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September 28, 2008

Archdiocese honors lay Catholics for their service

More than 200 laypeople were honored for their service to the Archdiocese of Chicago and to their parishes at a special prayer service and ceremony Sept. 21 at Holy Name Cathedral.

Seven people received the Bishop Quarter Award, named for the first bishop of the then-Diocese of Chicago. The episcopal vicar of each vicariate nominates the recipient from his area; Vicariate I, which includes Lake County and the Northwest suburbs, honored two people.

The Christifideles Award was given to people from 141 parishes, including many married couples, two groups including parents and an adult child and one brother-sister pair. Christifidelis recipients are nominated by their pastors.

Bishop Quarter awards

Vicariate I

Susan Geegan and Susan Matousek. Geegan is the ministry commission representative for Deaneries D, E and F and has been instrumental in the planning of many events in the deaneries as well as the vicariate. Matousek has faithfully served the Deanery ABC Ministry Commission for several years. As chair of the commission, she has worked tirelessly to provide pastoral programs that benefit lay and ordained ministers.

These two women have been working together for many years and Vicariate I is proud to have two such professional, compassionate and spiritual leaders for the Ministry Commission.

Vicariate II

Betsy Bohlen has made enormous contributions to the archdiocese by helping revitalize the pastor placement process and now is working on “Benchmarking,” a program to help parishes asses their vitality.

Vicariate III

Esperanza Godinez is a mother of four children who has been involved with liturgy in the Pilsen area since the late Father Stephen Budrovich invited her to participate as a reader at the 7:30 Sunday morning Mass in 1975. Since then, she has been involved with liturgy in the eight parishes in the Pilsen area in the capacity of lector, catechist and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and has been a coordinator of the Via Crucis Passion reenactment for approximately 27 years, among other activities. She is a founding member of the Resurrection Project and, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, she ministers to the inmates in Division XI at Cook County Jail through the auspices of Kolbe House (the archdiocesan jail ministry). After having retired from the Circuit Courts of Cook County, she went on to earn her master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from Chicago Theological Union in 2006.

Vicariate IV

Elizabeth Ceisel-Mikowska was very involved in the catechetical program at St. James Parish on Fullerton Avenue even before becoming administrative assistant to the episcopal vicar of Vicariate IV. She also has helped with the publication of the Polish newspaper Niedziela.

Vicariate V

Debi Ross has shown great commitment to works of charity, both at St. Francis of Assisi Parish and in her deanery. At the parish, she is a member of the Helping Hands Committee, Human Concerns Commission, and Pastoral Council, as well as assisting the Art & Environment Committee. In the deanery, she has organized outreach to Catholic Charities sites; solicits donations, recruits volunteers, and oversees the operation. Her efforts have provided fall school supplies as well as gifts for Christmas and Easter.

Vicariate VI

Nancy and Lester McKeever are long-time advocates for and supporters of archdiocesan ministries that have a profound effect on many people. Lester McKeever serves on the board of Big Shoulders, addressing some of the needs of schools that would not survive without the attention and assistance of the larger Catholic community. Nancy and Lester McKeever also have chaired the annual fundraising gala for Catholic Charities, a ministry that attends to the needs and dignity of people in some of the most vulnerable moments of life. As the McKeevers celebrate a golden jubilee wedding anniversary, they continue to express their faith by working to build strong families, communities and institutions that serve others.

Christifidelis awards

Vicariate I

Joe and Bonnie Romanowski, St. Alphonsus Liguori; Judith and the late Patrick Clyne, St. Anastasia; Georgene Farman, St. Anne; Donald Schmit, St. Bede; Gil Sommer, St. Cecilia; Michael Koehler, St. Colette; George and Bernadette Oslovich, St. Edna; Bill and Donna Mulderink, St. Emily; Tom and Betsy Shelven, St. Emily; Mary Manson, St. Francis de Sales; Lois Brondy, St. Gilbert; Elizabeth Pawlowski, Holy Family (Inverness); Mario Pena, Holy Family (Waukegan); Thomas Griffin, Church of the Holy Spirit; Roger and Dzidra Malinski, St. Hubert; Peter Chaput, St. James (Arlington Heights), Nancy Licht, St. John the Evangelist; William Butrym, St. Joseph (Libertyville); Christine Mendralla, St. Joseph (Round Lake); Dave and Becky Vogel, St. Joseph the Worker; Josephine Anzelone, St. Julian Eymard; Theresa and Alois Kolbeck, St. Marcelline; Lorraine Lalowski, St. Mary (Buffalo Grove); Liane Klingler, St. Mary (Lake Forest); Rita Gunther, St. Mary of the Annunciation; Teri Feurer, St. Mary of Vernon; Cecilia and Froilan Concepcion, St. Matthew; Efrain and Lidia Camacho, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe; Richard McFarlin, Our Lady of Humility; Marie and Tony Bruno, St. Patrick (Wadsworth); Therese Tonyan, St. Peter (Volo); Charles and Rita Riha St. Peter Damian; George and Martha Orbank, Prince of Peace; Tony and Charlene Chakeen; Queen of the Rosary; David Retseck, St. Raphael the Archangel; Darlene & Dwayne Stewart, St. Raymond de Penafort; Jesus and Betty Garcia, Santa Maria del Popolo; Leo Miklius, St. Theresa; Jo Rene and John Anderson, St. Thomas Becket; Robert Chernesky, St. Thomas of Villanova; Andres Ortiz, Transfiguration; Bob and Lori Uselding, St. Zachary.

