Chris Lee ’93

Fr. Mike Cronogue Award for Service

There are some people whose very presence make the world a brighter, more hopeful place. Chris Lee was one of those people. From the moment he stepped on campus with his kind smile, gentle demeanor and generous heart, Saint Michael’s became better because he was here.

Chris was active in many facets of campus life, including MOVE and the computer club. In fairness to Chris, this was back in the days before email, so there was a certain level of mystery being holed up in the computer lab, maybe inventing the next big thing. He was a whiz at technology, after all. Or maybe he was just in there playing Space Invaders. We’ll never truly know.

In all seriousness, like many St. Mike’s students, Chris took a service trip during his senior year to Selma, Alabama, where the Edmundites had been proclaiming the Gospel and ministering to African Americans in the rural South since 1937 as part of their social justice ministry and dedication to civil rights. That trip inspired Chris to join the Edmundite Mission Corps after graduation, which truly changed the trajectory of his life. Living, working, and worshipping alongside members of the Edmundite community, Chris was tasked with building houses with the Selma chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which presented him with a service award in 1994. It was also in Selma that Chris met Katie Carrane, who quickly became his best friend. They married right here on campus in the Chapel in 1996. Katie is here with us today from Colorado.

Chris continued his involvement with Habitat and his legacy of service here in Burlington, where he served on the board of Dismas House, a transitional house for former prisoners. In recognition of his leadership in the Edmundite Partners in Ministry program and living his faith through a selfless commitment of helping others in the greater Chittenden County area, Chris was presented with an Edmundite Service Award in 1998 by the SMC Edmundite Community prior to moving to Ohio. When Chris and Katie moved to Colorado to raise a family, Chris continued to volunteer with the Boulder chapter of Habitat, and he stayed involved with the Edmundite Southern Missions, serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at his untimely passing on June 7, 2021, at age 50.

Chris’s professional life was also dedicated to helping others. For 25 years, he worked in healthcare, always committed to the wellbeing of others. That was just his way. But the people he cared most for in the world, aside from his very tight group of St. Mike’s friends, was his family. Chris loved his family – his wife Katie and kids Jack, Owen, and Lily – with his entire being.

Chris was taken far too young, but what a gift he was every day that we had with him. His kind demeanor, gentle smile and good heart made a tremendous and meaningful difference in the lives of all he met.

That is why today, we honor Chris Lee with the Fr. Mike Cronogue Award for Service. Like Chris, Fr. Mike served humbly and loved deeply. It is our hope that they are together today, watching over us all and sharing a laugh. We were fortunate to know two wonderful and generous men, and we strive to live out lives of service and faith as they did each and every day.