Rocco Abessinio, chairman and CEO of Applied Bank and Roch Capital, Inc., and his wife Mary, CEO of the Abessinio Family Foundation, will receive the Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award at Catholic Charities Annual Tribute Dinner on April 15.
“Mr. and Mrs. Abessinio are enthusiastic supporters of Catholic Charities,” said Richelle A. Vible, executive director. “Their commitment to promoting the well-being of people by providing caring service to those in need – with particular consideration to our homeless shelter in Milton, Casa San Francisco – mirrors Monsignor Reese’s commitment to the most vulnerable. They live the mission of Catholic Charities, and we are thrilled to recognize this gracious couple for their devotion to our communities.”
Abessinio, is the founder of Applied Bank. He is a Delaware resident for over 60 years, He currently serves or has served as a director or trustee for Neumann University, Together Against Gangs, Christiana Care Health System, and the Delaware Historical Society. They are both members of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, where he was a Eucharistic minister, in charge of annual fund, and was a coach for Catholic Youth Ministry.
Mrs. Abessinio worked as a private secretary to the head of the Biochemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania prior to her marriage to Abessinio. In 1987, she assisted her husband in starting his businesses, and served as Corporate Secretary of Applied Card Systems. She retired in 1997, and today also volunteers at the Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children. Abessinio holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Neumann University and Mrs. Abessinio is a graduate of Goldey Beacom College.
The Award, created in 1989 in memory of Msgr. Thomas J. Reese, community activist and longtime director of Catholic Social Services, the forerunner of Catholic Charities, recognizes exemplary individuals who have demonstrated a deep commitment to promoting and restoring the well-being of people – Catholic Charities’ mission.
W. Francis Malooly, D.D., bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, will present the award at the dinner to be held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.
