Thirty-seven women were recognized as recipients of the St. Mother Teresa Award on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Columbus St. Catharine of Siena Church.
The awards are presented annually by the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women to individuals who are living lives in the spirit of St. Teresa and are strong in their Catholic faith, engaged and involved in parish communities, and whose example of devotion and dedication is in the tradition and spirit of the holy and humble saint.
A lunch was provided for recipients and guests, and Bishop Earl Fernandes offered remarks.
The St. Mother Teresa Award recipients were: Laurie Alrich (Columbus St. Peter/Powell St. Joan of Arc Parish), Janet Baird (posthumous) (Columbus Our Lady of Peace), Monica Beadles (Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church), Jackie Bensman (St. Brendan the Navigator), LeeAnn Breeze (Columbus St. Cecilia Church), Margaret Calderone (St. Peter/St. Joan of Arc), Elizabeth Carle (Columbus St. Thomas the Apostle Church), Bi Bi Coleman-Portell (Columbus Christ the King Church), Michele Ellis (Columbus Holy Family Church), Ann Fisher (Chillicothe Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles Parish), Tammy Foeller (New Albany Church of the Resurrection), Patricia Green (Columbus St. Patrick Church), Cheryl Anne Grogg (Pickerington St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish), Mary Elizabeth Gunkel (Zanesville St. Nicholas Church), Ann Hamm (Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles), Lynn Harden (Grove City Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church), Karina Hernandez (St. Thomas the Apostle), Lucienne Thomasi Jawo (Columbus St. Margaret of Cortona Church), Yvonne King (Newark Blessed Sacrament Church), Mary Beth Lee (Newark St. Francis de Sales Church), Lisa Maurer, D.O. (St. Francis de Sales), Mary Jo Mayhan (Christ the King), Patricia Moore (Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles), Joannie Neal (St. Thomas the Apostle), Michele Niklaus (St. Brendan the Navigator), Shirley Nyhan (St. Thomas the Apostle), Deanna Oppenheimer (Columbus St. Andrew Church), Mary Beth Poe (Circleville St. Joseph Church), Lisa Rehark (Delaware St. Mary Church), Lindsay Rerko, M.D. (Worthington St. Michael the Archangel Church), Margaret Rurak (St. Cecilia), Jan Sampson (St. Brendan the Navigator), Margaret Schmelzer (Blessed Sacrament), Holly Shields (Columbus St. Agatha Church), Kristy Skocik (St. Peter/St. Joan of Arc), Mary Vantour (Columbus St. Catharine of Siena Church) and Anna Wang (St. Andrew).
Annette Roth serves as president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
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