“Since it’s such a small school, it’s really easy to ask for help”
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579
June 4, 2011 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The Alumna Achievement Award, awarded annually by the Alumnae Association of Saint Mary's College, honors an alumna who is outstanding in her personal and professional accomplishments and is a recognized leader in her field of endeavor. The honoree exemplifies the standards, ideals, and mission of the College in its commitment to the value of a Christian liberal arts education. This year’s recipient is Patrice Julia Tuohy ’81 of Chicago (pictured on right with President Carol Ann Mooney, left). Saint Mary's College is a Catholic women's, liberal arts college in Notre Dame, Indiana. Tuohy received the Alumnae Achievement Award at tonight's Reunion Banquet, a part of Reunion Weekend, June 2-5.
Finding one’s true calling in life and using it to make a positive difference in the world is central to the College’s mission. According to the award citation, through her daily life lived in faith and her vocation in spreading God’s word through her talents, Tuohy reflects this ideal.
“Patrice is one of the most remarkable women I have ever met,” said Margaret Bonadies Blonigan ’81 in her nomination of Tuohy. “She runs a successful business that champions Catholic teaching and vocation, principles that she believes in and lives by, and she is a devoted wife and mother. In the face of adversity, disappointment, and grief, she rises to every occasion with a positive attitude, the will to overcome the odds stacked against her, and an undying Christian faith that sustains her every day.”
After graduating from Saint Mary’s with a triple major in English, history, and religious studies, Tuohy continued her studies in Ireland and launched her editorial career with a brief turn as a speech-writing assistant to then-Irish Labour Party Leader, Michael O’Leary. Two years later, she returned to the United States and wrote and fact-checked for Encyclopedia Britannica in Chicago. Eventually, her career path led to Claretian Publications, where, as managing editor of U.S. Catholic Magazine, Tuohy spearheaded a major redesign and editorial overhaul, which garnered a host of Church Press Association awards.
In 2001, Tuohy founded and became co-publisher of TrueQuest Communications. TrueQuest publishes Prepare the Word, Take Five for Faith, and oversees the production of VISION Vocation Guide for the National Religious Vocation Conference. Through her innovative efforts, including the creation of VocationMatch.com, VISION has become an essential religious vocation resource for contemporary Catholics. In 2008, Tuohy and TrueQuest received the Harvest Award for outstanding contribution to vocation ministry, and in 2010, the VISION Vocation Network was named a top-ten vocation website by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Through her award-winning publications and publishing services, Tuohy has helped thousands of preachers preach better, tens of thousands of young people find their vocation, and hundreds of thousands of Catholics deepen their understanding of their faith.
Helping others to discover their calling is a pursuit that Touhy views as a privilege—not only as a writer and editor, but as an employer. She has given rise to the Catholic journalism careers of numerous young writers and editors, and three Saint Mary’s alumnae, including Therese Johnson Borchard ’93, who was this year’s Commencement speaker at the Collee. Tuohy has served on various Catholic consultative committees, including the board of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Campus Ministry Association marketing taskforce, while also making time to edit the weekly bulletin for her parish.
According to the award citation, in her personal life, Tuohy has shown outstanding strength and faith. When she was five months pregnant with her now third-grade daughter, Hannah, she and her husband learned that their baby would be born with Down syndrome and a serious heart defect. They put their trust in God first, and later, in two brilliant heart surgeons. Today, Hannah is thriving and showing some of her mother’s gift for writing. Hannah’s short story Cookies for the Queen was produced by a local Chicago television station and included an on-air interview with author Hannah.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2011 College Guide. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.