Special to The Message
St. Meinrad alumnus Dan Conway of Louisville, Kentucky, was honored Aug. 5 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the annual St. Meinrad alumni reunion.
Conway first arrived at St. Meinrad in 1967 as a college freshman. Over the next two decades, he studied in the College and School of Theology, spent time in the monastery and served in the Development Office before embarking on a lifelong mission to promote stewardship as a spiritual practice and professional discipline within the Church.
“He has not only worked in Christian stewardship for nearly 50 years; he has taught it, written about it, counseled others about it and most importantly, lived it,” said Dan Schipp, former vice president for development at St. Meinrad.
After leaving St. Meinrad, Conway began a career that would span dioceses, religious communities, seminaries and Catholic institutions across the country. He worked as a development officer, consultant, speaker and author — always rooted in the Benedictine values and theological foundation he received on the Hill. Since 2019, he has continued this work as an independent consultant and freelance writer.
At St. Meinrad, Conway served in the Development Office as director of planned giving, director of development, and vice president for development. He built upon the vision of his predecessor by integrating communications with fundraising and establishing a values-centered approach to advancement that still influences the institution today.
In 1988, Conway became the chief planning and development officer for the Archdiocese of Louisville. Responding to pastors’ interest in stewardship, he developed a comprehensive education program, which he later implemented in the Archdioceses of Indianapolis and Chicago. His work led him to a national consulting firm, where he helped dioceses throughout the country develop stewardship programs.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Conway served as an advisor to an ad hoc committee created by the U.S. bishops to study the issue of stewardship, working closely with Archbishop Thomas Murphy of the Archdiocese of Seattle, who was passionate about stewardship. They traveled across the country and gave talks together on the subject.
Throughout his career, Conway has emphasized that true stewardship integrates spiritual values with professional fundraising practices.
“The more we understand that everything we have and everything we are is a pure gift from God … the happier we are,” he says. “Stewardship is a form of spirituality that’s particularly appropriate for us laypeople.”
In addition to speaking engagements, Conway has taught stewardship as an internationally recognized author, publisher and freelance writer. Since 1988, he has written more than 200 articles and published four books on the theology and practice of Christian Stewardship. He has also published “A Communion of Saints: Dreams of Happiness on the Road to Life, The Benedictine Way,” and four books of historical fiction centered on the life and ministry of a Sicilian American priest in St. Louis, Monsignor Salvatore E. Polizzi (aka Fr. Turiddu).
He helped develop “The Case for Investment in Theological Education,” an ATS publication, and he was the principal writer of “Stewardship and Development in Catholic Parishes and Dioceses,” a resource manual for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Conway’s lifelong dedication to teaching and promoting Christian stewardship is deeply rooted in the formation, education and Benedictine influence he received at St. Meinrad — a place that shaped his understanding of mission and prepared him to be sent out into the world.
Reflecting on his time at St. Meinrad, Conway said, “I was called to come here and be formed here so that I could be sent out. It’s very much like the Mass … we receive Christ, and then he sends us out.”
The Distinguished Alumnus Award honors alumni who exemplify Gospel values and have demonstrated exceptional service in their lives and professions. Conway is the 35th recipient of this honor.