Medals to be conferred at the Archdiocesan ‘Shine The Light’ Gala in April
BALTIMORE – On April 22, 2023, the Archdiocesan Gala will return for the first time in over three years and will be held at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel. The gala will also mark the return of the Archdiocesan Medals of Honor, highlighting the tremendous work being done by clergy and lay people throughout the archdiocese both within their parishes and throughout the communities they serve.
More than 70 nominations were submitted by a diverse group of people from across the archdiocese during the open month-long nomination process that began in January. An internal nomination committee comprised of representatives from a variety of ministries reviewed all nominations and submitted their recommendations to Archbishop William E. Lori. Each of the honorees were notified earlier this month by Archbishop Lori.
Medal of Honor categories were developed to align with Archbishop Lori’s pastoral letter, A Light Brightly Visible 2.0. The six medals recognize important work in supporting the five pillars of the Archdiocesan mission statement: liturgy, evangelization, education, service, and stewardship. The gala’s theme, ‘Shine The Light’, is also in reference to the archbishop’s appeal in his pastoral letter for each of us to shine the light of Christ.
Yvonne Wenger, Director of Community Affairs for the archdiocese, said choosing this year’s recipients was not an easy task. She chaired the nomination committee.
“The committee was positively overwhelmed with the number and quality of nominees,” she said. “We are truly blessed to have so many parishioners and clergy doing powerful, life-changing work in our parishes and our communities. This gala and these medals can hardly begin to recognize all of the exciting ways we see God’s work in communities throughout the archdiocese.”
Twelve individuals will be honored on April 22 for shining the light of God through their works, representing a variety of ministries and communities throughout the archdiocese.
The Neumann-Valenzano Medal is named for St. John Neumann and Msgr. Art Valenzano, and given to a pastor who exemplifies what it means to build a vibrant faith community. This year’s honoree is Father Francis Ouma, whose pastoral outreach led
St. Patrick’s in Havre de Grace out of the pandemic, with a tremendous increase in service, stewardship, and pastoral care for a growing congregation.
The Dubourg-Pacione Award is named after Fr. Louis Dubourg and Mark Pacione and recognizes lay people who have greatly impacted the work of evangelization. This year’s recipients are Joseph C. Orlando, M.D., and Gilbert A. Hoffman Sr. Esq. Dr. Orlando and Mr. Hoffman were instrumental in the founding of the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Maryland over 25 years ago.
The Seton-Sellinger Award is named after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Reverend Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J. and Jim Sellinger and recognizes an individual who has shown great leadership in the ministry of Catholic education. This year’s honoree is Sister Delia Dowling, SSND, who was instrumental in the founding of Sisters Academy of Baltimore, an all-girls Catholic middle school in Baltimore. She has served as the school’s inaugural president since 2004.
The Joubert-Miller Award is named after Fr. James H. Joubert and Msgr. Edward Miller to recognize people that have stood in solidarity with underserved and underrepresented communities of faith. There are five honorees this year, including Sherita Thomas, who has chaired the archdiocese’s Coordinating Committee on Racial Justice since its founding in 2020. The other four honorees, Deacon Edison Morales, Jose G. Ramirez, Carlos Arias, and Jose Ezequiel Melo worked as a team at their parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Highlandtown, to help the Hispanic population of southeast Baltimore during the Covid-19 pandemic. They helped thousands of families receive the food, vaccines, testing, and other services needed, often collaborating with local healthcare and non-profit institutions.
The Lange-Mortel Award is named after Mother Mary Lange and Dr. Rodrigue Mortel and was created to recognize an individual who exemplifies innovation and entrepreneurship in Catholic social ministries. The 2023 recipient, Kelly Obermayer, serves as the Executive Director of Mary’s Home of Maryland, where her entrepreneurial spirit continues to seek different ways to support young mothers in need.
The O’Neill-Baldwin Award is named for Thomas J. O’Neill and Thomas & Peggy Baldwin and recognizes an individual whose “sincere and generous charity” bears witness to Christ. The honorees, Walter and Diane Conolley, have offered their time, talent, and treasure in a variety of ways in the broader community to help various ministries of the church, including the Towson University Newman Center.
For more information on the Archdiocesan Gala or the Medals of Honor, visit our website https://www.archbalt.org/gala/.