Raymond native and advocate for immigrants is national award finalist

Elizabeth Thole of St. Paul, who volunteered with migrant workers and their families during high school and college and now works full-time on immigration issues, was one of ten finalists for a national Catholic award. This award is presented annually to recognize young Catholics between the ages of 18 and 30 who have shown leadership in fighting poverty and injustice.

The Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award is presented each year by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the national anti-poverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The award honors Cardinal Joseph Bernardin (1928-1996), a leading voice on behalf of the poor who saw the need to build bridges across ethnic, class and age barriers.

Elizabeth , a native of Raymond, MN, graduated from MacCray High School in 1997 and from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN in 2001. While in high school, she volunteered in the migrant ministry program of the Diocese of New Ulm under the direction of Fr. Anthony Stubeda, diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry. After she graduated from high school, the Diocese invited her to work as a migrant minister in its summer ministry program, where she spent five summers developing and implementing a model of holistic ministry and life in a community divided by ethnicity and work patterns. The team was comprised of priests and lay people, Anglo and Hispanic workers, and migrant workers and year-round residents. They focused on building faith communities among groups of people who are isolated from the local community and from other migrant workers.

After college, Ms. Thole accepted a VISTA volunteer position with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota in St. Paul, becoming a paid staff member after a year as a volunteer. She coordinates volunteers, including attorneys who are working pro bono; she is the case manager for the attorneys and the liaison between them and the staff. In addition, she works to raise awareness of the center’s work on immigration issues, organizing presentations and educational events.

The 2002 Award recipient is Angela Lariviere, 30, who has developed an advocacy and self-help program in Ohio for homeless children.

CCHD is one of the nation’s largest funding organizations for self-help, community-based programs initiated and led by the poor.