May 22, 2009
Mother Teresa Christian Service Awards given May 18
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
“Mary Lee Allen’s life is filled with giving and care,” according to information prepared for her nomination for a Mother Teresa Award. “She is the definition of compassion.”
Allen was nominated from Sacred Heart Church in Schnellville, and she received a plaque from Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger at ceremonies held at Good Shep-herd Church in Evansville May 18.
Bernard F. Anslinger from St. Wendel Church in St. Wendel was honored posthumously for his more than 30 years as secretary of the St. Wendel St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Allen and Anslinger were among honorees at the celebration, coordinated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville to honor men and women with the “Mother Teresa Christian Service Award,” according to an announcement sent to all parishes. The announcement noted that “Mother Teresa has inspired millions of people throughout the world to do something beautiful for God by doing small things with great love.”
Among nominees are people who “work in local St. Vincent de Paul Councils, who staff the local Birthright and Pregnancy Aid Centers, who build houses for Habitat, who work at food banks and homeless shelters, who organize canned food drives, who minister to the residents of nursing home communities, who organize countless numbers of Blood Drives, who organize ef-forts to adopt needy families at Christmas; who serve on special mission trips to Appalachia, Cen-tral America, Jamaica, and Haiti. And the list could go on and on.”
Information and photos of each award recipient will be featured in the Message in coming weeks.
Following is the list of honorees:
- Mary Lee Allen, Sacred Heart Church, Schnellville
- Bernard F. Anslinger (Posthumously awarded), St. Wendel Church, St. Wendel
- Doris Bell, St. John the Baptist Church, Newburgh
- Julie Benton, St. Bernard Church, Rockport
- Peggy Blume, Holy Spirit Church, Evansville
- Gerald Joseph Braker, Good Shepherd Church, Evansville
- Mary Jane Buehner, St. Bernard Church, Snake Run
- Maureen “Mo” Dix, Holy Cross Church, Fort Branch
- Terry Drone, St. Joseph Church, Vanderburgh County
- Rita Gress, St. Mary Church, Ireland
- Adam and Delores Gries (Post-humously awarded), Mary, Help of Christians Church, Mariah Hill
- Scott Harris, St. John the Baptist Church, Newburgh
- Stephen and Martha Howard, Holy Family Church, Jasper
- Clara Imlay, St. Martin Church, Chrisney
- Tom and Helen Jones, Holy Rosary Church, Evansville
- John and Janie Kempf, St. Anthony Church, St. Anthony
- John Lyons, St. Francis Xavier (The old Cathedral), Vincennes
- Benedictine Sister Beata Mehling, St. Joseph Church, Jasper
- Paul Messmer, St. Ferdinand Church, St. Ferdinand
- Dan and Virginia Miller, St. John the Evangelist Church, Daylight
- Matthew and Sherry Monesmith, Precious Blood Church, Jasper
- Steve Muensterman, St. Joseph Church, Vanderburgh County
- David Payne, St. John the Apostle Church, Evansville
- Frank and Loretta Roales, Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes
- Laverne Schitter, St. Mary Church, Ireland
- Francis and Dorothy Schmitt, St. Francis Xavier Church, Poseyville
- Marc Sebastian, St. Joseph Church, Evansville
- Dorothy Seibert, St. Anthony Church, Evansville
- Art Stippler, Holy Spirit Church, Evansvile
- Raymond Thomas, Good Shepherd Church, Evansville
- Benedictine Sister Joanna Trainer, Sisters of St. Benedict, Ferdi-nand
- Theresa Volle, St. Philip Neri Church, Bicknell
- Jim and Bonnie Wannemuehler, St. Philip Church, St. Philip
- Catherine Weber, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Haubstadt
- Leroy Weinzapfel, St. Boniface Church, Evansville.