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By Priscilla Greear
SNELLVILLE—A youth leader at St. Benedict’s Church,
Duluth, Omar Lopez-Cepero goes through days where he forgets about God as he
juggles his school work, social life, a buzz of extracurricular activities and
other concerns of a high school senior.
Yet through service projects and retreats organized by his parish
Life Teen program, he finds his way back onto the heavenly track and off the
collision course of temptations. Gregarious and upbeat, Lopez-Cepero helps plan
and lead weekly Life Teen programs and other activities like visits to homeless
shelters, food and clothing drives, dances and music. He also participates in a
weeklong work camp to build houses for the poor.
“It’s very rewarding spiritually and
socially—especially on our retreats and work camps. We come (away) every
time with a spiritual high. We once again realize how important Jesus is in our
lives.”
Lopez-Cepero is one of 38 high school seniors and 57 women from
the Atlanta Archdiocese honored for outstanding service to their parishes at
the annual Recognition Day Mass organized by the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council
of Catholic Women. It was held March 19 at St. Oliver Plunkett Church.
The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop John F. Donoghue and
concelebrated by St. Oliver’s pastor Father Thomas Carroll, MS, Father
Peter Rau, spiritual moderator of the Northeast Deanery of the AACCW, and eight
other priests. The parish Life Teen choir energized the congregation with
uplifting music. The Mass was hosted by the AACCW Northeast Deanery under
president Celeste Ganey.
In his homily the archbishop spoke of God’s ultimate test of
Abraham when he called him to sacrifice his son, whom his wife, Sarah, carried
with great hardship in old age. This story of God’s call to obedience, he
said, epitomizes how the faithful are asked to believe in God’s love and
salvation through Christ as they are tested, suffer and grow weary through
labor in pursuit of good works.
“For God is the perfect Abraham, and Christ is the perfect
Son—and the cross is the altar upon which the guilt of man’s
sins—our sins—have been redeemed in blood, by the obedient, the
willing sacrifice of the Son. It had to be this way, for the love shown on
Calvary had to be the ultimate love—the love shown on Calvary, had to
suffer the pain of death, to prove that no greater love could, or ever would
be,” he said.
“The perfect love of Jesus Christ our Lord, is the only
offering that can totally match the perfect love of God the Father, who sent
His Son in the first place, to make us a part of His everlasting kingdom.”
That love puts the faithful to the test, he said.
“Though we can never attain its perfection—this love is
what leads us and guides us, as we ourselves attempt to prove here on earth,
that our own Faith is real, and that our own obedience to the will of God, is
freely given. And however we may be tested, this love, for Jesus Christ, is the
one we will cling to until the very end.”
He said that archdiocesan women, who make up the membership of the
AACCW, are exemplary servants. “Today we celebrate the good works of the
Catholic women of the Archdiocese of Atlanta—who like Sarah, do not make
their position or age or stature a factor in the service of those they
love—but who give generously, from the first to the last—and who make
real ... the virtue, the worth, of living a life of obedience and of service to
Christ and to His Church,” he continued.
“As you (AACCW members) ... testify to this concern of yours,
for the Church and her young people, by this gathering and by the awards you
will present today, it is my blessing to testify also, on behalf of the entire
local Catholic Church, of our gratitude for your good works and for your good
prayers. But most of all, we thank you for your working friendship, as we
strive, in the Lord’s Name, to make this, our home in North Georgia, a
place worthy of His Gospel...”
AACCW president Jo Ann Rieger called forward the outstanding women
and high school seniors, chosen by their respective parishes, to receive
certificates from the archbishop.
“I would like to commend all the women and youth who have
been recognized today for their outstanding contributions to their parish
communities,” she said.
Rieger said that the annual event encourages those who serve,
“makes (honorees) feel that the work that they do is recognized and may
make someone else want to do a little bit more.”
“And it’s good for our youth too,” she said.
“It’s great to see the youth that are contributing when we hear so
many bad things about the violence and the drugs.”
Honorees expressed their gratitude at a reception afterwards.
“I feel it’s a great honor. There are a lot of youth in
our church that are very involved. I feel very honored to receive this. I
really think it speaks that they care about these many outstanding
seniors,” said Lopez-Cepero.
Margie Shoemaker, 66, who was chosen by her parish of Sacred Heart
Church in Milledgeville, has an exhaustive resume that includes service as
spiritual director of her parish council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, as
a member of a Spanish women’s prayer group, as an extraordinary
eucharistic minister and lector, as a participant in intercessory prayer, the
Cursillo movement and the parish women’s council. She also gives of
herself outside the parish as a foster grandparent through a national foster
parenting program.
The Lord meets her where she is, she said.
“I don’t feel that I’m worthy. I think there are a
number of women in the parish that are probably more deserving than I am. I
love what I do,” she said. “Sometimes I can’t say no and think
I’m doing too much and I really should rest more because I have foot
problems ... (but) I feel that it’s important and the Lord will give me
strength in what I do ... I think in the long run he will heal my illness, if
not physically (then) spiritually.”
