Sister Mary Ann LoGiudice (center) received the 2011 Hope and Hospitality Award, given annually to someone who personifies the Mercy charism as it relates to concern for women and children.

Circles of Mercy in Rensselaer, New York, held its annual gala fund raiser on June 16. This Mercy-sponsored organization provides needed services to poor persons in Rensselaer County, especially women and children. The highlight of this year’s affair was recognizing Sister Mary Ann LoGiudice (pictured above, center, with Northeast Community Leadership Team member Sister Patricia Sullivan, and Richard S. Zazycki, Director, Circles of Mercy) by presenting to her the Hope and Hospitality Award. The award is given annually to someone who personifies the Mercy charism as it relates to concern for women and children.
Sister Mary Ann became the executive director of the Albany Diocesan Community Maternity Services in Albany in 1990. The service provides a continuum of care for pregnant and parenting adolescents, as well as a number of programs for family support. Sister Mary Ann previously was director of Arbor House, a post-incarceration halfway house program for women, and was an outreach worker in Albany. Her dedication to the service of others has earned her the genuine respect of the Albany community and her diocesan co-workers.