Submitted by klevin on Wed, 2010-06-09 15:45

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, president of the Path to Peace Foundation and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, presents Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House, with the Path to Peace Foundation's Servant of Peace Award on June 8 at the New York Athletic Club.

Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House, received the Path To Peace Foundation’s Servitor Pacis Award (Servant of Peace Award) “in recognition of his consistent and faithful work on behalf of children” on June 8 at the New York Athletic Club.

“This is a great honor, one that I humbly share with the staff, volunteers, and the many supporters who make our work with homeless youth possible,” said Ryan.  “The Path to Peace Foundation exists to spread the message of peace and to call attention to the needs of the poor throughout the world.    Covenant House is blessed to have the support and partnership of great organizations like the Path to Peace Foundation as we strive to care for over 67,000 homeless and runaway youth each year.”

Prior to becoming the fourth president in the 38-year history of Covenant House, Ryan’s work advocating on behalf of children ranged from counseling teens in crisis on the streets of New York and New Jersey (1992-2002) to serving as New Jersey’s first Child Advocate (2003) and leading a reform of the state’s child welfare system in 2006.

“I am particularly honored that one of the past recipients of the Path To Peace Foundation’s Servant of Peace Award was Sister Mary Rose McGeady, who for 13 years as president of Covenant House was to tens of thousands of American streets kids their Guardian Angel, their Mother Teresa.”

The Path to Peace Foundation was established in 1991 to carry out projects in support of the work of the Vatican’s Holy See Mission to the United Nations.  Archbishop Celestino Migliore is the president of the Path to Peace Foundation and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.

Also receiving the Servant of Peace Award with Ryan was Peter Kelly, president of the board of directors of CRUDEM Foundation, which administers Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot, Haiti.   Mary Ann Glendon, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and author of numerous works in the field of human rights,  was honored with the annual Path to Peace Award for her commitment to peace work.