235 honored with Order of St. Louis Medallion

Two hundred thirty-five laypersons who have devoted themselves to the work of the Catholic Church throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans were awarded the Order of St. Louis IX Medallion in ceremonies Oct. 18.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond presented the awards at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Metairie.

The Order of St. Louis IX award was established in 1975 to honor those laypersons who have contributed their time and talents to the church. In the past 45 years, more than 10,000 men and women have received the medallion as a token of thanks for their Christ-like service to the church.

This year’s recipients of the Order of St. Louis IX were:

  New Orleans: Angela Agochukwu, Eddie Numa, St. Maria Goretti; Kevin and Michelle Albert, Our Lady of Guadalupe; Victor Barboza, UNO Newman Center; Beverly Bierria, Melvin Bierria (posthumously), St. Mary of the Angels; Paul Buras, Holy Name of Jesus;

Angela Comstock, Mary Reynolds, O.P., St. Dominic; Amber and Jeffrey Davillier, Resurrection of Our Lord; Doris Davis, Mater Dolorosa; Karen and Dr. Peter M. DeBlieux, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans; Lawrence A. Dejan III, St. James Major; Rosemary James and Joseph DeSalvo, St. Louis Cathedral; Autry “Art” Dore, St. Rita; Lynette B. and Terry A. DuFrene, St. Augustine; Stanley E. Ellington Jr., Nan and Dr. Creston “Mickey” King, St. Francis of Assisi; Carole Elliot, Archdiocese of New Orleans; Jean and Pat Geraci, St. Pius X;

Gary John Hardy, Rosemary Norfleet, St. Raymond and St. Leo the Great; Rhea Dymphna Harrison, Xavier University Campus Ministry; Connie Holden, St. Patrick; Tyroneca Johnson, Tyronesha Johnson, Corpus Christi-Epiphany; Earline Jones, St. David; Gilda Jones, St. Katharine Drexel;

Lynell Joseph, Claudette Tolbert, St. Peter Claver; Carolyn Kramer, Our Lady of the Rosary; Jan and August "Gus" Kuntz, Catholic Community Foundation; Malinda Thanh Hong Ly, John B. Phuc Huu Tran, Mary Queen of Vietnam; Kimbra Metaxas and Gerard Mahlmeister, Our Lady Star of the Sea; Frank Maselli, St. John the Baptist; Arleen Muse, Charles R. Winchester, St. Gabriel the Archangel; Mason Pearcy, Catholic Center at Tulane University; Ertha L. Sorina, Jerry Thomas, Good Shepherd;

Miclene and Herold Sataille, Haitian Community; Carol Toney, Blessed Trinity; Frederick “Fritz” Tripkovich, St. Joseph; Cynthia and Robert Vasquez, St. Alphonsus; Victoria Zito Zawadzki, Center of Jesus the Lord; Erika Ruiz and Carlos Zelaya, St. Anthony of Padua; Maria Elena Zuniga, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos.

Algiers: Charlotte and Homer Baham, Holy Spirit; Dawn and Timothy Brechtel, Denise and Brian Champagne, St. Andrew the Apostle; Sharon Small, All Saints; Robert Fremin, Holy Name of Mary; Brenton Guerin, Our Lady of Holy Cross Campus Ministry; Giuse Nguyen Van Phuong and Maria Nguyen Thi Tuyet, St. Joseph.

Ama: Dawn and Troy Pintado, St. Mark.

Avondale: Henry Timothy, St. Bonaventure.

Belle Chasse: Danica Ansardi, Tracy Miller, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Bogalusa: Robert F. Ricca, Annunciation.

Braithwaite: Kathleen and Joseph Gonzales, Assumption of Our Lady Mission.

Bridge City: Gladys Williams, Holy Guardian Angels Mission.

Chalmette: Maria Fernanda Duenas, Daphne and Ray Hilton, Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

Covington: Kathleen and Ronald Bernard, Sharalyn and Arthur McDowell, Most Holy Trinity; Jan and Vincent Bologna, Kithy and Marcos Filopoulos, St. Peter; Janie Ellis, St. Benedict.

Destrehan: Claire and Barry Brauninger, Stacey and Lonnie Perret, St. Charles Borromeo.

Edgard: Deola K. Ellis, Josephine Jackson, St. John the Baptist.

Folsom: Susan and George Hemelt, St. John the Baptist.

Franklinton: Bonnie Henderson, Holy Family.

