Unwavering service to their fellow men and community has resulted in papal honors being bestowed on three prominent Salt Lake residents and two Catholic clergymen in Utah.
The five were honored in a special Mass in the Cathedral of the Madeleine, celebrated by Bishop William K. Weigand of the Salt Lake Diocese.Inducted into the Order of St. Gregory the Great were John W. Gallivan, chairman of the board of the Kearns Tribune Corp., and Emerson S. Sturdevant, prominent Salt Lake banker. Enid Cosgriff, a Salt Lake civic worker, was named a Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, while the Rev. Neale Herrlich, Ogden, and the Rev. Thomas MacNamara, Salt Lake City, were named Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.
Bishop Weigand praised the support of both church and community demonstrated by Gallivan and Sturdevant over the years. He said their lives reflect the values of honor, integrity, piety and Christian ideals associated with the knights of yore in whose memory the Order of St. Gregory was founded. While history often reflects on the power and daring deeds of those knights, it is the strong commitment to the common good of mankind in the name of Christ that Gallivan and Sturdevant share with their valiant predecessors, Bishop Weigand said.
"While the 20th century is regarded as the age of the anti-hero, it is good to give honor to those who are responsible for things that are good and wholesome," Bishop Weigand said. "Dedicated public service is regarded in Western society as the highest form of personal achievement."
Cosgriff was cited by Bishop Weigand for her work and selfless devotion to helping those in need. He said her life is reflective of those who seek the perfection of Christian life.
"The status this honor gives also brings an obligation," Bishop Weigand told the five recipients. "A true public servant must base his life solidly on the values of Christ."
Gallivan and Sturdevant are the first Utahns to be honored with induction into the Order of St. Gregory since 1955. The order was established in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI to honor citizens of the Papal States. The order is given to people who are distinguished for personal character, reputation and notable accomplishments.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was established in 1099 and reorganized in 1847. It is a religious and charitable order whose members are committed to sustain and aid the charitable, cultural works of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. The order is composed of three classes of knights and ladies.
Gallivan, 73, is publisher emeritus of the Salt Lake Tribune and chairman of the board of the Kearns Tribune Corp. since 1984. He served as the Tribune's publisher from 1960 to 1984, before becoming president of the Newspaper Agency Corp., the advertising, circulation and production agent for the Tribune and Deseret News. His church efforts have included heading the project 10 years ago to renovate the exterior of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. He served on the diocesan finance commission from 1982 to 1987 and is a member of the board of the Catholic Foundation of Utah. Civic callings include serving on the board of advisers of the University of Utah's College of Business, chairman of the board of trustees of the National Citizens' Conference on State Legislatures and a member of the steering committee of Utah Agenda for the '80s.
Sturdevant, 76, has been a key force in Utah's banking and commerce industry. He had a leading role in developing and installing lending programs by banks in the Mountain West and was active in the American Bankers Association. He was named chairman of the board of Continental Bank in 1961 and held that position until 1985 when the bank merged with Moore Financial Group. Sturdevant has maintained a constant but low-profile interest in many civic and cultural organizations in the community, with much of his support made through anonymous donations. He has served his church as president of the cathedral conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, an international organization of Catholic laymen dedicated to helping the needy.
Cosgriff served on the committee establishing the Catholic Foundation of Utah and has also been active in efforts to restore the Cathedral of the Madeleine and Judge Memorial High School. She is also active in local Catholic charitable efforts and is a benefactor for those programs. Civically she helped lead the effort in a 1958 fund drive for Holy Cross Hospital and was named to the hospital board in 1961. She served on the board of advisers of the University of Utah's college of business and has worked with Neighborhood House. She also helped establish the ballet department at the U. and headed the Salt Lake Bees baseball team following the death of her husband, Walter.
Rev. Herrlich is pastor of St. Mary's Parish in west Ogden and Rev. MacNamara is president of Judge Memorial High School.
The three are the first Utahns inducted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre since 1983.