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Robert Lester Stern
Contact Information
- Mail: 2041 Gates Court
Morris Plains, NJ 07950 - Email: rlstern32@gmail.com
- Phone: +1 (917) 519-0439
Family
- Birth: 22 Nov 1932, New York City (Bronx)
- Parents: Lester Stern & Madelyne Lawless
- Sister: Vivien M. Hart
- Ancestry: Cf. Family tree
Education
- P.S. 33, Bronx, New York, 1937-1942
- P.S. 21, Yonkers, New York, 1942-1943
- Mark Twain Junior High School, Yonkers, New York, 1943-1944
- The Barnard School for Boys, Bronx, New York, 1944-1949
- Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, 1949-1953
- Fordham University, Bronx, New York, summer, 1951
- Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, New York, 1953-1958
- Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico, summer, 1959 and 1960
- Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis, Rome, Italy, 1962-1965
- Institute for Continuing Theological Education, Rome, Italy, spring, 1973
Degrees
- Amherst College:
– Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) magna cum laude, 14 June 1953
– Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) honoris causa, 29 May 1988 - Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis: Doctor of Canon Law (J.C.D.) magna cum laude, 8 July 1965
- Saint Thomas Aquinas College: Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) honoris causa, 11 May 2007
- Bethlehem University: Doctor of Humanities honoris causa, 9 June 2011
Awards and Honors
- Phi Beta Kappa: Elected member, 16 April 1952
- The Society of the Sigma Xi: Elected associate member, 15 May 1953
- Amherst College: George A. Plimpton Fellow, 1953-1954
- Pope John Paul II: Prelate of Honor, 9 April 1986
- Custody of the Holy Land: Gold Cross of Honor, 22 December 1989
- Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: Honorary Canon of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, 23 December 1989
- Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem:
– Knight Commander, 23 December 1989
– Grand Officer (Knight Commander with Star), 30 September 1995
– Diploma of Merit, 10 October 1998
– Golden Palm of Jerusalem, 15 September 2010
– Eastern Lieutenancy 2016 Lieutenants Award
– Knight Grand Cross, 21 October 2017 - Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Order of Merit, Cross pro piis meritis, 18 October 1994
- Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools: Affiliated Brother, 19 April 1995
- Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George: Knight of Grace, 16 September 1995
- Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem:
– Grand Archimandrite, 29 March 1999
– Mitered Grand Archimandrite, 19 December 2004 - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Order of Independence, First Degree, 26 November 1999 (translation)
- Republic of Lebanon: Knight of the Order of the Cedar, 28 November 1999
- Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem: Knight Commander, 28 November 1999
- City of Bethlehem: Honorary Citizen, 3 July 2001
- Pope Benedict XVI: Protonotary Apostolic, 6 November 2006
- Pope Benedict XVI: Autographed Blessing, 31 May 2008
- Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, 2012 Catholic Press Award:
– First Place, Best Regular Column – General, One Magazine, “Perspectives”
– Second Place, Best Essay – Mission Magazines, One Magazine, “On Being catholic” - The Bethlehem University Foundation
– Legacy Patron, 20 April 2017
– The Archbishop Pietro Sambi “Star of Bethlehem” Award for Services to Bethlehem University Foundation, 21 April 2022 - Comité Fiesta de San Juan Bautista: San Juan Fiesta Medal, 23 June 2017
Professional Employment
- Archdiocese of New York:
– Ordained priest, 31 May 1958
– Parochial Assistant, Church of Saint Peter, Monticello, New York, summer, 1958
– Parochial Assistant, Church of Saint Peter, Liberty, New York, 1958-1959
– Parochial Assistant, Church of the Ascension, New York, New York, 1959-1962
– Assistant Chancellor, 1965-1969
Assignment to residence at St. Teresa Rectory, 11 Sep 1965
Assignment to residence at St. Christopher Chapel, 22 Jan 1966
Assignment to residence at Sacred Heart Rectory, 15 Apr 1967
Assignment to residence at St. Brigid Rectory, 15 Jun 1968
– Director of the Spanish-Speaking Apostolate, 1969–1972-1973
Assignment to residence at Corpus Christi Rectory, 4 Dec 1971
– Administrator, Church of Our Lady of Victory, Bronx, New York, 1973-1979
– Executive Director, South Bronx Pastoral Center, Bronx, New York, 1979-1985 - Catholic Near East Welfare Association:
– Associate Secretary, 1985-1987
– Secretary General, 1987-2010
– President, 2010-2011
– President Emeritus, 2011-present - Pontifical Mission for Palestine:
– President, 1987-2011
– President Emeritus, 2011-present
Professional Associations and Activities
- Knights of Columbus, 1st Degree Initiation, 1959
- Manhattan Valley Spanish American Civic Association, Organizer, 1961-1962
- Archdiocese of New York:
– Movimiento de Cursillos de Cristiandad, Secretariat member, 1962, 1969-1973
– Ecumenical Commission, Member, 1970-1978
– Advisory Committee for the Permanent Deaconate for Hispanics, Member, 1975-1985
– Hispanic Study Steering Committee, Member, 1979-198
– Senate of Clergy
Member, 1979-1980
Pastoral Renewal Committee, Chairperson, 1979-1980
Executive Committee, Member, 1979-1980
– Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Clergy, Consultant, 1983
– Ad Hoc Committee on the Presbyteral Council, Member, 1983
