Laetare Medal

Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal is presented annually to an American Catholic in recognition of outstanding service to the Church and society. It is considered the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics.

Year	Recipient	Speech
2023	Sister Rosemary Connelly, R.S.M.	Acceptance Speech
2022	Sharon Lavigne	Acceptance Speech
2021	Carla A. Harris	Acceptance Speech
2020	Kathleen McChesney
2019	Norman C. Francis
2018	Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J.	Acceptance Speech
2017	Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J.	Acceptance Speech
2016	Joe Biden John Boehner	Acceptance Speech Acceptance Speech
2015	Aaron Neville	Acceptance Speech
2014	Kenneth R. Miller	Acceptance Speech
2013	Sister Susanne Gallagher, S.P.; Sister Mary Therese Harrington, S.H.; and Rev. James H. McCarthy	Acceptance Speech
2012	Ken Hackett	Acceptance Speech
2011	Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M., and Joan McConnon	Acceptance Speech
2010	Dana Gioia	Acceptance Speech
2008	Martin Sheen	Acceptance Speech
2007	Patrick Francis McCartan
2006	Dave Brubeck	Acceptance Speech
2005	Joseph Edward Murray
2004	Reverend J. Bryan Hehir
2003	Peter and Margaret OBrien Steinfels
2002	Reverend John Philip Smyth
2001	Monsignor George Gilmary Higgins
2000	Andrew James McKenna
1999	John Philip Gleason

The University did not award the Laetare Medal for 2009. Judge John T. Noonan Jr., the 1984 recipient of the Laetare Medal, reflected on the spirit of the Laetare during the May, 2009 University Commencement Ceremony. In 2020 there was not an Acceptance Speech from Kathleen McChesney, due to Covid-19 and the 2020 in-person ceremony being cancelled.