Mount Saint Vincent Chaplain Honored as FDNY Holy Name Society Man of the Year

5/26/2015

Riverdale, N.Y. – The New York Fire Department’s Holy Name Society recently honored University of Mount Saint Vincent Chaplain Christopher Keenan with one of two Man of the Year awards.

The Society, which includes members in Manhattan, Bronx, and Staten Island, held its 91st annual Communion Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral—officiated by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York—on Sunday, April 26, followed by a breakfast and awards ceremony. Along with Christopher Keenan, OFM, who serves as Chaplain to the New York Fire Department, the Society also honored Assistant Chief Thomas Galvin.

This year Fr. Keenan, known as “Fr. Chris,” is celebrating his 50th anniversary of being a Franciscan friar, a journey he refers to as a “fascinating gospel life.”

“Who I am and what I have become as a human being has been possible only because of God’s grace,” said Fr. Chris. “I am a grateful friar of the Holy Name Province. I could never have imagined the fraternal life and ministry I have been blessed with over these 50 years.”

Fr. Chris’s ministry also includes the FDNY’s Interfaith Chaplaincy, the Holy Name Society, the NYPD’s Emerald Society and its related Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, the Sgt. Chris Engeldrum Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Fire Family Transport Foundation, and the Burn Center Foundation.

About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.