Catechists Receive Honors for Service at Ceremony

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The Archdiocesan Catechetical Office held its annual Certification and Recognition Ceremony in the chapel of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Building, Ossining.

Sister Nancy Elizabeth Doran, S.S.C., the new regional catechetical director for Manahttan, received the Terence Cardinal Cooke Award for extraordinary commitment, support and leadership in handing on the faith with excellence. The Good Shepherd Award for leadership, compassion and wholehearted dedication to Jesus the Good Shepherd was presented to Morley Archibald, a longtime member of the cafeteria staff at the New York Catholic Center in Manhattan, and to Roderick J. Cassidy, who is associate general counsel for the archdiocese.

Msgr. Edward Weber, director of the archdiocesan Office of Priest Personnel, led the prayer service and presided at the afternoon ceremony on Nov. 6.

Certificates of Catechist Certification at Levels One, Two, Three or Four were presented to more than 200 parish religious education catechists, three catechists of the Catechumenate, four catechists of the Good Shepherd, and 38 student catechists from Msgr. Farrell High School and eight from Moore Catholic High School, both on Staten Island.

Ivette Cardona, coordinator of religious education at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in the Bronx, was recognized for completing the Advanced Leadership Training component of the Catechetical Leadership Program, along with 14 directors and coordinators of religious education and 10 directors and coordinators of the Catechumenate, who have completed the Basic Leadership Training component.

Cardinal Dolan Certificates of Appreciation were presented to seven Level One and Level Two-certified catechists who, having already received the Catechetical Medal of Honor for 25 years of service, have given an additional five to 17 years of ministry in their parishes. They are Ellen McDonough, St. Raymond’s, the Bronx, 42 years; Michael Molinaro, St. Catherine Labouré, Lake Katrine, 40 years; Kathleen Tepepin, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Staten Island, 40 years; Nicholas Oliverio, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Shrub Oak, 30 years; Joseph Salerno, Our Lady of Solace/St. Dominic, the Bronx, 30 years; Deacon Warren Testa, St. Columba’s, Hopewell Junction, 30 years; and Maureen Zeiss, St. Francis of Assisi, West Nyack, 30 years.

The Catechetical Medal of Honor was awarded to three Catechetical Office staff members and 18 parish catechists. Sister Teresita Morse, R.J.M., director of formation for parish directors and coordinators of religious education, was honored for her 35 years of dedication to the catechetical ministry in the archdiocese. Staff members honored for 25 years of service were Sister Jeannette Chishibanji, S.S.C., regional catechetical director, the Bronx; Linda Fitzsimmons, regional catechetical director, Dutchess/Ulster; and Sister Mary Crucifix Pandullo, C.S.JB., regional catechetical director, Staten Island.

Parish catechists who received the Medal of Honor for their dedicated service of 25 years or more were Janis Batewell, Sacred Heart, Suffern, 33 years; Katherine Hamilton, St. Mary’s, Fishkill, 33 years; Joan Corso Boutross, St. John and St. Mary, Chappaqua, 30 years; Irene Roudis, St. Joseph’s, Kingston, 30 years; Rosemary A. Tirone, Corpus Christi-Our Lady of the Rosary, Port Chester, 30 years; Lynne DeVuono, Immaculate Conception, Stony Point, 26 years; Maria Nieves, Our Lady of Sorrows, Manhattan, 26 years; Yvette Rivera, Our Lady of Sorrows, Manhattan, 26 years; Pedro Calderón, St. Anthony of Padua, Bronx, 25 years; Jill Carelli, St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Kisco, 25 years; Joann Carpenter, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Poughkeepsie, 25 years; Susan D’Adamo, St. Francis of Assisi, West Nyack, 25 years; Jo Ann Daley, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Sacred Heart, Esopus, 25 years; Nora Donaldson, St. Francis of Assisi, West Nyack, 25 years; Patricia Odell, Immaculate Conception, Stony Point, 25 years; Deacon Jack Shea, SS. John and Paul, Larchmont, 25 years; Jeanette Tuzzolino, St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Kisco, 25 years; and Mary Walsh, St. Columba’s, Hopewell Junction, 25 years.