Fr. Pollard Honored for Contribution to Religious Education
WASHINGTON (April 11, 1997) -- Father John E. Pollard, Executive Director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for the Catechism, has been named to receive this year's F. Sadlier Dinger Award for "an outstanding contribution to the ministry of Religious Education in the United States."
The award ceremony will take place April 15 at the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) annual meeting, at the Radisson Twin Towers, Orlando, Florida. Announcement of the award was made jointly by Frank Sadlier Dinger and William Sadlier Dinger, Chairman and President, respectively, of William H. Sadlier, Inc.
"Father Pollard has labored tirelessly to help publishers produce catechetical programs that are faithful to the Catechism of the Catholic Church," said William S. Dinger. "His is a delicate and demanding task."
Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1974, Father Pollard holds a Masters degree in administration from Loyola University of Chicago and a Masters degree in Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Mundelein Seminary. He is presently preparing his dissertation for the Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of America.
Father Pollard was appointed to the Office for Religious Education, Archdiocese of Chicago, in 1985 and was named archdiocesan Director of Religious Education in 1987. He received the Archdiocese of Chicago Award for Extraordinary Leadership and Service in 1992.
In 1992, Father Pollard was appointed to the Department of Education, United States Catholic Conference (USCC). In this capacity he provided staff assistance to the Bishops' Committees on the Catechism, Education and Catechesis and the subcommittee of Bishops and Publishers. He served as special assistant to the executive director and director of catechesis for Pope John Paul II's visit to Denver for World Youth Day in 1993.
In 1994 Father Pollard was one of ten catechetical experts in the world whom Pope John Paul II appointed a permanent member of the Congregation for the Clergy's International Council on Catechesis. In 1995 he was appointed founding director of the Bishops' Office for the Catechism.
Currently Father Pollard serves on the Boards of Directors of the National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education, the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership, the National Catholic Catechists' Society, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, De Paul University's Center for Church/State Studies, the Institute for Leadership of Religious Organizations, and the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago.
Father Pollard wrote Exploring the Catholic Faith (Benziger, 1988), the leader's annotated edition of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's Growing in Wisdom, Age and Grace (Sadlier, 1990), and numerous articles. He also edits the Office for the Catechism's "Catechism Update," a monthly newsletter which serves as a clearinghouse for information on the Catechism.