“A Way of Life in the Light of Faith” is the 13th annual Faithful Citizenship Dinner hosted by the University of St. Thomas-Houston Donald S. Nesti, CSSp, Center for Faith & Culture. Devout Catholic Mary Frances Fabrizio will receive this year’s Faithful Citizenship Award for her exceptional post-retirement volunteerism with many Catholic organizations including the Catholic Chaplains Corps, Catholic Charity Guild as archivist and historian for its 2022 centennial celebration, and serving as Dame Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

“Mary Frances Fabrizio was chosen as our Faithful Citizen of the Year because she has been an extraordinary gift to the Center For Faith & Culture, as well as many other charitable organizations, with  her many hours of ‘hands on’ volunteer work that has benefited all of those she serves,”  Nesti Center’s Financial Management & Events Director Patti Murphy said.

Event Details

The event is Thursday, Oct. 12, at the River Oaks Country Club, starting with a 6:30 p.m. reception followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and award ceremony.

“Honorary co-chairs are Wendy (MAFC '17) and Deacon Joseph Millhouse and  Mills and Steve Toomey ’71 chosen for their selfless giving to the community and UST as well as their fond admiration for Mary Francis and her work,” Murphy said.

The event benefits the Nesti Center for Faith & Culture. Tickets are $350. RSVP by Sept. 12 to be listed in the printed program. Tables and sponsorships are as follows:

·      $3,500

·      $5,000

·      $10,000

·      $25,000

·      $100,000.

Purchase your tickets here. Attire is cocktail or business.  Complimentary valet parking is available. For tickets or sponsorships, contact Patti Murphy at cfc@stthom.edu.

For nearly 30 years, the Nesti Center for Faith & Culture has brought the Catholic voice to the ongoing conversation about the meaning of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness held in common as Americans. The Center's mission is to provide education and formation to help people examine, discern and live out the relationship between the Gospel’s universal call to love and the worldview and values of the dominant American culture. To learn more about the Center, go to www.stthom.edu/cfc.

 Meet our Honoree

 Mary Frances Fabrizio was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the youngest in a family of five children. Raised in the Catholic faith, she was educated in parochial schools. Fabrizio entered Youngstown State University, transferring to Michigan State University for her senior year to complete a B.A. degree.

After graduation, she relocated to San Antonio, Texas, and then Houston. Fabrizio was employed for 32 years at the U.T. Health Science Center at Houston Medical School in various roles.

After her retirement from U.T., she found her niche in volunteerism:

·      She joined  the Catholic Chaplain Corps assigned to St. Luke’s Hospital.

·      She has been a member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women since 2003.

·      She served three terms on the Board of Directors for the San José Clinic.

·      She worked to compile a comprehensive history of the Charity Guild in preparation for the charity’s centennial in 2022. She is now tasked with archiving those materials. 

·      She has served on the Advisory Boards of both the Center for Faith & Culture and Catholic Literary Arts organization.

·      She worked in the Blue Bird Circle Pediatric Neurology Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital as a member of the Blue Bird Circle.

·      She served as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at her parish church .

·      She is Dame Commander in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.