Artie Kirk: Receives Two Awards

September 25, 2017 

Brother Art Kirk has received two awards since his retirement

I am so very happy to realize that finally one of my brothers has heard my plea for NEWS.  My sincere thanks to Art and his lovely wife Beverly for sharing with all of us, this wondrous news.   

Paul DiCorcia

Hello Paul, 
I hope you are well. After reading the September 11, 2017 minutes to Art, he wanted me to send you two articles for the Tau website regarding the two honors he received since his retirement.

Thanks, Beverly (Kirk)

Former Keuka College President Kirk to Receive Papal Honor

Published March 1, 2016 at 10:38 am

Acting on the request of Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of St. Petersburg, Florida, Pope Francis has chosen to award local resident and Saint Leo University President Emeritus Arthur F. Kirk Jr. the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a lay person of the Catholic faith.

Dr. Kirk, who maintains a home in Penn Yan, is best known locally for his tenure as president of Keuka College from 1984 through 1996. In early 1997, he moved to Central Florida to assume leadership of Saint Leo.

In a private ceremony in April in Florida, Dr. Kirk will receive the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal for distinguished service to the Catholic Church. Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice literally means “For the Church and the Pope.”

In Dr. Kirk’s case, the recognition honors the educator’s tireless work during 18 years in heading Saint Leo University and guiding it from a small college to a nationally recognized Catholic university, known also for its historical significance as the first Catholic college in Florida. Also, from early in his tenure at Saint Leo, Dr. Kirk worked with the American Jewish Committee and local leaders to encourage the founding of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo, which advances interfaith relations through dialogue and educational programming. Dr. Kirk retired from Saint Leo at the end of June 2015.

He is among 14 people so honored, according to a February 19 announcement from the Diocese of St. Petersburg. There is no set timing for such honors. In the Catholic Church, a diocesan bishop may nominate a potential recipient of the award to the Holy Father whenever the bishop sees fit. The Holy Father may agree with the nomination or reject it. Previously, the honor was most recently bestowed in the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 2013 and in 2008.

The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal takes the physical shape of a gold cross. The arms of the cross are tapered into points at their ends, which creates an unusual design with eight edges. In the center of the cross are embedded images of Saints Peter and Paul, and under their likenesses, the papal insignia, consisting of a crossed pair of keys and a triple crown, or tiara. The left arm of the cross bears the inscription Pro Ecclesia; the right arm is inscribed et Pontifice. Small Greek crosses are imprinted at the tip of the top, left and right arms of the cross.