The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan on Thursday, August 26, announced a new award in honor of the late Oscar Cruz, its former archbishop.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the annual “Gawad Asin tan Silew Oscar V. Cruz Award” honors the values embodied “by contemporary saints such as him."
“ recognizes persons or institutions whose works teach the path of justice and righteousness, of truth and goodness, with joy and hope and with holy anger tempered by love and contagious courage,” CBCP News quoted the prelate.
"The nation needs heroes. Our youth need role models,” added Villegas.
He said the award will be given to “an individual or institutional prophets in this contemporary world who stand for integrity, justice, and charity."
Cruz served the archdiocese for 18 years until his retirement in 2009.
He was also known for his campaign against gambling, and his fight against corruption and other evils of society.
The former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) died of complications of COVID-19 August last year at the age of 85.
The nominations are ongoing until Nov. 21, 2021. The awarding rites will be held on Nov. 17.