Garyville: Nancy Ocmond, St. Hubert.

Gretna: Rachel and Rory Cadres, St. Anthony; Edna Dugas, Sally Davis, St. Cletus; Susan and David Kalil, St. Joseph Church and Shrine.

Hahnville: Gina and Danny Hymel, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Harahan: John McCrossen, Adrianne W. and Lawrence Paul Jouet Jr., St. Rita.

Harvey: Jeanalice Bartley, Juanita Lemoine, St. Martha; Murphy Biondillo, St. Rosalie; Zeno Pimentel, St. John Bosco; Adele and Howard Robichaux, Infant Jesus of Prague.

Jefferson: Catalina Eclevia (posthumously),Julie and Kevin Spencer, St. Agnes.

Kenner: Fay Champagne, Paulette Fairchild, Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Sonia Escobar, Carole and Ray Schoenstein, St. Jerome; Lynn Huggins, Mark Juengling, Divine Mercy.

LaPlace: Leonard Arcuri, Terry Beadle, St. Joan of Arc; Karen and Lloyd Schexnayder, Ascension of Our Lord.

Lacombe: Gaylynn and Michael Ford, St. John of the Cross; Toni and Thom Rich, Sacred Heart.

Lafitte: Karen Prestenbach and Alvro George Despaux Jr., Edna and Kerry Rojas, St. Anthony.

Luling: Michelle Distefano, St. Anthony of Padua; Evelyn Dupuy, Pam and Nick Petit, Holy Family.

Madisonville: Jane and Robert Harvey, Noel and Jay Poche, St. Anselm.          

Mandeville: Joan and Sidney W. “Bill” Bailey; Cindy Garrett, Our Lady of the Lake; Elizabeth and Harry Ryan, Letha and Gregg Tepper, Mary Queen of Peace.

Marrero: Rachel and Craig Bourgeois, Grethel and Kevin Ghivizzani, St. Joachim; Geralee Callow, Lynne Grisafe, Visitation of Our Lady; Jayne and Vincent Hamilton, St. Joseph the Worker; Steve Tomino, Immaculate Conception.

Metairie: Lizeth Almendares, Lucy Aviles, Hispanic Apostolate; Alexander Allain, Melanie K. Rose, St. Francis Xavier; Joann Connell, Marion Eigenbrod, St. Catherine of Siena; Frank Cusimano, St. Louis King of France; Benita and John Dale, Jo Ann Roy, St. Mary Magdalen; Barbara and Stephen S. Decker, Janet Pesce, St. Philip Neri; Marie DeSalvo, David Hitchcock, St. Angela Merici; Sharon and Roy Dodson, Dianne and Whitney Klibert, St. Christopher the Martyr;

Jill and Robert Hitchins, Lisa and Peter Mansfield, St. Ann Church and Shrine; Michelle Johnston, Linda and Andrew Stein, St. Edward the Confessor; Sue Miner, Jean Murphy, St. Clement of Rome; Casey and Kevin Sprehe, St. Benilde; Sandra and Mario Zeron Sr., Our Lady of Divine Providence.

Norco: Marsha and William Walters, Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Paradis: Marcy Naquin, St. John the Baptist.

Pearl River: Diane and Daniel Bourgeois, Sts. Peter and Paul.

Pointe a la Hache: Letia and Gabriel Duplessis, St. Thomas.

Port Sulphur: Rogers D. Landry, St. Patrick.

Reserve: Cynthia Bernard, George Bourgeois (posthumously), Our Lady of Grace; Larry Bourgeois Jr., St. Peter.

River Ridge: Patricia and Peter Caperino, Danny Veade, St. Matthew the Apostle.

Slidell: Denise and Tom Alho, Joan and Leroy Mayeux, St. Luke the Evangelist; Jayne and Donald Bastoe Sr., Carmen and Mark Elsensohn, St. Margaret Mary; Tommy Benasco,  Ellen Lamarque, Our Lady of Lourdes; Rochelle and Curtis Doucette, Michelle and Charles Gorney Jr., St. Genevieve.

St. Bernard: Annette and Don Clark, St. Bernard.

Terrytown: Carolyn Daigle, Milagros and Roberto Matthews, Jorge Ramos, Christ the King.

Violet: Mary Ann Moity, Our Lady of Lourdes.

Waggaman: Sandra and Randy Smith, Our Lady of the Angels.

Westwego: Robert Billiot, Our Lady of Prompt Succor.