Bishop P. Francis Murphy was a founding member of Interfaith Alliance Board of Directors. His legacy and inspiration continue to serve as a motivating force in the efforts of Interfaith Alliance and Interfaith Alliance Foundation. It is in his memory that Interfaith Alliance established an award that was given from 2001-2006.
About the Award
The Bishop P. Francis Murphy Memorial Local Activism Award was established to recognize outstanding grassroots work and commemorate the memory of Bishop Murphy, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD, and founding board member. The award was presented to a Local Alliance that has best exemplified Bishop Murphy’s passionate belief that religion can be a constructive force in public life.
2006 The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
2005 The Interfaith Alliance of Middle Tennessee
2004 The Interfaith Alliance of Hawaii
2003 The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho
2002 The Interfaith Alliance of Greater Cincinnati
2001 The Interfaith Alliance of Central California
About Bishop Murphy
Bishop P. Francis Murphy passed away in Sept. 1999 after a long bout with cancer. Bishop Murphy was committed to numerous organizations related to race and gender relations, as well as ecumenical and interfaith affairs. He is well known for his service in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Women in the Church and in Society, as well as his initiative at the Catholic Bishops’ General Assembly which led to the development of the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on nuclear weapons and world peace. In 1989 he co-founded Interfaith Housing of Western Maryland, Inc., an organization dedicated to developing safe and adequate housing for Western Maryland’s rural poor. Frank Murphy uniquely combined qualities that enhanced his ministry, enriched the lives of all he touched, and strengthened the organizations in which he was involved. Frank spoke with pastoral wisdom, prophetic consciousness, and priestly compassion; practiced faithfulness to ecclesiastical traditions and envisioned a more inclusive fellowship; and acted with gentle concern and innovative courage.