Rick Santorum Visits Catholic University to Receive Fishers of Men Award

By Rachel Stevens

Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife Karen Santorum came to The Catholic University of America on April 26, to receive the “Fishers of Men” award. The “Fishers of Men” award is presented to people who have exemplified exceptional evangelization of Catholic social teaching on life.

The gala, hosted on campus in Father O’Connell Hall, doubled as a fundraiser for the radio network and featured a reception attended by many different politicians and media personnel networking over drinks and hors-d’oeuvres. This “VIP reception” was exclusive, with tickets at $175 a person.

Media personnel and politicians mingled amongst one another. From Betsy Devos’ speech writers to radio hosts, the room was dynamic and full of conversation and laughs.

The award was presented at a gala hosted by WMET Guadalupe Radio Network, a Catholic radio station broadcasted in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It recognized the couple’s contributions towards the Catholic Church in regards to pro-life evangelization.

“Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” from Matthew 4:19, was the theme of the night. The biblical passage refers to when Jesus invites his disciples to follow him and proclaim the Gospel. It is oftentimes used as a way to speak about evangelization in the Catholic Church.

Previous winners of the award include Bishop Paul S. Loverde from Arlington in 2016, and Candice Tyrrell,  governor of the Serra Clubs of district 10 in Texas, in 2018.

“When you’re out there getting beat up for your faith, it’s encouraging to know there are people out there who appreciate what you do,” said Rick Santorum in an exclusive interview with The Tower.

Once the opening reception was coming to an end, guests were shuffled to their assigned tables in Heritage. The hall was transformed with large table centerpieces and a podium for the night’s speakers.

“WMET was one of the very first Catholic radio stations in the area, and many cities still don’t have Catholic radiol,” said Thom Price, director of radio programming at EWTN, beginning with an opening statement about the radio station. “We’re very blessed to have it here, bringing souls closer to Christ in a populated area.”

An opening prayer followed from a priest, who blessed the dinner and event. During the dinner course, a friend of the Santorum’s came to the stage to offer words about their nomination of the award. After her words, she presented the couple with the plaque and they came up on stage to offer their brief thanks.

Santorum spoke about failure in life, specifically how he has failed in running twice for president and lost a senate race. He was elected to the United States senate in 1994, before losing in 2006. Santorum ran for president twice in 2012 and 2016.

“You will encounter failure in your life, and there will be people who will try to stop you from succeeding,” said Santorum. He attributed his success in winning the award to God and how he lives to serve Christ.

The keynote speaker after the acceptance of the award was David Anders, an author and is the host of the radio show, “Called to Communion.” During his speech, he talked about a wide array of topics from the meaning of the award to personal stories of his experience in the Catholic Church. Anders spoke about his own conversion from growing up as an evangelical protestant in Alabama to becoming a Catholic convert. He also touched on why the Catholic movement against abortion matters in the Catholic Church so much.

The dinner ended with an explanation of pledge cards found on the tables and how people attending the dinner could donate to WMET radio. Books by both Anders and Santorum were available for purchase upon exiting the event.

In regards to evangelization  here at Catholic University, Santorum believes that, “It’s really important, particularly for your generation, for those who are advocating for life, to do so with love and respect.”