Senator Sharon Burey will receive Assumption University’s Christian Culture Series Gold Medal on April 8, recognizing her leadership in children’s health, equity, and public service grounded in faith. (SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF SHARON BUREY/University of Windsor)
By Sara Meikle
For nearly a century, Assumption University’s Christian Culture Series Gold Medal has celebrated individuals whose lives and work embody Christian values.
The Honourable Sharon Burey, a senator for Ontario and a leader in children’s health and equity, will receive this year’s prestigious award during a public ceremony on April 8 at Assumption Parish.
Senator Burey has practised as a behavioural pediatrician in Ontario for more than 30 years, dedicating her career to children’s mental health, equity and social justice. In 2022, she became the first woman appointed as a senator from Windsor-Essex County. She serves on three Senate committees: Social Affairs, Science and Technology; Agriculture and Forestry; and Rules, Procedures, and the Rights of Parliament.
The Gold Medal is one of Assumption University’s highest honours. Assumption University president Dr. John Cappucci will present the medal.
“Senator Burey is an individual of profound faith,” said Cappucci. “She comes from a long line of pastors and speaks about how her faith has shaped her career as a pediatrician and later as a senator for Ontario. We are thrilled to honour her with this year’s medal.”
The award is part of Assumption University’s Christian Culture Series, founded in 1934 to explore the relationship between faith and the wider cultural world.
“The purpose of the Christian Culture Series was to showcase that religion and culture can and do complement each other,” said Cappucci. “We see how religion is expressed in music, film, art, politics, sports, and literature.”
The series itself was visionary for its time, emerging nearly three decades before the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, when the Catholic Church formally encouraged deeper engagement with the modern world.
“Assumption’s leadership was ahead of their time in envisioning this series,” Cappucci said. “It was a bold and progressive idea.”
First awarded in 1941, the Christian Culture Series Gold Medal has recognized a wide range of influential thinkers, artists, and public figures. The inaugural recipient was Nobel Prize–winning Norwegian novelist Sigrid Undset. Past medalists include philosopher Jacques Maritain, social activist Dorothy Day, media theorist Marshall McLuhan, former prime ministers Paul Martin Sr. and Paul Martin Jr., and former governor general Michaëlle Jean.
The medal itself carries symbolic meaning. Its engraving depicts the biblical parable of the mustard seed — a reminder of the power of small beginnings to grow into something transformative.
“It’s a powerful image that reminds us that something that appears small can have a tremendous impact,” said Cappucci.
The April 8 ceremony will include an introduction of Senator Burey by Assumption University’s inaugural Dialogue Coordinator Michael Brown, along with musical performances by Nadine Manroe-Wakerell and Tecla Burey.
The event begins at 7 p.m., with a reception to follow. Admission and parking are free, and all are welcome.