By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
Jim Moroney III, retired publisher of The Dallas Morning News and former chairman, president, and CEO of A.H. Belo Corporation, was honored Feb. 7 as the 43rd annual recipient of The Catholic Foundation Award.
Moroney received the award during The Catholic Foundation Award Dinner, held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. During the event, Moroney was recognized for his lifelong Catholic faith and philanthropic leadership, including support of the Institute for Homiletics, Cistercian Preparatory School in Irving, and Young Catholic Professionals.
The Catholic Foundation Award has been presented for more than 40 years to individuals, couples, or families whose service advances the religious, charitable, and educational needs of the local Catholic community.
A Dallas native, Moroney is the son of Jim Moroney Jr., who received the award in 2003, and the great-grandson of George Bannerman Dealey, the first publisher of The Dallas Morning News. He attended Holy Trinity Catholic Church as a child and graduated from Cistercian Preparatory School, where his form master was Abbot Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist., the 2016 recipient of The Catholic Foundation Award.
Among Moroney’s philanthropic efforts was helping raise more than $7.5 million to establish the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas in collaboration with The Catholic Foundation. He also founded several Cistercian alumni initiatives and helped support the founding and growth of Young Catholic Professionals, which operates more than 43 chapters nationwide.
Moroney serves on the boards of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas and Catholic Charities Dallas and has held leadership roles with numerous civic and professional organizations. He has described his work establishing the Institute for Homiletics as his most Holy Spirit-driven effort, noting the importance of empowering clergy to deliver homilies that help people in the pews encounter God and leave Mass better equipped to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
“There are over 17 million Catholics in the pews every Sunday in this country,” Moroney said. “What an opportunity to bring people closer to Jesus Christ. What an opportunity to evangelize. What an opportunity to save souls.”
Speaking at the dinner about the award recipient, Bishop Edward J. Burns said Moroney believed effective preaching was more than technique but a way to help people encounter Jesus Christ, a conviction that drove his efforts to help establish the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas.
“As the shepherd of this diocese, I have been deeply inspired by his zeal, a zeal that echoes the passion of the early apostles who went forth to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with clarity, courage, and joy,” Bishop Burns said. “Jim’s commitment to strengthening preaching within the Church is at its heart a commitment of helping people encounter our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Burns also expressed his gratitude for Moroney’s “generosity and leadership,” citing his work with the Institute of Homiletics while adding that his “faithful service extends far beyond it to the Cistercian monastery, Cistercian Preparatory School, his parish, and so many Catholic organizations, both locally and nationally.”
Each year, The Catholic Foundation Award honoree recommends a $10,000 grant from The Catholic Foundation to a charitable organization of their choice. This year, Moroney selected the Institute for Homiletics. During the dinner, Tom Yoxall, current board chair of The Catholic Foundation, presented the grant to Karla Bellinger, the institute’s founding executive director.
During the dinner, Matt Kramer, president and CEO of The Catholic Foundation, presented the Hal Tehan Scholar Award to 2026 recipient Nicolo Cardenas, a junior at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep. The award is presented annually to a local Catholic high school junior based on academic achievement, leadership, community and church involvement, and an essay written by the student reflecting the impact of Catholic education. Cardenas’ brother, Gerard, received the award in 2019, making them the first siblings to receive the honor.
Cutline for featured image: Jim Moroney III, center, accepts The Catholic Foundation Award from Matt Kramer, left, CEO of The Catholic Foundation, and Tom Yoxall, board chair, during The Catholic Foundation Award Dinner on Feb. 7 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. Find more images from (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
