LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Sister Una McCormack upon the occasion
of receiving the Founders Award from St. Thomas Aquinas College at its
Annual Tribute Dinner on October 16, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and character
who have inspired and brought pride to our majestic Empire State with
their strong contributions to the community and model citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Sister Una McCormack upon the occasion of receiving the Founders Award
from St. Thomas Aquinas College at its Annual Tribute Dinner on October
16, 2009; and
WHEREAS, A member of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill for 65 years,
Sister Una McCormack was born in the Washington Heights section of
Manhattan, where she attended St. Rose of Lima School before graduating
from Aquinas High School in the Bronx; and
WHEREAS, For over 60 years, Sister Una McCormack has worked in the
field of childcare, with the exception of a brief teaching assignment at
Thorpe Secretarial School in the early 1950s; she has ministered as
secretary, social worker and administrator at St. Ignatius Day Nursery
in Manhattan, St. Agnes School for Boys in Sparkill and Cardinal McClos-
key Home for Children in White Plains; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Sister Una McCormack was appointed the Executive
Director of Catholic Home Bureau, an Archdiocesan agency providing
adoption and foster care services to children in need and maternity
services for women facing unplanned pregnancies; and
WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Sister Una McCormack, Catholic Home
Bureau programs expanded to include specialized services for children
with HIV and AIDS, community based programs for persons with develop-
mental disabilities, a shelter program for homeless women with children,
family day care services, and a therapeutic foster family program to
care for emotionally disturbed children in care; she retired in 1999;
and
WHEREAS, In addition, Sister Una McCormack was appointed by John
Cardinal O'Connor as the Director of the Department of Child Care at
Catholic Charities, a position she held until retiring in 2001; and
WHEREAS, Sister Una McCormack began her association with St. Thomas
Aquinas College as an adjunct professor in Educational and Developmental
Psychology in 1967 and is currently a member of the President's Council;
and
WHEREAS, The quintessential civic leader, Sister Una McCormack serves
on the Advisory Committee of the Board of the Catholic Guardian Home
Bureau, the Board of Lincoln Hall for Boys, the Thorpe Family Residence
and the International Catholic Organizations Information Center; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity to
express its highest admiration for Sister Una McCormack and to wish her
continued success in all of her future endeavors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Sister Una McCormack upon the occasion of receiving the Founders
Award from St. Thomas Aquinas College at its Annual Tribute Dinner on
October 16, 2009; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Sister Una McCormack.