The Pacem in Terris  Peace and Freedom Award was created in 1964 by the Davenport Catholic Interracial Council.  An Award is presented by the Diocese in collaboration with other organization to honor a person for their achievements in peace and justice, not only in their country but in the world.

The first Pacem in Terris award was given to John F. Kennedy in 1964.  Since then it has included such notables as the activist Dorothy Day and religious figures such as Blessed Mother Teresa.  

Click here for Previous Pacem In Terris Recipients
Click here to learn more about the Encyclical letter Pacem in Terris  (Peace on Earth)

The Quad City Pacem in Terris Coalition selected Sister Norma Pimentel to receive this year’s Pacem in Terrris Peace and Freedom Award. 

She was selected for her dedication to serving asylum seekers as executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in the Brownsville Diocese in Texas.   

Sister Norma Pimentel, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was born July 1, 1953, in Brownsville, Texas while her parents waited to hear from U.S. immigration officials about their applications for residency. 

At the age of 24 and against the wishes of her family, she entered the Missionaries of Jesus in 1978. She began working with refugees in 1980 at the Casa Oscar Romero and developed a passion for her work.

During a satellite broadcast by ABC’s 20/20 in 2015, Pope Francis personally thanked Sister Norma for her work with immigrants. The two met later that year during his historic visit to the United States and again in 2019 in Rome. Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020. She has written extensively on behalf of immigrants and refugees.
 
Sister Norma became executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in 2004.  She provides oversight of the different ministries and programs in the areas of emergency assistance, housing assistance, counseling, pregnancy care and humanitarian aid. In 2014, she helped open the Humanitarian Respite Center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, Texas, in response to the surge of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States.  Printable Flyer.