Fr. David Kelly
Fr. David Kelly is executive director of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. (Meg Oliphant/Opus Prize Foundation)The Rev. David Kelly, C.PP.S., is a Catholic priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and the executive director of the
Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR) , a restorative justice organization founded in 2002 in Chicago’s Back of the Yards/Englewood community. PBMR accompanies individuals and communities affected by violence and incarceration and serves as a resource for groups seeking healing and reconciliation.
Fr. Kelly has more than 45 years of experience in detention ministry, including serving as a chaplain at Cook County Jail and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, as well as in low-resource parishes and ministry settings. He has spent much of his adult life on Chicago’s South Side. Fr. Kelly holds a Master of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Studies, and a Doctor of Ministry from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Fr. Vitaliy Novak
Fr. Vitaliy Novak, C.M., is the founding CEO of Depaul Ukraine. (Courtesy of Depaul Ukraine)The Rev. Vitaliy Novak, C.M., is the founding CEO of Depaul Ukraine, which for more than 20 years has been dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness. When the war in Ukraine drastically increased the need for aid, Fr. Novak worked tirelessly to scale up services throughout the country, up to the front line.
A priest with the Congregation of the Mission, Fr. Novak has led Depaul International’s humanitarian response in Ukraine, gathering and distributing food and medicine to meet a tremendous need for resources. During the early months of the war, Fr. Novak drove across the country, even leading convoys of trucks delivering aid to cities that were actively under attack. Today, Fr. Novak continues to provide support to Depaul Ukraine while serving as a chaplain in the Ukrainian Air Force.
Nontsasa Nyovane
Nontsasa Nyovane is the founder, executive director and program manager of Siyakhathala (“We Care”) organization. (Meg Oliphant/Opus Prize Foundation)Nontsasa Nyovane is the founder, executive director and program manager of
Siyakhathala (“We Care”) organization in Harare, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 2009, Siyakhathala provides support to children who have lost one or both parents, often due to violence or HIV/AIDS, both of which are endemic in the Khayelitsha community. The organization supports around 550 children in six primary schools with after-school care and meals. They also support other programming like community gardens, employment and skill building, and parenting and support workshops for survivors of trauma and abuse.
Ms. Nyovane has spent more than 25 years providing social services to others while residing in a South African township that was forcibly created under the Apartheid regime. She leads by example, starting support groups for victims of domestic violence, feeding young orphans in her community and hosting after-school tutoring sessions. Ms. Nyovane has recruited women to serve with her and raised funds to provide small stipends that assist her volunteers, who often living on less than a dollar per day, to buy groceries and care for their families.