Women of the Year honored for service

IC photo by Christine Young

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Msgr. Robert Servatius and Bishop John Wester congratulate the Women of the Year and present them with their Our Lady of Good Council medals at the DCCW Women of the Year Banquet.

SALT LAKE CITY - Women from 32 parishes in the Salt Lake Diocese were honored at the 2010 Annual Women of the Year Banquet during the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) Convention held at the Sheraton Hotel April 24.

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City, thanked the women of the DCCW for their lay leadership and service, especially those being honored. "What you do is second to none," he said, adding that he is deeply grateful to the DCCW members because their work is rooted in the parishes, the backbone of the Church. "When we meet together, you ask what I need done, and you always do it eagerly and generously," he said.

Women of the Year Awards were presented by Bobbie Hunt and Sheila Landry, DCCW Women of the year committee chairwomen; Bishop Wester and Msgr. Robert Servatius, DCCW moderator.

The women were honored for quietly working behind the scenes, as chairs of committees, and for serving as officers in their parish councils of Catholic Women (CCW), deaneries and as DCCW officers and commissioners. For example, Donna Murphy of Saint Thomas More Parish, Sandy, serves as the legislative commissioner for the Wasatch Deanery and the DCCW. Becky Columbo of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish, Helper, is the DCCW community concerns commissioner. She has served as CCW president, Eastern Deanery president and DCCW secretary.

Janet Alberts was baptized into the Catholic Church four years ago at Saint Helen Parish, Roosevelt, and immediately began serving as vice president and president of the CCW as well as chairing dinners, said Bobbie Hunt.

Some who were recognized, have been serving in their parish for 50 years or more, like Audrey Graham from Holy Family Parish, Ogden and Pauline Bambrick from Saint James the Just Parish, Odgen. Bambrick also served as the DCCW secretary and treasurer; Graham taught in the Catholic school system for 20 years.

Rosemary Baron, Saint Ambrose Parish, Salt Lake City, has presented on social justice for RCIA and is a trustee for the Diocesan Catholic Foundation of Utah.

Many of the women have taught religious education, such as Teresa Carmelo of Saint Joseph Parish, who taught CCD classes and RCIA for more than 35 years.

They have prepared food for funerals, luncheons and banquets. For example, Lisa Adamson of Saint Olaf Parish, Bountiful, prepared and served hot lunches to students at St. Olaf School for several years; she also plans and organizes meals for council fundraisers, and chaired the banquet for the National Council of Catholic Women convention held in Salt Lake City in 2009.

They are extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, administer Communion to the sick and homebound, serve at the St. Vincent de Paul Center and are parish council members. Jacquie Bergstom has organized the annual fashion show at Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Kearns for many years.

Kristie Kelli from Immaculate Conception Parish in Copperton completed the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation program in the diocese.

Some of the women sing in the choir like Mele Mau Vaisima of Saint Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City, who cantors with her family for the Saturday Vigil Mass and the Sunday morning Mass.

Genevieve Quintana has been a parishioner of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Midvale, for 50 years. She has served in many capacities and has chaired the bereavement committee, assisted with the parish art sale, helped with senior outreach and she and her husband, Bart, operated the St. Therese food bank for many years. She received an Apostolic blessing from Pope John Paul II for her commitment to the poor in the parish.

The women who received the Women of the Year Awards are:

Northern Deanery - Audrey Graham, Pauline Bambrick, Teresa Carmelo, Carolyn Jachim and Tina Swisher.

Wasatch Deanery - Kristie Kelly, Laurie Hofstetter, Michelle Thacker, Maria Ramirez, Jacquie Bergstrom, Patrice Eliason, Cynthia Currier, Genevieve Quintana, Donna Murphy, Charito Montoya and Carolyn Costello.

Southwest Deanery - Marie Hartry and Maria "Toni" Varela.

Eastern Deanery - Kelly Cranford, Sue Anuskewic, Becky Columbo, Janet Alberts and Dale Maquire.

Salt Lake Deanery - Arlita Lienares, Pat Bayer, Joanie Dobesh, Rosemary Baron, Gerri Gomez, Debra Sandoval, Lisa Adamson, Mele Mau Vaisima and Elsie Herrera.