The Theresa Maxis Award recognizes community leaders who embody the values and vision of Theresa Maxis and the IHM community: deep faith, pioneering spirit, service to the poor and commitment to justice. This year’s recipient is Paddy Lynch.
Paddy graduated from Brother Rice High School in 2002 and went on to play football at Boston College, where he double-majored in English and Theology. A standout student-athlete, he earned ACC First Team All-Academic honors and graduated cum laude in 2006.
After Boston College, Paddy moved to Haiti, where he primarily worked with orphans teaching English and computer literacy. He also worked alongside the Missionaries of Charity at a home for the sick and dying. After Haiti, Paddy came home to Michigan, graduated from Wayne State University’s Department of Mortuary Science and joined Lynch & Sons as a full-time licensed funeral director.
As a funeral director, Paddy has advocated intensely for the presence of the dead at their own funerals – a foundational teaching of the Catholic Church. In addition, he has advocated for the use of churches and other sacred spaces as the preference for funeral rites, publicly demanded proper burial practices from cemetery management and ecclesial leadership, and personally provided unique, compassionate and consistent grief support to the local community. Over the years, Paddy has been invited to lecture on these topics by professional organizations, mortuary colleges and universities, and funeral service associations across the country.
Outside of his work in the funeral service industry, Paddy has led numerous historical restoration projects in Detroit, where he has lived since 2011. His first major endeavor was the restoration of the former Stanley Kresge mansion in the Arden Park Historic District, which has since served as a venue for a diverse range of cultural and charitable events. In 2017, he purchased and began revitalizing The Schvitz, a Jewish cultural landmark and the city’s last remaining historic bathhouse. In 2022, he and his wife transformed a former convent into an art and wellness collective, followed by the creation of a community healing center within a historic Byzantine church. Today, the Lynch & Sons Healing Center—now located in Ferndale—offers free grief support services to the public. Most recently, Paddy restored two beloved Detroit institutions: Dutch Girl Donuts and the Dakota Inn Rathskeller. These projects reflect his deep commitment to honoring the past, nurturing community connection, and preserving spaces where memories continue to be made.
Over the years, Paddy has taught catechism at Holy Name Catholic Church, coached football at Brother Rice High School, and served on the boards of several organizations, including Detroit Cristo Rey High School, South Oakland Shelter, Lighthouse, the Lynch & Sons Fund for the Arts, and Christ Child House of Detroit. He is married to Dr. Nhu Truong and together they have two daughters, Dorothy and Bernadette.
2023 recipient- Father Tim McCabe, SJ
2022 recipients – Tom and Yvonne Larabell
2021 recipient – Elizabeth A. Burns, MD, MA
2019 recipients – Kurt and Renee Darrow
2018 recipient – Nettie Seabrooks
2017 recipient – Mareda-Toni Babock, IHM Associate
2016 recipients – Frank Venegas Jr. and Sylvia Gucken
2015 recipient – Glenda D. Price, PhD
As always, we appreciate your support of the Theresa Maxis Award. For reservation or sponsorship information, please contact our development team at 734-240-9860 or development@ihmsisters.org.