OLLU alumnus Father Eduardo “Eddy” Morales (BSW 1982, MSW 1985) will receive the Surgeon General’s Medallion Award for Health at the Kennedy Concert Center in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18.

The Rev. Morales will be honored for his work as pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. 

He presided over many funerals and helped bring healing to Uvalde by offering safe spaces and community support.

The Surgeon General’s Medallion is the highest honor the U.S. Surgeon General can present to civilians. 

Five other individuals will receive Medallion Awards during an event called, “Songs for Hope: A Concert Celebration of the 2023 Surgeon General’s Medallion Awardees for Health.”

To honor Father Eddy and his mother Genoveva Morales, a community activist, OLLU last year created two $25,000 scholarships: The Rev. Eduardo D. Morales Endowed Scholarship and the Genoveva Morales Endowed Scholarship. The scholarships benefit incoming freshman undergraduate students from Uvalde County.