The Rev. Louis J. Putz, C.S.C., Award - 2013: James J. Cavner ‘67

2013: James J. Cavner ‘67

For his exemplary dedication to improving the lives of people in poverty, James J. Cavner '67 was honored with the 2012 Rev. Louis J. Putz, C.S.C., Award.

Cavnar is a founder and president of Florida-based Cross International Inc. and Cross Catholic Outreach Inc., two Christian relief and development charities founded in 2001 to help the poorest of the poor worldwide. He has worked in Catholic and ecumenical ministries for 45 years.

After graduating from Notre Dame with a theology degree, Cavnar began working in campus ministry at the University of Michigan and helped found and lead an ecumenical lay community in Ann Arbor of 3,000 members, promoting evangelization and spiritual renewal nationally and internationally. Out of that effort grew Servant Ministries, an international mission organization and publishing company, and he also led Servant Music, which produced 21 albums of worship music and a series of best-selling songbooks in the 1970’s.

In 1992, he moved to Florida to serve as executive director of Food for the Poor before helping to start Cross International and Cross Catholic Outreach in 2001. In service to those ministries, he has traveled to many developing countries to strengthen the Church’s ministry of charity.