Dominican University Presents Bradford-O’Neill Medallion for Social Justice to The Migrant Ministry of Oak Park

River Forest, IL — The Migrant Ministry of Oak Park, a faith-based initiative formed in 2023 to meet the basic needs of newly arrived migrants to the Chicago area, is the recipient of the 2025 Bradford-O’Neill Medallion for Social Justice from Dominican University.

The Migrant Ministry, developed by the Catholic Communities of Oak Park, received the Bradford-O’Neill Medallion for answering the call to a humanitarian crisis and offering unwavering hospitality to migrants arriving in the Chicago area. 

“Dominican University is proud to present the Bradford-O’Neill Medallion to The Migrant Ministry and its volunteers who understand that creating a more just and humane world begins by serving with compassion,” said Dr. Glena G. Temple, president of Dominican University. “As a community steeped in service with a proud history of educating immigrants and the children of immigrants, we applaud The Migrant Ministry for responding to a critical need and providing care and support to so many during very challenging times.”

The Migrant Ministry’s impact has been significant, with nearly 20,000 visits occurring since its inception in 2023. Dominican University students are among the volunteers who have stepped up to support the migrant community with care through this ministry.

Awarded annually, the Bradford-O’Neill Medallion recognizes the work of an individual or organization that reflects Dominican’s mission of creating a more just and humane world. The honor is named for Sr. Vincent Ferrer Bradford, OP, and Sr. Thomas Aquinas O'Neill, OP, two pioneering and influential Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters who each worked to expand social justice.

The medallion was presented during the Opening Plenary of DU's 2025 Caritas Veritas Symposium on Nov. 5. Accepting it were The Migrant Ministry leadership team members Celine Woznica, Don Woznica, Margie Rudnik, Marilyn Foster, Mary Scherer-Emunds, Madonna Thelen, and Fr. Carl Morello, pastor of the parishes of Ascension and St. Edmund, and St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles.

“We are honored—really honored—because [this award] comes from you, and you are our heroes,” Celine Woznica told the DU community gathered in the Lund Auditorium. “We hold in great esteem Dominican University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and you, immigrants and the children of immigrants. Your families have walked difficult paths and have many stories to tell.”

The Migrant Ministry began in June 2023 in response to homeless migrants from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador who, after arriving in Chicago on buses from Texas, were sleeping at the Chicago Police Department’s 15th District headquarters in Austin and needed a place to shower, Woznica explained. Arrangements were made for them to use the closed rectory at St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church in Oak Park.

Soon, the ministry expanded its outreach to provide individuals and families with clothing, blankets, toiletries and food, and in December 2023, the former St. Edmund School was opened to meet this new, growing need. The ministry also began offering social services, immigration support services, English classes, spiritual care and healthcare, solidifying personal connections with the community.

While the closure of St. Edmund School has paused some services, the ministry is working on a new partnership opportunity with the support of another Oak Park church, Woznica said.

“There are many other things we are doing as individuals and as a ministry to support our immigrant brothers and sisters, driven by our call to justice, love and service,” she said.

About Dominican University
Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution with campuses in River Forest and Chicago. The university offers an associate of arts in liberal arts and sciences; bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Rosary College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, the College of Business, Information Studies, and Technology, and the Borra College of Health Sciences; as well as doctoral programs in information studies, applied social justice and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

As Chicago's premier Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dominican is consistently recognized as a leader in academic excellence and value. U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University in the top 25 of Midwest regional master’s level universities, and #1 in Illinois for Best Value and ensuring the social mobility of its graduates.