By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, August 21, 2026: The All-India Catholic Union (AICU), Asia’s oldest laity-led organization in its 107th year, will confer its prestigious centenary awards on a group of distinguished citizens for their sterling service to the nation on August 22 in New Delhi.
The award categories include civil, civic, community service and lifetime achievement.The awards consist of a citation, a memento and rupees 25,000 (about $260).
The recipients include a retired officer from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), one of India’s top civil services; the Open Arms Educational and Charitable Trust, a nonprofit welfare organization; healthcare professionals; social workers; an engineer; an educationist; an activist; and a disability rights campaigner from Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal and Maharashtra.
The union will also confer a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Service Appreciation Award on two of its former national office-bearers.
Elvis Gomes, a former senior bureaucrat, was selected for the AICU Centenary Civil Award; trustees Lovina Khan, Md. Ekram Khan and David Khan of The Open Arms Educational and Charitable Trust for the Civic Award for the upliftment of underprivileged and marginalized communities; Veronica Cornelio for the Community Service Award; and Eugene Gonsalves for the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the Catholic laity.
“A distinguished civil servant of Goa, Gomes dedicated two decades of his professional life to public service,” AICU President Elias Vaz said in the citation.
He added that throughout his career, Gomes distinguished himself not merely by his administrative competence but by a deeper understanding of what public administration is ultimately meant to achieve: serving people, protecting dignity and advancing the common good.
“His record of service is characterized by sincerity, honesty, courage and an unwavering sense of duty,” the citation noted.
The Open Arms Educational and Charitable Trust was recognized for its outstanding and sustained contribution to healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, livelihood development, humanitarian relief and community welfare, and for its exemplary commitment to serving humanity with compassion and dignity.
The Special Recognition Award was bestowed on Elizabeth D. Antony for her outstanding commitment to community healthcare, preventive health awareness and voluntary service among vulnerable sections of society.
Former bureaucrat U. Sagayam and social worker Bosco Michael D’Souza have been named recipients of the AICU Special Recognition Award 2026. Immaculate Mary, A. Anbudas, Alexander Das, Peter Kung and Y. Raju received the AICU Recognition Award.
Elias Rodney Vaz, who served as AICU president for two consecutive terms from 2022 to 2026, was presented a Letter of Appreciation in recognition of his “Distinguished Leadership, Dedicated Service and Outstanding Contribution.”