Hundreds of Relevant Radio® listeners gathered in Phoenix on Saturday to honor The Most Rev. Thomas Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, with the Christ Brings Hope Award.

The Christ Brings Hope Award is presented by Relevant Radio to an American Catholic who has worked with extraordinary dedication to bring the good news and hope of Christ to all souls. This person exemplifies the virtues of charity, generosity, hope, apostolic zeal, and love for the Truth. Bishop Olmsted has worked tirelessly for years to bring the hope and joy of Christ to the people of Phoenix and beyond.

The video below, played at the Christ Brings Hope Award dinner on Saturday, shows the extraordinary leadership Bishop Olmsted has exhibited in the Diocese of Phoenix.

In addition to his pastoral role in the Diocese of Phoenix, Bishop Olmsted can often be heard on Relevant Radio! He has been a guest on a variety of Relevant Radio programs and is frequently featured in the ‘Homily Highlights’ segment on Morning Air® each Monday. The Sunday Mass from the Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix is broadcast Sundays at 10am ET/7am PT on Relevant Radio, and Bishop Olmsted is often heard as the main celebrant during those broadcasts.

Accepting the award from Rev. Francis “Fr. Rocky” Hoffman, Executive Director/CEO of Relevant Radio, Bishop Olmsted expressed his gratitude, admiration, and support for Relevant Radio.

The energy at the awards dinner was high, and a great sense of camaraderie could be felt throughout the evening. At one point, Fr. Rocky began singing a few lines from America the Beautiful, and the entire crowd joined in to sing along!

Among those in attendance were two members of the Arizona State Supreme Court, a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, and a number of members of the Arizona State Knights of Columbus. Father John Lankeit, rector of Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral, offered a beautiful prayer of blessing to open the Christ Brings Hope Award banquet.

A listener named Christopher Smith also came onstage during the event to share his moving testimony with the crowd. A husband, father of two young girls, and a cancer survivor, Christopher told of the role that Relevant Radio played in his journey back to the Catholic Church. He credited The Patrick Madrid Show and The Drew Mariani Show™ with playing a huge part in his reversion. Patrick Madrid and Drew Mariani were both in attendance on Saturday, and were able to meet Christopher and celebrate with his family in person.

In addition to the Christ Brings Hope Award given to Bishop Olmsted, Alan Sears, founder of Alliance Defending Freedom was honored with the Caritas Dei Award for his work in fighting for religious freedom in our country and around the world.

Sears commented on the appropriateness of the award’s name, saying, “Please receive my eternal gratitude and my deepest thanks as we accept this honor – this ‘God’s love’ award – on behalf of all those across the globe who are fighting the battle for religious freedom. Those in the public square and legal advocates, especially my friends at Alliance Defending Freedom. And most importantly, those individuals who are willing to take a stand, to suffer, and to persevere for all of us. All of them are demonstrating the ‘love of God’ for their fellow man.”

Thank you to all who attended, and to our sponsors for making the Christ Brings Hope Award Banquet such a success! It was truly a blessed event!