BY PRISCILLA GREEAR

Staff Writer

MARIETTA--Seventy-year-old Emiliana Barnes cheerfully gives back to the Lord by driving people in her van to church and other places, and by visiting clients at their homes when serving as a St. Vincent de Paul Society caseworker.

A parishioner at Holy Cross Church, Atlanta, she is also a eucharistic minister. Recently she welcomed into her home a Liberian family who needed temporary housing before settling into Atlanta.

“I just do it for Jesus. He’s been so wonderful and good for me. They need help and God sent people to help me when I was young so I just try to help people out if they need help,” she said.

For steadfastly living the Gospel through service in their parishes, schools and communities in 1998, Barnes and nearly 100 other women and youth were honored at the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Recognition Day Jan. 30 at St. Joseph’s Church, Marietta.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue celebrated the Mass, as Father Paul Berny, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church and AACCW spiritual moderator, joined him on the altar, along with over 25 priests of the archdiocese. The Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard.

Despite rainy winter weather, over 500 proud parents, grandparents and friends joyfully gathered for the annual Mass.

Following welcoming remarks by Mayfern Barren, south deanery vice-president, Deacon Thomas Zaworski proclaimed the Gospel.

In his homily, Archbishop Donoghue retold the account in John of the wedding feast at Cana where he noted Mary’s significant role in persuading Jesus to perform his first public miracle by changing water into wine.

“It is the urging and the counsel of a woman, of Mary His Mother, which begins ... Jesus Christ upon the road to His public ministry ... through which, then, and now, the Holy Spirit moves, to draw mankind away from sin, and into holiness and salvation. The tap of the mercy of God was opened that day at Cana to its widest flow, and grace has been abundant ever since, and freely available at the local fountain, the local church.”

He said the parable reflects women’s powerful influence.

“We see a lesson ... that women have the power to move us, that women have the power to bring out the best in us, that women can often get things done, when others have given up, and decided to settle for water instead of wine,” he continued. “Mothers do this for children, wives do it for husbands--women everywhere, and especially in our Church, do it every day for the old and young, for the poor, for the sick, the lame, the helpless.”

“For this gift of what women can make us do, let us express solemnly at this Mass, as we celebrate the AACCW’s Recognition Day, our gratitude to the Father in Heaven,” he concluded. “Let us take to heart and adopt as our great rule for life, the most important lesson of today’s Gospel, the words of the woman, of Mary, our Mother in Faith, as she looked with total confidence upon the face of her Son and our Lord, saying: ‘Do, whatever He tells you.’”

Accompanied by organ, piano and harp, the St. Joseph’s Chancel Choir, directed by Martha Trimbach, led the congregation in song.

AACCW President Shirley Radican thanked women and youth for their dedicated service and said that, since all youth chosen by their parishes have done equally outstanding volunteer work, this year all would be honored. In past years one outstanding youth was also named as the Youth of the Year.

“I think all of our men and women are truly outstanding,” she said.

Radican, assisted by Jo Ann Rieger, AACCW vice-president, then called forward the outstanding youth and women, chosen by their parishes, to receive certificates from the archbishop.

Jennifer McLane, 17, was one of the many teens recognized who have faithfully served the Lord by serving others. She assists a Brownie troop with activities such as camping trips and collecting school supplies for children in Bosnia. As a Girl Scout, she participated in the Urban Forest Project, planting trees and distributing seedlings to help preserve the environment. A parishioner at St. John the Baptist, Thomaston, she also helps lead the youth ministry and teaches catechism to first-graders.

Being recognized “was a joy,” she said. “I didn’t expect it. I’m very honored. ... As I’ve gotten older, (my faith has) gotten more and more important and this is just the high point.”

In alphabetical order, other outstanding youth of the archdiocese were: Chris Barnes of St. James, McDonough; Kristin Bronaugh of St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta; Melody Burkholder of St. Thomas the Apostle, Smyrna; Scott Carmella of St. Matthew, Winder; Kyle Cavin of St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Juliet Chhay of St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville; Jonathan Crilly of Mary Our Queen, Norcross; Laura Daniels of St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta; Rose DeCaro of Holy Trinity, Peachtree City; Karen Ethridge of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carrollton; Matt Fisher of St. Ann, Marietta; Maxwell Frazier of Sts. Peter and Paul, Decatur; Phillip Griffeth of St. James, Madison; Katherine Grindon of All Saints, Dunwoody; Laura Guerin of Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain; Brendon Harvey of St. Benedict, Duluth; Amanda Hollman of St. Theresa, Douglasville; and Reagan Hoyt of Good Shepherd, Cumming.

