President Cregan Honored with St. Thomas More Award

November 11, 2010

At the annual Diocese of Fall River Red Mass on Sunday, November 7, Stonehill President Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C. '78, was honored with the St. Thomas More Award in addition to serving as homilist.

President Cregan, who is also a practicing attorney, was honored for his ecumenical leadership and outreach during his tenure as president of the College over the past decade. Combining his academic and legal spheres, he regularly teaches courses on constitutional and immigration law.

Before coming to Stonehill, President Cregan, while pastor of a large inner-city parish in the Bronx, NY, maintained a general law office focusing on serving low-income clients. He also was a leader in the New York Archdiocese community development efforts, which produced over $100 million in affordable subsidized housing.

A graduate of Stonehill, he joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1975 and was ordained a priest in 1983.

A long-standing tradition in the Church, the Red Mass is sponsored each year by the diocese to invoke God's guidance and strength on those who work to provide justice in the legal system. Judges, attorneys and court personnel are invited to attend. 

In addition to President Cregan, four others were honored with the St. Thomas More Award. They included: as distinguished jurists, retired Judge Antone S. Aguiar, Jr of Swansea and retired Judge John H. O'Neil of Fall River, both former First Justices of the Fall River District Court; as distinguished attorney, Bruce P. Gilmore of Barnstable; as distinguished court employee, Gladys M. Fermino of New Bedford, and recently retired Operations Supervisor of the New Bedford District Court.

Recipients were nominated for the award by a committee of judges, attorneys, court personnel and priests from across the diocese, chaired by New Bedford Atty. Michael Harrington.

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