…And I quote:

“The Regents and the President of the University of Portland have the pleasure and the honor of presenting at these Commencement Exercises the Christus Magister award.  The name of the award is taken from the Latin title of the University’s chapel, Christ the Teacher.  The award is bestowed on those persons who have given witness in their own lives to the elements of the mission of the University, teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and leadership.  The award consists of a bronze medallion of the University’s crest surrounded by the words: The University of Portland Christus Magister Award.  The year and the name of the recipient are engraved on the reverse side of the medal.  The Christus Magister Medal is the University’s highest honor.  Over the years we have presented the medal to senators and judges, theologians and scholars, writers and educators, cardinals and bishops, to men and women who have, in far-reaching ways, incarnated the University’s mission.

While she is a deft deflector of credit. praise and plaudits, her years of service and leadership have been marked with growth and innovation in her religious order and its many ministries which largely focus on education, healthcare and community service.

Founded in 1886, the first and only order founded in the state of Oregon and housed in their iconic green-domed motherhouse in Beaverton since 1930, the Sisters of St Mary of Oregon describe themselves as “living as women of prayer, in simplicity and sisterly love, called to be compassionate and joyful servants of the Lord.”

Beloved and respected by students, friends and colleagues alike, she embodies those traits in the very essence of her being and in bestowing the University’s highest honor upon her, we bestow it as well upon the prayerful. compassionate, charismatic joyful Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, past, present and future.

Thus, with pride and pleasure the University of Portland confers its 2017 Christus Magister Medal on Sister Charlene Herinckx, of Beaverton, Oregon, and now always of the University of Portland.”

The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and the family of Sister Charlene Herinckx were on hand to witness the wonderful award bestowed on her by the University of Portland! Congratulations Sister! #sistersblogs, #cyocamphoward, #ssmo, #Sistersofstmaryoforegon

BELOW: Sister Charlene Herinckx, Superior General of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon receives the Christus Magister Award from the University of Portland at their graduation exercises May 2017.

Below: Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon attend the graduation exercises at the University of Portland.

Below: Sister Charlene receives the award from President Mark Poorman.

Below: A close up of the medal depicting Christ the Teacher.