He was recently honored with the 2024 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award by his alma mater, Providence College, for founding St. Patrick’s Academy, a Catholic preparatory high school for students unable to enroll in other Catholic schools for financial reasons. The school has no set tuition, but families pay what they can afford.
Father Bernard Healey, a fellow priest in the Rhode Island diocese, has described Ruggieri as a “model priest” who provides a “voice for justice on behalf of the unborn, the immigrant, the refugee, and the poorest of the poor.”
“Father James’ priestly ministry is courageous, humble, and holy. He is tireless in working and serving the many poor and immigrant parishioners who make up his Providence inner-city parishes of St. Patrick and St. Michael. He lives humbly and simply among the people he serves, tirelessly serving the hungry, the homeless, the immigrant, and the marginalized,” he said in an editorial in the Rhode Island Catholic last year.
“Father James has been a loyal ally in advocating for the sanctity of all human life and the dignity of every human person,” Healey added.
“While others clamor from ivory towers about public policies and political platforms, Father James routinely performs the corporal and spiritual works of mercy with dedication and love, provides comfort and peace to the sick and dying, absolves sinners, and lovingly welcomes the lost sheep of his flock.”
Bishop Richard Henning of Providence also commented on the “wide-reaching effects” of Ruggieri’s ministry in Rhode Island and offered prayers and support for the priest in his new mission.
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