Vicariate II

Rose Gavin, St. Alphonsus; Molly Scilabra, Assumption; James and Linda Masini, St. Bonaventure Oratory; Monique Fouant, St. Clement; Angie Cisek, St. Eugene; Mary Ann Heinzen, St. Francis Xavier; Claire Clonley; St. Gertrude; Donna Ciszewski, Holy Name Cathedral; Edward and Mary Niewinski, Immaculate Conception (Talcott Ave.); Peter and Eileen Frank, St. Joseph (Wilmette); Nancy Sweeney, St. Margaret Mary; Dolores Coughlin, St. Mary of the Woods; Catherine Halpin, Mary, Seat of Wisdom; Michael Widera, St. Michael (Old Town); Herb and Sharon Bass, St. Monica; Betty Parkinson, St. Norbert; Guy and Rosemary Porcaro, Our Lady of Hope; Mary Foley, Our Lady of Mercy; Susan Eimerman, Our Lady of the Brook; Eugene Griffin, St. Peter (Skokie); Cathy and Tom Stegich, St. Philip the Apostle; James Madura, St. Tarcissus; Mary Wargo, St. Thecla.

Vicariate III

Luis and Rosalina Diaz, St. Agnes of Bohemia; Maria Reynoso, St. Francis of Assisi; Jose Cano, St. Francis of Assisi/ Our Lady of the Angels; Bobbie Hicks, St. Martin de Porres; Bill and Teri Lowry, Notre Dame de Chicago; Carmen Rivera Kurban, St. Philomena; Vincenta and Lorenzo Casas, Providence of God; Martha Juanita Ramirez, Santa Maria Addolorata; Thaddeus and Louise Karecki, St. Wenceslaus.

Vicariate IV

John and Sheila McNulty, St. Bartholomew; James Murray, St. Bernardine; Colette Bodenbender, St. Celestine; John Cain, St. Eulalia; Jody Robinson, St. Eulalia; Ramon and Lorena Lopez, St. Frances of Rome; Gerald Fitzpatrick, St. Giles; John and Joan Kravcik, St. John of the Cross; Stanley Wulkowicz, St. Louise de Marillac; Frederick and Kathleen Heiss, St. Luke; Stanley and Bernadine Cwan, St. Maria Goretti; Mary Anne Walke, St. Mary (Riverside); Joanne and Gene Koszala, Mater Christi; Norman and Christine Hege, St. Pascal; Patrick and Rose Mary Koren, St. Pius X; John and Marie Scalet, St. Rosalie; Jolanta Pawlikowski, Shrine of the Sacred Heart; Daniel and Louise Steppan, St. William.

Vicariate V

Ken Wilkosz, St. Adrian; Gladys Kaminski, St. Barbara; Wladyslaw Kois, St. Blase; Shirley Twickler, St. Cajetan; Carol Trzebiatowski, St. Camillus; Therese Landstrom, St. Catherine of Alexandria; Mark and Nancy Quinn, Christ the King; Suzanne Carter, St. Christina; Patricia Spreadbury, St. Christopher; Felix and Lorena Patino, St. Clare of Montefalco; Mike and Kathy Bartkowski, St. Damian; Michael Haas, St. Denis; Patrice Leeson, St. Elizabeth Seton; Joseph and Teri Sankey, St. Francis of Assisi; Robert Fuesel, Incarnation; Michael Dillenberg, St. James-Sag Bridge); Norine Sullivan, St. John Fisher; Frank, Merilee and Emily Andreason, St. Julie Billiart; June Gallagher, St. Linus; Janet Barker Evans, St. Mary of Perpetual Help; Juan and Elena De La Mora, St. Michael the Archangel (S. Damen); Jim McCormick, Nativity of Our Lord; Jerome and Adrienne Welenc, St. Nicholas of Tolentine; Raul and Rosa Rodriguez, Our Lady of Fatima; Florence Bordoshuk, Our Lady of Loretto; Barbara Halm, Our Lady of the Ridge; Geri Yarka, Our Lady of the Snows; Armida Galvan, Our Lady of the Woods; Ann Filipiak, St. Patricia; Jane Dunne, Queen of Martyrs; Sandra Iruegas, Queen of the Universe; Charles Busch, Sacred Heart; Kristin Ramirez, Santa Lucia-Maria Incoronata; Steve Vatch, St. Simon the Apostle; Donald and Bernadette Daley, St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr; Frances Muscato, St. Symphorosa; Mr. & Mrs. Chan and Naomi Chan, St. Therese Chinese Mission; Terry and Ellen Hodges, St. Thomas More; Mike and Kathy Swift, St. Walter.

Vicariate VI

Rose Saunders, St. Andrew the Apostle; Ted Cap, St. Ann; Freddie Williams, St. Benedict the African-East; Janice Marx, St. Isidore the Farmer; Moses and Gloria Green, St. John de La Salle; Joan Abbott, St. Lawrence O’Toole; Vincent Imbierowicz, Sacred Heart Croatian; Elise Torczynski, St. Thomas the Apostle.