefited greatly from Francis’s leadership. During his tenure, the university has more than doubled its enrollment, broadened its curriculum, expanded its campus and strengthened its financial base.