Leonard Leo To Receive Benedict Leadership Award

Belmont, NC —Leonard Leo, Executive Vice President of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, has been named the second recipient of the Benedict Leadership Award. The award, given by the Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College, will be presented in a public ceremony at Belmont Abbey College on March 22.

The Institute selected Leo above all for his dedication to the defense of religious liberty both in the United States and abroad and for his personal witness to the sanctity of human life.

Leo was appointed by President George W. Bush to three terms to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as chairman, during which time he traveled to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Sudan and Vietnam to assess country conditions on religious freedom.

“While your life displays numerous reasons for being worthy of the Benedict Leadership Award, the Committee wished to honor and highlight your leadership in a few areas in particular: your defense of religious liberty and your personal witness to the sanctity of life,” wrote Executive Director Conor Gallagher in his selection letter to Leo.

“These are areas of great concern to Belmont Abbey College. It is our hope that your Award will bring attention to those persecuted for their religious beliefs and to the dignity of all people, especially the disabled and the unborn.”

The Benedict Leadership Institute was founded in 2016 to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith. The Benedict Leadership Award is a key activity of the Institute.

The Institute confers the Award annually, recognizing outstanding men and women whose achievements reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict.

Recipients deliver a public address in their area of leadership, and are presented with a $10,000 cash award.

Belmont Abbey College, home of the Benedict Leadership Institute, is a Catholic college located near Charlotte, NC. Founded in 1876 by Benedictine monks, it is recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society as one of America’s top Catholic colleges.

For more information on the Benedict Leadership Institute please visit: https://benedictleadershipinstitute.org.

For media inquiries regarding the Benedict Leadership Institute, please contact Conor Gallagher at PublishersOffice@SaintBenedictPress.com.

For media inquiries regarding Belmont Abbey College, please contact Rolando N. Rivas at RolandoRivas@bac.edu or 704-461-6561.