The Canon Law Society of America Podcast

Reverend Kevin McKenna was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1977. After serving two parishes he was asked to study canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned his JCL. In 1990 he earned his JCD at St. Paul University in Ottawa. Fr. McKenna served as Vice-Chancellor, Chancellor and Director of Legal Services for the Diocese of Rochester until 2000 when he was appointed pastor of St. Cecilia Church. He also served the CLSA as Vice-President, President and Past President, and was presented with the Role of Law Award in 2007. The followng year, Fr. McKenna was appointed as Pastor/Rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral Community.  On top of this service to the Society and hie diocese, Fr. McKenna is author of numerous articles (such as those in America magazine) and books, including A Concise Guide to Canon Law and A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching. He also serves as general editor for Ave Maria Press' Concise Guide series. Fr. McKenna is also a proud, die-hard Toronto Bluejays fans! 

Role of Law Citation

As the Universal Church observes the Year of Consecrated Life, this year's Role of Law recipient has given faithful witness to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience for 49 years.

Our honoree, a native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was taught by religious sisters in secondary school and later entered religious life with the same community. Her vocation has led her to roles of service in the Church that she never could have anticipated, even after earning both the licentiate and doctorate in canon law at The Catholic University of America. Going beyond the usual works undertaken by women religious, our honoree was repeatedly called upon to serve the Church in ever more challenging and significant roles. Becoming the first woman religious to have “this” or “that” job became so common that it was, I dare say, no longer exceptional. Her talents, skills, knowledge and dedication to the mission of the Church were her credentials. And that was enough.

As a teacher, our honoree has been a professor of canon law at CUA (where she taught religious law to my JCL class, the class of 1994). We were only one small group of many whom she has taught, whether in the classroom, at convention seminars for the CLSA or other Societies – canonical and non-canonical – in published scholarly articles, or simply by a friendly word of instruction, guidance or counsel.

As an executive, our honoree has held roles of responsibility at the diocesan level, within her religious community, for groups of religious communities, and for the Conference of Bishops. With determination and with grace she has guided these respective authorities, even during turbulent times, to make decisions in accord with the Gospel and the law of the Church, and she has most ably assisted in the implementation of those decisions. She has been a loyal and active member of this society since 1984, and has served on several committees, the Board of Governors, and in the role of Executive Coordinator and President.

Dear friends, during this Year of Consecrated Life, please join me in congratulating the 2015 recipient of the Role of Law Award, a Sister of Mercy and a daughter of the Church, Sister Sharon Euart, R.S.M.

Sister Sharon Euart is a Sister of Mercy who has served as the Executive Director of the Resource Center for Religious Institutes in Silver Spring, MD, since 2014. Prior to that, she was the Executive Coordinator of the Canon Law Society of America. Sister Sharon has served the CLSA in a number of other capacities, most notably as President of the society, as chairperson of the Publications Advisory Board, and as editor for a number of Societal publications. Sr. Sharon was the CLSA's 2015 Role of Law Award recipient.

Each year the Canon Law Society of America presents its distinguished Role of Law Award to an individual considered to be outstanding in the field of canonical science. The By-Laws of the Society directs the Board of Governors to select a person who demonstrates in his or her life and legal practice the following characteristics:

In 1986 when he won the CLSA's prestigious Role of Law Award, Monsignor John Alesandro delivered an abridged version of his prepared response. The full talk was published in the CLSA Proceedings from the 1986 Convention. In this recording, Msgr. Alesandro reads his unabridged talk, injected with the sense of humor that his friends and fellow canonists love about him. This recording was made on May 14, 2020. 

Monsignor John Alesandro is a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Center, New York. His unwavering dedication to the Church is obvious when he speaks of the many ministerial roles he has played, both in his diocese and in the Canon Law Society of America. In addition to his canon law expertise, Monsignor Alesandro earned a degree in civil law in his "spare time" in the 1990s. He also is an accomplished pianist and a connoisseur of Bernard Lonergan's theological writings. It was no real surprise that Monsignor Alesandro was honored by the CLSA in 1986 as the Role of Law Award recipient. He continues to inspire and encourage young canonists in the United States and throughout the world today. 

CITATION: ROLE OF LAW AWARD

 Each year the Canon Law Society of America presents its distinguished Role of Law Award to an individual considered to be outstanding in the field of canonical science. The By-Laws of the Society directs the Board of Governors to select a person who demonstrates in his or her life and legal practice the following characteristics:  

 Embodiment of pastoral attitude, commitment to research and study, participation in the development of law, response to needs or practical assistance, facilitation of dialogue and the interchange of ideas within the Society and with other groups.

 These qualifications are merely a concise re-statement of the constitutionally-expressed purposes of the Society.

 The person to whom this award is given is viewed by us as one who embodies all that we, as members of the Society hold dear, as one to whom we can look for guidance and inspiration. Such an official statement alone is, perhaps the greatest honor that can be bestowed on anyone – to be selected by one’s friends and peers as outstanding among them.

 The 2005 honoree is a priest and a religious. He was born in San Francisco, California in 1939, entered the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentians, in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1965. Active in his religious community, he has served the Vincentians and their ministries in many capacities: as teacher, formation director, college professor and president, and most recently as Founding Director of Vincentian Canonical Services.

 In addition to involvement with his religious community this year’s recipient of the Role of Law Award has been an active member and representative of our Society for over thirty years. He served as Secretary in 1973-74, Vice-President in 1987-88 and President in 1988-89. He has been a presenter at conventions and contributed generously to Roman Replies on a variety of topics of interest to canonists and church leaders.

 This thirty-third recipient of the Role of Law Award is well know to all as a committed churchman imbued with the missionary spirit in the Vincentian tradition, a dedicated teacher, and a person convinced of the pastoral nature of the Church’s law as it is grounded in service to the people of God.

 Tonight we honor a friend, a colleague, an educator, and a fellow canonist. It my privilege  to present the 2005 Role of Law Award, on behalf of the Canon Law Society of America and the Board of Governors, to  Reverend Paul L. Golden of the Congregation  of the Mission.

                                                                                                 Sister Sharon Euart, RSM

                                                                                                 October 5, 2005

Father Paul Golden, the CLSA's  2005 Role of Law honoree, is a priest and a religious. He was born in San Francisco, California in 1939, entered the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentians, in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1965. Active in his religious community, he has served the Vincentians and their ministries in many capacities: as teacher, formation director, college professor and president, and as Founding Director of Vincentian Canonical Services. In addition to involvement with his religious community Fr. Paul has remained an active member and representative of our Society for over 45 years. He served as the BOG Secretary in 1973-74, Vice-President in 1987-88 and President in 1988-89. He has been a presenter at conventions and contributed generously to Roman Replies on a variety of topics of interest to canonists and church leaders. We are immeasurably grateful to Fr. Paul Golden for his dedication and pastoral presence in our Society. 

Sister Victoria Vondenberger delivered her response to the Role of Law Award Citation that was read by Board President Msgr. Bruce Miller during the Convention Banquet in October of 2017.

Sister Victoria Vondenberger is a Sister of Mercy who has served as head of the Tribunal in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since she received her licentiate degree in canon law. Sister Vicki has been a member of the CLSA since 1991 and has served the Society through her participation on various committees, as a member of the Board of Governors, and as an author and editor of numerous publications. She recently presented a webinar on The Defender of the Bond, which was attended by dozens of CLSA members. CLSA members can access her webinar on the CLSA website (www.clsa.org).