FAITH THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY The 2023 Distinguished Alumna Rev. Carmen Rosario-Riviere, and the Rising Star Award recipient, Chaplain Maria Sullivan-Marrero, go to where the needs are. People in need and pain often don’t come to church, so the church must go to them, believes Chaplain Maria Sullivan-Marrero. It’s the reason she moved her crisis support group out of her church and into the o昀케ces of the Fairhaven Rape Crisis Center in Highland, Ind. “It’s a faith-based organization,” says Sullivan-Marrero, MAM’20, a certi昀椀ed advocate for A huge part of my seminary sexual assault victims. “We can pray and o昀昀er words of encouragement “ and hope. We are able to connect women to the legal and social services education helped me gain that are needed to heal, restore con昀椀dence, and 昀椀nd support to move an understanding that a forward after trauma.” commitment to social justice issues is an answer to a call… Chaplain Sullivan-Marrero was the recipient of McCormick’s 2023 Rising Star award. Similar It’s important to be part of to the seminary’s Distinguished Alumni Award that was created in 1976, the Rising Star award the conversation…to o昀昀er a honors the myriad ways alums, who within 10 years of their graduation, have contributed to the clear understanding of what ministry of the church in service to the world. the needs are. In a polarizing environment, that can be McCormick’s 2023 Distinguished Alumna was Rev. Carmen Rosario-Riviere, challenging; it shouldn’t M.Div.’84. The 69th alum to receive this title, Rev. Rosario-Riviere makes no keep us from being guided distinction between ministering inside the church and outside its four walls. by the moral teachings “We’re called to be involved,” she says. “Ministry doesn’t only happen on of Scripture, the needs of Sundays, far more of it happens – and is needed – the rest of the week. It’s our communities, and a not enough to be inside singing and listening to the sermon, you must go commitment to share God’s out and practice.” love with all.” Practicing, for Rev. Rosario-Riviere, the 昀椀rst Hispanic woman to be ordained Rev. Violet Johnicker, in the Presbyter of Chicago of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has meant helping people M.Div.’18, McCormick’s 昀椀rst register to vote, referring individuals to needed social services, and serving on the Monmouth County Social Services Board in New Jersey. “We partnered with the Hispanic A昀昀airs Center Rising Star Recipient and gave workshops on domestic violence,” she adds. “When the center needed a place to 18 MCCORMICK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY