Women of the Year bring Christ to others, Bishop Solis says

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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This year, 32 Women of the Year were recognized by the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women; 29 of them are shown with Bishop Oscar A. Solis after the awards banquet.

SALT LAKE CITY — Each year, Catholic parishes throughout Utah elect a Woman of the Year to be honored at the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women awards dinner. The work these women do is varied, but regardless of their particular ministry, they are examples of “endless service to others,” as Catherine Finger of St. Mary Parish in West Haven is described in her nomination form.

This year, 32 women were honored as Women of the Year at the 2018 Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention, held April 28-29 at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel. The convention theme was “Be Full of Joy.” The dinner was almost at capacity, with 504 people attending.

In his remarks at the dinner, Bishop Oscar A. Solis commended all of the recipients of the Woman of the Year award, and thanked them because through their lives and faith they have “brought Christ to others,” he said.

Calling them the epitome of the Christian community in every parish throughout the diocese, he said the women  have become “an instrument of change and transformation in our world by the way you live your faith – living it filled with joy and gladness.”

The women who were recognized fill many roles in the parish and the diocese. For example, Blanca Madera of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Kearns is involved with several of her parish’s ministries, including the Spanish prayer group, and also is the parish representative to the diocesan Cinco Encuentro program. Similarly, Carol Harley, this year’s Catholic Woman’s League nominee, has served in leadership positions in the League since 2003, and has been a representative to the Women’s State Legislative Council for 15 years.

Not all of those recognized at the awards dinner are in prominent positions. Some, like Ethel Clark of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Taylorsville, work behind the scenes. According to her nomination, for years Clark has been the chairperson for the parish’s funeral lunches, cleans the church once a month, and three times a week gives a parishioner who lives in an assisted living facility a ride to daily Mass.

Many of the award recipients have been active in their parish for a long time. For example, Elaine Kucera of Immaculate Conception Parish in Copperton has been a member for almost 20 years. “Her contributions are far too many to list, but suffice to say, through her giving spirit, friendship and kindness, she has truly made a difference in our parish community and in our hearts,” her nomination reads.

On the other hand, Amy Lyman of San Andres Parish in Payson became Catholic only a few years ago, but “Even before her official baptism, Amy began volunteering for whatever projects were available. … Amy is the first one to volunteer for whatever the parish and San Andres Women’s Group needs,” her nomination form states.

Likewise, when Colleen Gudreau joined the Cathedral of the Madeleine Parish seven years ago, she “immediately became an active member of our faith community,” serving as a lector, extraordinary minister of the Holy Eucharist, a volunteer with the Good Samaritan Program, and tour guide, as well as helping to develop the “Restore the Love” program, according to her nomination.

 2018 DCCW Women of the Year

Northern Deanery

Rhonda Phillips, Holy Family Parish

Marie Neri, St. Joseph Parish

Catherine Finger, St. Mary Parish

Monica Rich, St. Rose of Lima Parish

Salt Lake Deanery

Colleen Gudreau, Cathedral of the Madeleine

Carol Harley, Catholic Woman’s League

Mary Marquez, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (Magna)

Sharon Kerikas, St. Ambrose Parish

Patti O’Connor, St. Ann Parish

Evelyn Montoya, St. Marguerite Parish

Mary Thompson, St. Olaf Parish

Carol Montoya, St. Patrick Parish

Luna Batangan, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish

Eastern Deanery

Joan Lasslo, Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish

Gloria Skerl, St. Anthony of Padua Parish

Gabriela Valadez, St. Helen Parish

Roni Greenhow, St. James the Greater Parish

Wasatch Deanery

Dorothy Soklaski, Blessed Sacrament Parish

Elaine Kucera, Immaculate Conception Parish

Kathy Norton, St. Francis of Assisi Parish

Blanca Madera, St. Francis Xavier Parish

Rachel Holt, St. John the Baptist Parish

Susan Espinoza, St. Joseph the Worker Parish

Ethel Clark, St. Martin de Porres Parish

Martha Pantos, St. Peter Parish

JoAnn Seghini, St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish

Betty Vaughn, St. Thomas More Parish

Sophe Derrick, St. Vincent de Paul Parish

Amy Lyman, San Andres Parish

Southwestern Deanery

Donna Dischbein, Christ the King Parish

Claudia Canales, St. George Parish

Patty Simmerman, St. Paul Catholic Center