tvc.dsj.org | May 21, 2019
COMMUNITY
5
Bishop McGrath Honored During 49 th Annual Saint Pius X Awards Dinner
By Liz Sullivan
It was the only award that was a
surprise. Yet, it wasn’t really a surprise
to most of the more than 300 people
gathered.
On May 7, the Diocese of San Jose
held the 49 th Annual Saint Pius X
Awards Banquet at Villa Ragusa res-
taurant in Campbell.
In the final honor of the night, re-
cently retired Bishop Patrick J. McGrath
was awarded the Sister Maria De La
Cruz Aymes, SH, Award for Excellence
in Catechetical Ministry. It is an award
the Bishop established.
Visibly moved, Bishop McGrath,
who retired on May 1, said: “Thank you
all so much. It has been an honor and a
pleasure to serve with you.”
Sister De La Cruz was an acclaimed
leader in modern catechetics and the
author of the “On Our Way” series,
which provided the foundation of
religious education for a generation of
Catholic youth. Bishop McGrath met
her when he was a seminarian in Ire-
land in 1969 and they became friends
when he moved to San Francisco after
his ordination a year later. He estab-
lished this award in her honor.
The evening honored 91 catechists
for 10 to 50 years of service to religious
education ministry. Overall, the honor-
ees combined for 1,650 years of service.
Holy Family
Fran Bermudes
JoAnn Frantz
Patty Trillo
Mary Born
Eric Bateman
45 years
40 years
40 years
30 years
10 years
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Maria Juana Fernandez 25 years
Suzanne Figueroa
25 years
Our Lady of La Vang
Thien Nguyen
Diana Dzung Cu
Bich Van Nguyen
Ha Dang
Sr. Theresa Anh Loan Do
Anh Tuyet Nguyen
Bao-Tram Nguyen
Brian (Huy) Tran
Don Huy Pham
Hai Duc Nguyen
Hoa Nguyen
Kevin Nguyen
Linh Monica Nguyen
Linh Thuy Nguyen
Long Ngo
Nguyen Cao Dinh
Peter Nguyen
Phuong Do
Sonny Nguyen
Thoa Tran
Tram-Anh Tran
40 years
35 years
30 years
30 years
25 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
Our Lady of Refuge
Claudia Chavez
10 years
Ma. Elena Morales Morales 10 years
Bishop Cantú with Sister Rosalie Pizzo. Bishop Cantú and Monsignor Francis Cilia.
Bishop Cantú with Connie Torres. Bishop Cantú and Father John Hurley, CSP.
tion and Hispanic Apostolate.
Bishop Oscar Cantú who became
the third Bishop of the Diocese when
Bishop McGrath retired, delivered
some brief remarks.
“We are all so thankful for your
service,” said Bishop Cantú. “You do
what you do with love and that is what
makes God present in our lives. When
we act with great love we are acting
with God’s love.”
Two honorees have served for 50 years: Malia Sophia Samatua Duran
and Patricia Pena, both from Saint John
Vianney.
The Saint Pius X awards are named
in honor of Pope Saint Pius X, 1835-1914,
who as Pope encouraged daily reading
of the Bible, directed liturgical renewal
and encouraged Catholics, especially
in Italy, to become involved in political
issues to achieve peace and order. He
was most noted for lowering the age of
First Communion to the age of reason.
Saint Elizabeth
Joanne Wang
Sr. Leanh Thi Vu
Todd Bradford
Knocky Vu
Ton Nguyen 25 years
25 years
25 years
10 years
10 years Saint Lucy
Alicia Tadeo
10 years
Saint Frances Cabrini
Donna Tkach
Jennifer & John Donnelly
Margie Schillage
Linda Brady Saint Maria Goretti
Ernestina Murillo
Isabel Valtierra
Ramona Soto
10 years
10 years
10 years
35 years
35 years
35 years
25 years Saint Mary
Claudia Sanchez
Linda Delgadillo
10 years
10 years
Saint Simon
Carmen Vigo, Ph.D.
25 years
Bishop Cantú presents Bishop McGrath
with the Sister Maria De La Cruz Aymes,
SH Award for Excellence in Catechetical
Ministry.
Also honored were: Father John
Hurley, CSP, Vicar for Evangelization
for the Diocese and Sister Rosalie Pizzo,
SNDdeN, Bishop’s Delegate for the
Religious, who are both retiring, along
with Vicar General Monsignor Francis
Cilia, who is moving on from his post.
Three retiring Catechetical Direc-
tors were also honored: Christina Fenn,
Holy Family Parish; Angela Giampoli,
Saint Victor; Anne Marie Torres, Saint
Victor; Connie Torres, Our Lady of
Guadalupe Parish and Tam Tram, Saint
Joseph of Cupertino.
This dinner is a collaboration of the
Diocese’s departments of Faith Forma-
Our Lady of Peace
Anthony Vincent Navarro
Armando Franco
Bernardina Preciado
Jose Preciado
Juan Gallaga
Michael Luvara
Norvina Sage
Vincent Desbieys 10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
Queen of Apostles
Vincent Oddo
Melissa Hunsinger 25 years
10 years
Sacred Heart, Saratoga
Bill Kroenung
Nancy Crowley
Naomi Levenson
Roger Doss 30 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission
Caroline Wong
10 years
Oliver Po
10 years
Saint Athanasius
Mary Anne Williams
Pat Papa
Carol Wilson
30 years
40 years
25 years
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Angela Gonzalez
30 years
Oralia Salas
10 years
Rosa Landeros
10 years
Saint Christopher
Ana Casamalhuapa
10 years
Saint John Vianney
Malia Sofia Samatua Duran 50 years
Patricia Peña
50 years
Celia Peña
25 years
Enedelia Sandoval
25 years
Patricia Ross
25 years
Ramona Torres
25 years
Brianne Robles
10 years
Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Mary Allamandola
30 years
Angeles Duffy
10 years
Sara Cumin
10 years
Saint Justin
Kathy Gannon
10 years
Saint Lawrence, the Martyr
Pedro Rincon
10 years
Teresa Rincon
10 years
Saint Leo the Great
Irene Jacquez
Jacqueline Yepez
Javier Jacquez
10 years
10 years
10 years
Saint Thomas of Canterbury
Lucy Chai
25 years
Saint Victor
Alice Trigg
Myrna Serafica
Isabelita Carpentero
Myra Gasmin
Valerie Maggard
35 years
25 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
Retiring Directors
Christina Fenn, Director, Holy Family Parish
Angela Giampaoli, Director, Saint Victor
Parish
Anne Marie Gleason, Associate Director,
Saint Victor Parish
Connie Torres, Director, Our Lady of
Guadalupe Parish
Tam Tram, Director, Saint Joseph of
Cupertino Parish, Tam is joining the faculty
at Presentation High School