CARA honors sociologists Hoge, late Msgr. Murnion

Published: 2003-10-09

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate Oct. 1 honored two sociologists, Dean R. Hoge and the late Msgr. Philip J. Murnion, for their extensive contributions to sociological study of the church. In a talk at the ceremonies, Hoge warned that the U.S. church needs to engage in careful research and planning to meet effectively the challenges of its transition, already well under way, from clerical and religious leadership to predominantly lay leadership. Hoge, a professor of sociology at The Catholic University of America and director of the university's Life Cycle Institute, received CARA's Father Louis J. Luzbetak Award for Exemplary Church Service. It is named after the Divine Word priest who was founding director of CARA. Msgr. Murnion, who died of cancer Aug. 19, was honored posthumously with the Cardinal Cushing Medal for Advancement of Church Research for his extensive work in church leadership research, training and consultation, especially in the past 20 years as founder and director of the National Pastoral Life Center in New York and editor in chief of Church magazine. Msgr. Murnion had led landmark studies on Catholic parish life in the United States and on the growth of lay ministries in U.S. parishes over the past 20 years.

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