– Commission for a Pastoral Plan on Hispanic Ministry:
Member, 1983-1984
Core Committee, Member, 1983-1984
– Committee on Religious Development, Chairperson, 1983-1984
– Hispanic Pastoral Affairs Advisory Board, Member, 1983
– Priests’ Council:
Elected member, 1984-1986
Ad Hoc Committee on Statutes, Member, 1984
Ad Hoc Committee on Evaluation, Member, 1985-1986
– Holy Land Pilgrimage for Priests, Coordinator and Leader: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1995 - Oecumenicum Concilium Vaticanum Secundum [Second Vatican Ecumenical Council], Staff attendant, Second (1963) and third (1964) sessions
- The Canon Law Society of America:
– Member, 1965-present
– Resolutions Committee:
Member, 1968-1970
Chairperson, 1969-1970
– Committee on the Lex Fundamentalis, Member, 1969-1971
– Committee on Clerical State, Celibacy, and Ministry, Chairperson, 1970-1971
– Symposium on the Future Discipline of Priestly Celibacy, Participant, 1971
– Board of Governors, Member (consultor), 1971-1973
– Think Tank, Participant, 1974
– Committee on Minorities:
Member, 1974-1978
Consultant, 1979-1982
– Minority Concerns Caucus, Founding member, 1982 - Sisters of Charity of Mount Saint Vincent: Renewal Commission member, 1968-1970
- Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Union (New York Province): Renewal Commission, member, 1969-1970
- Elizabeth Seton College Board of Trustees:
– Member, 1969-1989
– Executive Committee:
Member, 1969-1989
Chairperson, 1972-1979
– Finance Committee, Chairperson, 1970-1971
– Planning and Development Committee:
Member, 1973-1989
Chairperson, 1979-1982; 1983-1984
– Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee, Member, 1974-1975
– Presidential Search Committee, Member, 1974-1975
– Presidential Assessment Committee, Chairperson, 1982 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
– Primer Encuentro Hispano de Pastoral:
Planning Committee, Member, 1972
Participant, 1972
Conclusions Committee, Chairperson, 1972-1973
– Committee on Social Development and World Peace, Consultant, 1973-1974
– Committee for the Bicentennial, Justice Subcommittee, Bicentennial Consultation, 1974
– Ad Hoc Committee on the Middle East, Consultant, 1988-1989
– International Policy Committee, Consultant, 1988-2011
– Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs:
Synagogue Council of America Dialogue, Member, 1992-1995
National Council of Synagogues Dialogue, Member, 1996-present
Rabbinical Council of America, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Dialogue, 1997-2013
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs Interfaith Journey to Israel and Rome, Associate Organizer, 1998 - Northeast Hispanic Catholic Center:
– Conference on Hispanic Americans and the Church in the Northeast, Conference project director and conference coordinator, 1976-1977
– Ad Hoc Committee for the Evaluation of the Northeast Hispanic Catholic Center, Chairman, 1991-1992
– Holy Land Pilgrimage, Coordinator and Leader: 2000 - South Bronx Catholic Association:
– Member, 1976-1982
– Chairperson, 1979-1980
– Steering Committee, Member, 1976-1977, 1979-1980, 1981-1982
– Ad Hoc Committee for a Formation Center, Member, 1978 - South Bronx Pastoral Center:
– Board of Directors:
Member, 1978-1991
Chairperson, 1987-1988
Executive Committee, Member, 1978-1985; 1986-1988
Planning and Development Committee, Member, 1978-1985
Fund-Raising Committee, Member, 1978-1985
Finance Committee, Member, 1978-1985
Nominations Committee, Member, 1980-1985
Treasurer, 1985-1986
– Holy Land Pilgrimage, Coordinator and Leader: 1983, 1985 - Archdiocesan Council of Woman Religious: Committee for the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Study of Sisters in Parish Ministry, Member, 1979-1980
- Congregation for the Eastern Churches:
– ROACO (Riunione delle Opere per l’Aiuto alle Chiese Orientali):
Member, 1985-2011
Steering Committee, Member, 1992-2011
Moderator, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010
– Plenary Assembly, Consultant, 1998 - Iona College Board of Trustees:
– Member, 1989-1991
– Academics Committee, Member, 1989-1991 - Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem:
– U.S.A. Eastern Lieutenancy
Holy Land Pilgrimage, Coordinator and leader: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999
Board of Councilors, Member, 1998-2015
Consultant, 2016-present
Pilgrimage Committee, Member 2016-present
– Preparatory Commission for the 1998 Consulta, Member, 1997-1998
– Consulta participant, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018
– Preparatory Commission for the 2003 Consulta, Member, 2002-2003
– Justice and Peace Commission of the United States Lieutenants:
Member, 1999-2005
Ad Hoc Committee on Legal Status, Chairman, 2000
– Commission for the Revision of the Constitution, 2013-2020 - Bethlehem University International Board of Regents:
– Member, 1994-2011
– Chairman, 1994-2007 - FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities): Holy Land Pilgrimage, Coordinator and leader, 1996
- Cardinal de Furstenberg Foundation Council: Member, 1997-present
- Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: Plenary Assembly, Observer, 1998
- The Bethlehem University Foundation Board of Directors:
– Member, 1998-2007
– Member Emeritus, 2008-present
– Chairman, 1999-2007
– Legacy Patron, 2017-present - Pontifical Ratisbonne Institute Board of Trustees: Member, 1999-2003
- Synod of Bishops, Special Assembly for the Middle East: Member, 2010