TALLAHASSEE | The Catholic bishops of Florida honored four people at the annual Catholic Days at the Capitol breakfast March 19, 2025, in Tallahassee. This year’s award recipients were core partners who worked with the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops to defeat Amendment 4 in November 2024, which would have rolled back the state’s legal protections for the unborn.
The awardees included Paul Renner of Palm Coast, who received the Defensor DignitatisAward, and three others who received theThomas A. Horkan Jr. Distinguished Catholic Leader Award: Drs. Steven and Grazie Christi, who live near Miami, and John Sowinski, a resident near Fort Pierce.
A lifelong Catholic, member of St. Helen in Vero Beach and an alumnus of John Carroll High School, Sowinski raised three sons with his wife, Patty. He is a founding partner of Orlando-based Consensus Communications, has more than 30 years of experience in public policy and media relations, and is regarded as an expert on statewide referendum campaigns in Florida. Among the many successes of the Amendment 4 campaign, Sowinski identified the most persuasive messages that were used among almost all opponents.
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He also was able to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders on nearly every aspect of the campaign. Prior to Amendment 4, Sowinski worked with the bishops on several projects over the years.
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