Faithful Steward Awards honor youth and hurricane recovery efforts
Faithful Steward Awards honor youth and hurricane recovery efforts
This weekend parishioners from all over the diocese came together to honor their brothers and sisters in stewardship. Increased youth activity and the clean up efforts after Hurricane Ike were familiar themes throughout the ceremony.
The Faithful Steward Awards were held July 26 at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica Catholic School, Beaumont, gymnasium. Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, presided over the event and complimented the stewards on their outstanding work, both in their parishes and in the surrounding communities.
St. Joseph, Livingston, took home the Bishop Curtis J. Guillory Parish Award for all the progress it has made in the last year including increasing its youth group attendance by 400 percent, increasing participation at its scripture study classes and increasing participation in the Bishop’s Faith Appeal.
Maria del Rosario Mendez, one of the recipients of the Faithful Steward Award, was instrumental in the growth St. Joseph experienced in its youth program.
Mendez became involved in the youth program and realized that it was lacking participation from the Hispanic youth of the parish so she helped create a bridge between the two cultures.
Jerry and Bobbie Pesson, were also recipients of the Faithful Steward Award for their work at Our Lady of the Pines, Woodville. Former residents of Bridge City, the Pessons made a plea to their new parish and organized a much needed recovery effort in Bridge City after Hurricane Ike.
Julie Nguyen, St. Joseph, Beaumont, received the Faithful Steward Award for all of her efforts in Oak Island following Hurricane Ike. A nurse practitioner, Nguyen brought flu shots for the residents, organized a Christmas party and came bearing home-made Vietnamese cooking to comfort those affected by the storm.
The final recipient of the Faithful Steward Award was Father Khanh Ho, pastor of St. Louis, Winnie. Never neglecting his own parish and his ministry duties, Father Ho spent countless hours traveling to Oak Island and handing out supplies ranging from blankets to bug spray.
He also worked with St. Vincent de Paul in Winnie, organizing distribution points for food and supplies.
The Diocesan Stewardship Council Award, an award that is given for one extraordinary act of stewardship, was presented to diocesan youth, in honor of all the youth that donated their time and effort to Extreme Cleanup, Oak Island, after Hurricane Ike.
