October 22, 2010
Bruté Society
116 nominees will join on Oct. 31
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
When Janet Werne heard the news that she was going to be inducted into the Bruté Society, she was both “shocked and honored.”
She’s a parishioner at St. Ferdinand Church in Ferdinand, and says the things that she does for her parish are “the things I should do,” adding that the “things I do in the parish I do because I want to.”
That’s how she was raised. Her mother, Bernitha, was the housekeeper at the rectory, and her father, Benno, was the custodian. As a young child, she learned to help out by “mowing the cemetery, and ringing the bells for the Mass and Angelus.”
As an adult she has served on the Parish Council, as the co-chairperson for the CPC, as a Eucharistic minister and as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“I just help Father with whatever. If he needs help, wherever the parish needs.”
She said the Bruté Award is a “nice award but it’s hard to pick people out to receive it. A lot of people help. How do you determine that I get it,” she questioned, explaining, “I just do things that I was brought up to do.
“I don’t think that I do anything extraordinary. I try to volunteer where it’s needed.”
Her parents were inducted into the Bruté Society back in 1991, so she is continuing family tradition. “We were very honored at that time” she said, “that the parish honored them.”
Ralph and Laura Langen and their daughters, Haley, 16, and Autumn, 14, will also be inducted into the Bruté Society this year. They are parishioners at St. Nicholas Church in Santa Claus.
Ralph says the family is always willing to help out anyway they can at the parish, and he attributes that spirit of offering their time, talent and treasure to both his parents and his wife’s parents. His parents, Allen and Sue Langen, are also members of the Bruté Society.
“That’s where I get it from,” he said, “from them.”
This year’s induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, Oct. 31, at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. One-hundred sixteen people from parishes all over the Diocese of Evansville have been nominated by their fellow parishioners for the honor.
Matt Miller, diocesan director of the Office of Worship, said, “The purpose of the Bruté Society is to acknowledge and give thanks for exemplary Christian stewardship demonstrated by individual members of the Diocese of Evansville.
“By doing this in a public and formal way, we hope to promote an ever-deepening commitment to stewardship as the way of life for all Catholics of southwestern Indiana. In addition, the witness of stewardship shown by the members of the Bruté Society may serve to inspire others to give of themselves in living out their baptismal call.”
He noted that “those who have been nominated for the Bruté Society do what they do — not out of a need for recognition or praise — but rather out of their own need and call to serve God, the Church and their brothers and sisters. That is one of the things that makes this event so special – just humble people doing what they are supposed to be doing. The diocese is made better by their presence and their service.”
Here is the list of the 2010 nominees for the Bruté Society:
- Roy Ackerman, St. Joseph, Evansville;
- Eugene and Rose Adler, Holy Redeemer, Evansville;
- Carol Akles, Blessed Sacrament, Oakland City;
- Mary Armentano, Holy Trinity, Evansville;
- Paul and Sylvia Baehl, Resurrection, Evansville;
- Debbie Bateman, St. Joseph, Princeton;
- Mary Bernardin, St. John the Baptist, Newburgh;
- Kathy Boyd, Nativity, Evansville;
- Vince Brenner, Good Shepherd, Evansville;
- Judy Brewer, Our Lady of Hope, Washington;
- Michael and Judy Brown, St. Agnes, Evansville;
- Margaret A. Buckwinkle, St. Theresa, Evansville;
- Anna Burdette, Holy Redeemer, Evansville;
- Lora Jenkins Burris, Holy Name, Bloomfield;
- Ron Cardinal, St. John the Baptist, Vincennes;
- Andres and Sandra Chaparro, Nativity, Evansville;
- Cevin and Debbie Collins, St. Bernard, Rockport;
- Bettye L. Davis, Holy Rosary, Evansville;
- Joanne Davis, St. Mary, Sullivan;
- Patricia Earley, St. Francis Xavier, Vincennes;
- Paul and Jean Edwards, St. Joseph, Princeton;
- Terry and Patty Englert, St. Raphael, Dubois;
- Allen and Brenda Erny, Precious Blood, Jasper;
- Barbara Eudy, Precious Blood, Jasper;
- Stan and Lynn Flittner Jr., Christ the King, Evansville;
- Tom J. Franke, Holy Rosary, Evansville;
- Tracey Fuzesi, St. Joan of Arc, Jasonville;
- Steve and Peg Hall, Holy Cross, Fort Branch;
- Barbara Heines, Sacred Heart, Vincennes;
- Ralph Holscher, Sacred Heart, Vincennes;
- Clara Imlay, St. Martin, Chrisney;
- James and Brenda Jost, St. Boniface, Evansville;
- Mary Ann Kaetzel, St. Joseph, Dale;
- Paul and Kim Kasenow, St. John the Baptist, Newburgh;
- Cary and Susan Keller, St. Thomas, Vincennes;
- Paul and Phyllis Keller, St. John the Baptist, Newburgh;
- John and Janie Kempf, St. Anthony, St. Anthony;
- Greg and Kathy Knust, Sacred Heart, Schnell-ville;
- Don and Jane Koch, St. Francis Xavier, Posey-ville;
- Kent and Judi (award given posthumously) Kunz, Holy Family, Jasper;
- Ralph, Laura, Haley and Autumn Langen, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus;
- Greg and Lisa Lantaff, St. John the Evangelist, Daylight;
- Mark and Ellen Lasher, Corpus Christi, Evansville;
- Susan Lautner, St. John Chrysostom, New Boston;
- Kenneth and Sarah Luecke, St. Benedict Cath-edral, Evansville;
- Ralph and Julie Mallory, St. John the Evangelist, Daylight;
- Mary May, St. Philip, Posey County;
- Stephen McCallister, St. Mary, Evansville;
- Jim McGinness (award given posthumously), St. Philip, Posey County;
- Clarence and Catherine (award given posthumously) Miller, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh County;
- Dan Mundy, St. Joseph, Jasper;
- Janet R. Naas, Good Shepherd, Evansville;
- Jim and Linda Nolan, St. Peter, Linton;
- Charles and Gayle Ostby, Our Lady of Hope, Washington;
- Mona Resenbeck, St. Joseph, Jasper;
- Christine Rice, St. John the Baptist, Newburgh;
- Patricia Robles Scheeter, St. Joseph, Jasper;
- Martha Schepers, St. Peter Celestine, Celestine;
- Christine Schlachter, Mary, Help of Christians, Mariah Hill;
- Edward and Rose Mary Seckinger, Corpus Christi, Evansville;
- Ken and Monica Sicard, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand;
- David and Kim Spaetti, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh County;
- Mike and Ann Steffe, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand;
- Jerome Streicher, Holy Family, Jasper;
- Fred and Jonelle Tenbarge, Sts. Peter and Paul, Haubstadt;
- Mary Ann Thacker, St. John the Baptist, Vincennes;
- Jeffery Thomas, St. John, Evansville;
- Hilbert and Theresa Volle, St. Philip Neri, Bick-nell;
- Robert and Joann Weber, Resurrection, Evansville;
- Janet Ann Werne, St. Henry, St. Henry;
- Patricia Whitehead, Holy Rosary, Evansville;
- Gene and Marlene Wilderman, St. Wendel, St. Wendel;
- Tony and Jonette Wilson, Sts. Peter and Paul, Haubstadt;
- Frank and Loretta Winiger, St. Matthew, Mount Vernon;
- Steve and Rosemary Woerner, St. Mary, Ireland;
- Dave and Mary Ziliak, St. Ferdinand, Ferdinand;
- David (award given posthumously) and Dolores Ziliak, St. Bernard, Snake Run.