In alphabetical order, the women honored as outstanding women of
the year are: Gloria Allain of St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta; Betty Anderson
of St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Row Anderson of St. Gabriel, Fayetteville;
Mary Auten of Prince of Peace, Buford; Nan Bolt of St. Jude the Apostle,
Atlanta; Florence Cain of St. Vincent de Paul, Dallas; Joanne Cantrell of
Junior Council of Catholic Women, Carrollton; Cindy Carson of the Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Carol Cavender of St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro;
Mary Child of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,Warm Springs; Dorothy Collmann of Corpus
Christi, Stone Mountain; Betty-Anne Dye of St. Joseph, Athens; Madeline Estafen
of St. Stephen the Martyr, Lilburn; Dolores Feinauer of Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Hartwell; Zela Greenfield of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carrollton; Tina
Harding of St. Joseph, Marietta; Sally Hoge of St. James, Madison; Carol
Hopkins of St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta; Eloise Joyner of Sts. Peter and
Paul, Decatur; Betty Kelly of St. Helena, Clayton; and Terry Law of Queen of
Angels, Thomson.
Also Joyce Lazar of St. Francis of Assisi, Cartersville; Evelyn
Mansour of St. Peter, LaGrange; Kathy Mawn of St. Ann, Marietta; Pam Mayercik
of St. John Vianney, Lithia Springs; Elaine McNeil of Holy Cross, Atlanta;
Roberta McQuade of Sacred Heart, Atlanta; Mary Ann Morgan of St. Ann,
Barnesville; Jeannine Murphy of St.Thomas More, Decatur; Maria Hoa Nguyen of
Our Lady of Vietnam, Riverdale; Sherry Odum of St. Augustine, Covington; Eileen
Ort of Holy Family, Marietta; Maritza Ottier of St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville;
Jeanne Owens of Holy Spirit, Atlanta; Margie Peniston of St. Patrick, Norcross;
Jennifer Polzin of All Saints, Dunwoody; Jane Ringo of St. Paul the Apostle,
Cleveland; Theresa Rogers of St. Anthony of Padua, Atlanta; Johanna Romanelli
of St. Theresa, Douglasville; Lethean Rowe of St. John the Baptist, Thomaston;
and Peggy Ann Rupert of St. Bernadette, Cedartown.
Also Lenore Schrowang of St. George, Newnan; Sarah Shields of St.
Francis of Assisi, Blairsville; Margie Shoemaker of Sacred Heart,
Milledgeville; Mildred Stiffler of Christ our King and Savior, Greensboro;
Thayes Sturgis of Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta; Elizabeth Sutter of St. Andrew,
Roswell; Sissy Tarumianz of Our Lady of the Mount, Lookout Mountain; Karen
Taylor of St. Monica, Duluth; Shirley Taylor of St. John the Evangelist,
Hapeville; Cindy Thompson of Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Lucille
Thrasher of St. Thomas the Apostle, Smyrna; Ann Valentino of St. Benedict,
Duluth; Marie Voos of St. James the Apostle, McDonough; Mary Walsh of St.
Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw; Dana Willis of Christ Our Hope, Lithonia; and Pat
Wood of Good Shepherd, Cumming.
In alphabetical order, the outstanding youth of the year were
seniors: Shelly Barker of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carrollton; Ana
Lopez-Calleja of St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Leah Cebulski of St. George,
Newnan; Omar Lopez-Cepero of St. Benedict, Duluth; Brian Connelly of Holy
Family, Marietta; Tim Costyn of St. Joseph, Athens; Margaret Davenport of Our
Lady of the Mount, Lookout Mountain; Laura DeWeese of St. James the Apostle,
McDonough; Daniel Duello of Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain; Ryan Flanagan of
St. Andrew, Roswell; Jessica Francisco of St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta;
Frances Gay of Queen of Angels, Thomson; Margaret Gebhardt of St. Brigid,
Alpharetta; Corey Gledhill of St. Ann, Marietta; Zulaine Govin of St. Patrick,
Norcross; Lauren Guadagnino of All Saints, Dunwoody; Drew Halahan of Good
Shepherd, Cumming; David Johnson of St. Monica, Duluth; Andrew LaBudde of St.
Thomas the Apostle, Smyrna; and Branson Lagardere of St. Joseph, Marietta.
Also Christopher Langley of St. Gabriel, Fayetteville; Lauren
Mathis of Holy Spirit, Atlanta; Megan McMahon of St. Jude the Apostle, Atlanta;
Rachel Ottier of St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville; Kanna Page of Sts. Peter and
Paul, Decatur; Brandee Paulus of St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro; Annalee Penny of
St. John the Baptist, Thomaston; LeeAnne Phillips of Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Hartwell; Irish Poole of St. Theresa, Douglasville; Rachel Prevost of Sacred
Heart, Atlanta; Natascha Sahora of St. Andrew, Roswell; Samantha Sencindiver of
Sacred Heart, Milledgeville; Brian Shaw of St. Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw;
Chris Stueber of St. James, Madison; Sarah Sweeley of Our Lady of the
Assumption, Atlanta; Molly Touchton of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Warm Springs;
Courtney Wondrasek of Transfiguration, Marietta; and Thomas Zieg of Holy Cross,
Atlanta. |
