Rudy & Elvia Miles will be honored as the recipients of the Dei Gratia Award during the 11th Annual Foundation of Faith Dinner: Journey to Faith on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at the El Paso Convention Center.
The Dei Gratia Award, Latin for “By the Grace of God”, recognizes an individual, couple, or organization for their servant leadership, outstanding contribution to the Diocese of El Paso and our Catholic community, and their dedication to being good stewards of God’s grace.
Rudolph “Rudy” Miles was born in El Paso on April 29, 1920 and passed away on June 23, 2016. Elvia was born on September 4, 1922 in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and turns 95 this year. Rudy and Elvia got married on November 6, 1944 at La Iglesia de Sagrado Corazón in Juárez and had been married for 71 years at the time of Rudy’s passing. They brought ten children into the world and have 24 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Rudy was a founding board member of the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso, established in 2001, and held many leadership positions, including President and Lifetime Member of the Optimist Club and President of the Customs Brokers Association from 1978-1984. He also served on the Board of Directors for First City National Bank, El Paso Downtown Rotary Club (President), El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Regional Export Council, El Paso Cancer Treatment Center, El Paso Country Club, Father Yermo Schools, Stanton Medical Building, and Hospice of El Paso.
Elvia was Rudy’s loving wife for 72 years and a stay-at-home mother to their 10 children. She was a life time member of the St. Patrick Altar Society and served as President, she was a long time member of the Pan American Round Table where she served on various committees, and one of the founding members of the CJD of Ciudad Juárez. Elvia loved to knit and crochet and made many blankets for needy children and those suffering from cancer. She was also a member of the Christ Child Society and knitted layettes for poor and needy babies. Elvia enjoyed bagging groceries for the disadvantaged families of El Paso on a weekly basis and looked forward to playing Canasta every Wednesday with her friends.
Rudy and Elvia gave a gift to help establish the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso, set up named endowed funds for St. Patrick Historic Preservation for St. Patrick Cathedral and the Retired Priest Appreciation Fund, and quietly and generously gave of their time and resources to the El Paso community for decades. They were passionate about supporting our priests, men who offer their lives without expectation of financial gain beyond that which they need to sustain themselves. Their children have fond memories of priests at the house for dinner and during the holidays. In recent years, they contributed to the Seminarian Education Endowment Fund to help train and educate future priests. Rudy and Elvia were dedicated parishioners at St. Patrick Cathedral.
Rudy believed that through hard work, determination, and a strong faith in God, anyone could accomplish their desired goals in life. Rudy and Elvia were inseparable, united by faith, and completely devoted to their family and the Church. They leave an indelible mark on our diocese and through their children leave a great legacy of faith.
The 11th Annual Foundation of Faith Dinner: Journey to Faith is set for Thursday, September 21, 2017 at the El Paso Convention Center from 5-9pm, with a cocktail hour beginning at 5pm. The evening includes the cocktail reception with a silent auction for Catholic schools, a seated dinner with wine, Dei Gratia Award presentation, live auction, and our keynote speaker, Tom Leopold.
Tom Leopold, veteran comedy writer of such hit TV shows as Seinfeld, Cheers, and Will and Grace, has been making audiences laugh for over four decades. Now he’s keeping audiences entertained as the co-host with Father Leo Patalinghug on “Entertaining Truth” on the Catholic Channel of Sirius XM. This former secular Jew and recent Catholic convert is a sought after speaker for his hilariously heartfelt and poignant performance lecture, “A Comedy Writer Finds God: My Journey to Faith, One Laugh at a Time”. In 2014 he was honored with the Christopher Spirit Award by the Christophers, a nonprofit organization rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity.
The Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso will also host An Intimate Evening with Tom Leopold on Wednesday, September 20 at 6pm at a private home. Sponsorships of $2,500 and up provide you with invitations to attend this special event, which includes dinner, wine, and one-on-one time with our keynote speaker.
Proceeds from this event support the work of the Foundation in sustaining the long-term needs of the ministries, charities, parishes and schools of our diocese.