Swanstrom-Baerwald Award Ceremony

The Swanstrom-Baerwald award is given to recognize outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the service of faith through the promotion of international peace and development.

Established in honor of Bishop Edward E. Swanstrom and his mentor Prof. Friedrich Baerwald, the award celebrates over a decade of collaboration between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Fordham University’s Graduate Program in International Political Economy and Development (IPED) and serves to honor their legacy.

Baerwald, an economist and member of the German Catholic Party, fled Nazi Germany and became a member of the Department of Political Philosophy at Fordham University.

One of Baerwald’s earliest students was Bishop Edward E. Swanstrom. Following World War II, Swanstrom assisted in the founding of Catholic Relief Services and was the executive director from 1947 to 1976. Today, Catholic Relief Services touches more than 100 million lives, spanning more than 90 countries.