MUMBIA, India (RNS) — A Catholic priest fighting poverty in India is the 2005 recipient of the $1 million Opus prize, awarded by a Minneapolis-based foundation that honors humanitarianism.

Trevor Miranda was chosen for establishing literacy centers throughout the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, according to The Opus Prize Foundation, which will award the prize Nov. 7.

Miranda established Reach Education Action Programme in Mumbai to empower poor residents of the city to become self-sufficient. In six years, the organization has opened more than 450 literacy centers that bring teachers and books to impoverished children. Miranda has also worked to establish adult literacy programs aimed at giving women the education and training needed to transition into the job market.