Also Asley Jones of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Erin Kelly of St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro; Brianne Metzger of St. Patrick, Norcross; Emily Moss of Queen of Angels, Thomson; Maria Naranjo of St. Jude the Apostle, Atlanta; Laura Newman of St. Michael the Archangel, Woodstock; Tonya Paquin of Sacred Heart, Hartwell; Kelly Schad of Transfiguration, Marietta; Devin Shaner of St. George, Newnan; Asa Sherrill of Holy Spirit, Atlanta; Kathern Smith of Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Andres Sossa of St. Thomas More, Decatur; Jennell Talley of St. John Vianney, Lithia Springs; Craig White of St. Gabriel, Fayetteville; Jessica Willis of Christ Our Hope, Lithonia; and Elizabeth Wolowicz of St. Andrew, Roswell.

In alphabetical order, the outstanding women of the archdiocese were: Paulette Adams of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Juanita Altshuler of St. Stephen, Lilburn; Consuelo Angel of Sacred Heart, Milledgeville; Judith Baisch of St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta; Emiliana Barnes of Holy Cross, Atlanta; Cheryl Base of St. Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw; Mary Boyd of St. Pius X, Conyers; Rick Braschel of St. Michael the Archangel, Woodstock; Barbara Braza of All Saints, Dunwoody; Patricia Burns of St. Thomas the Apostle, Smyrna; Virginia Carey of St. Joseph, Marietta; Connie Cebulski of St. George, Newnan; Fannie Collier of St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta; Marion Conroy of St. Paul the Apostle, Cleveland; Mary Anne Creagan of Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain; Yone Daly of St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro; Becky Dauby of St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville; Rosemarie Diehl of St. Francis of Assisi, Blairsville; Margaret Dorsey of Sts. Peter and Paul, Decatur; Ann Doyle of Good Shepherd, Cumming; Helen Farmer of St. John the Baptist, Thomaston; Deloris Feyaerts of Christ Our King and Savior, Greensboro; Cathy Germann of Queen of Angels, Thomson; Eileen Giselbach of Mary Our Queen, Norcross; Janis Griffin of Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta; Mary Halley of St. James the Apostle, McDonough; Mary Haywood of St. Joseph, Dalton; Helen Heil of Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Eileen Hickey of St. Thomas More, Decatur; Camilla Horst of St. Helena, Clayton; and Ruth Jones of Prince of Peace, Buford.

Also Emmalene Joseph of St. Peter, LaGrange; Brenda Kelly of St. Anthony of Padua, Atlanta; Pat Kerrigan of St. Vincent de Paul, Dallas; Diane Krause of St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Mary Lang of St. Ann, Marietta; Joyce Lewis of Christ Our Hope, Lithonia; Patricia Lyons of St. Andrew, Roswell; Rosemary Manning of St. Gerard, Fort Oglethorpe; Jerry Matthews of St. Monica, Duluth; Carolyn McFall of St. Joseph, Athens; Chong McRae of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Warm Springs; Mary Katherine Moore of Our Lady of the Mount, Lookout Mountain; Marie Mulvenna of St. Gabriel, Fayetteville; Ann Murray of Sacred Heart, Hartwell; Trisha Nichols of Holy Trinity, Peachtree City; JoAnn Perfetti of St. Benedict, Duluth; Nguyen Pham of Our Lady of Vietnam, Riverdale; Christine Quinn of St. Theresa, Douglasville; Terri Reade of St. Francis of Assisi, Cartersville; Irene Scott of St. John the Evangelist, Hapeville; Mary Snyder, Holy Family, Marietta; Madeline Strazay of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carrollton; Diane Teems of St. Bernadette, Cedartown; Mary Vickers of St. Patrick, Norcross; Thelma Weatherly of St. John Vianney, Lithia Springs; Carole Wood of Sacred Heart, Atlanta; Lenore Wood of St. Ann, Barnesville; all women of St. James, Madison and all women of St. Matthew, Winder.

DEDICATED TO CHURCH -- Twenty-four outstanding women are shown of 60 honored Jan. 30 for service to their parishes and communities in 1998. Archbishop John F. Donoghue celebrated the special Mass.
Photos by Linda Schaefer/Archdiocese of Atlanta

WOMEN WHO SERVE -- A total of 60 women of the archdiocese were chosen by their parishes for recognition after providing outstanding service in 1998 to their parish, school or local community. The recognition is sponsored annually by the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. Twenty-four women are shown above.

OUTSTANDING YOUTH -- Thirty of the 35 outstanding Catholic youth nominated by their parishes for recognition gather following a special Mass in their honor at St. Joseph’s Church, Marietta, on Jan. 30.