Pellegrenes to Receive Colman Barry Award

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Saint John's University will present the eighth Colman J. Barry Award for Distinguished Contributions to Religion and Society to John and Connie Pellegrene. The award will be presented on Friday, April 20, in conjunction with Saint John's Day activities and the celebration of the first volume of The Saint John's Bible.

The Pellegrenes are the parents of five children, three of whom attended SJU ' Michael '87, Stephen '87 and Joseph '99. Both the Pellegrenes have made significant contributions to the life of the local community. Connie Pellegrene's chief community involvements have been at Caring and Sharing Hands, Minneapolis, and at her parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary, where she has tutored children with learning disabilities and serves as a Stephen's Minister, bringing communion to the sick and comfort and counsel to the troubled in spirit.

Recipient of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital Founder's Award in 1997 for extraordinary commitment, John Pellegrene is a graduate of John Carroll University, Cleveland, and recently retired after a 30-year career in advertising and marketing as executive vice president/marketing at Target Stores. He will continue to work with Target Corporation as a > consultant on community giving initiatives. His community involvement includes service with the Minneapolis United Way, Guthrie Theater, Hill Monastic Manuscript Library and the National Council of Catholic Education. John has been a SJU Regent since 1993.

The Colman J. Barry Award for Distinguished Contributions to Religion and Society recognizes the contributions that the Rev. Barry, a Benedictine monk of Saint John's Abbey and former president of SJU, made during his life of scholarship and teaching. The author of several books, including his three-volume Readings in Church History and Worship and Work, the Rev. Barry began his teaching career at Saint John's in 1952. He died in 1994.

The Rev. Barry was responsible for the creation of the Jay Phillips Chair in Jewish Studies in 1969, the first such chair at an American Catholic college, and the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library in 1964. His creative leadership set the roots on the SJU campus for Minnesota Public Radio in 1967, which has grown to become one of the top public radio networks in the nation.

Saint John's University for men and the College of Saint Benedict for women are partners in liberal arts education, providing students the opportunity to benefit from the distinctions of not one, but two nationally recognized Catholic, undergraduate colleges. Together the colleges challenge students to live balanced lives of learning, work, leadership and service in a changing world.