Each year, the Archdiocese of Chicago grants two kinds of awards to lay men and women for their dedication to the church and its ministries. The Bishop Quarter and Christifideles awards were given by Cardinal George Oct. 26 at Holy Name Cathedral. This year’s recipients are: Bishop Quarter Awards The Bishop Quarter Award, named for Bishop William Quarter, the first bishop of Chicago, is given each year to one layperson or married couple in each vicariate who demonstrates consistent service to the ministries of the archdiocese’s vicariates. Episcopal vicars nominate recipients. Vicariate I Kitty and Ed Shumaker of Most Blessed Trinity Parish, Waukegan, have been married 61 years, and have seven children, 23 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In 1984, Kitty was one of the founders of the Holy Family Soup Kitchen and has been the director ever since. The facility is located in the former St. Bartholomew School and serves meals every Wednesday through Saturday evening. Ed helps with picking up food donations, as well as many other tasks required in an operation that has more than 300 volunteers. Kitty is the chairperson for the parish’s special religious education program and has been a volunteer for 28 years at the Ann Kiley Center, interacting with adults with disabilities. Ed Shumaker’s mission is to help others help themselves; at present, he is advocating for someone on parole. In 1994, with the support of Father Gary Graf, they founded the Lake Shore Youth Center for the parish and surrounding community. In 2000, it became known as the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County. Vicariate II Sal Guccione of Holy Name Cathedral Parish, 730 N. Wabash Ave., has dedicated his life to serving in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Catholic schools. He has worked for 37 years as a teacher, principal and consultant. For the past 25 years, Guccione has worked for the Office of Catholic Schools assisting pastors, principals, school boards, teachers and parents in Vicariates I, II and IV. During his tenure, he coordinated the principal approval process and oversaw summer workshops and monthly meetings for new principals. He has represented the Midwest states at the National Catholic Education Association and continues to be present at annual conventions. During the last 10 years, he has helped pastors, principals, staff and parents with resources on topics such as bullying, electronic communication and recruitment and co-authored a book about professional attire. Vicariate III Christine Riley of St. Martin de Porres Parish, 5112 W. Washington Blvd., is the heart and soul of the parish religious education programs. Despite changes of pastors and parish administrators, the religious education and sacramental preparation classes for children and adults have grown, and all of the religious education teachers are either certified catechists or nearing completion of their certificates. This year, Riley organized a retreat for men of the parish and has started plans for a retreat for women. She organizes informational and instructional materials that are culturally sensitive and in accordance with archdiocesan standards. She performs all these important tasks as a volunteer. Riley has also supported the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at Catholic Theological Union by coordinating the Tolton Annual Fundraiser, Harambee! As a past Tolton scholar, she is a mentor to current Tolton scholar candidates and has offered days of spiritual reflection for the past few years. She is talented, energetic and passionate in her love for the Lord. Vicariate IV Margaret Swatek of the St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center, 8025 W. Addison St., is the mother of four adult children, two deaf and two hearing, and the grandmother to five; and has been married to her husband, Robert, for 42 years. Because two of her sons were born deaf, Swatek struggled to make sure they were afforded the same opportunities educationally, athletically and spiritually as her hearing children. This meant making sure they both received religious education training from their earliest years. A number of years ago, while working as a Catholic school teacher, Swatek volunteered to work as a catechist with Nancy Huber, the director of religious education for the deaf in the archdiocese. When Huber retired in 2009, Swatek assumed the director position and expanded the ministry, recruiting more teachers (both hearing and deaf) to be involved in the program. Vicariate V Paula Belski of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orland Park has been involved in many different ministries. Since becoming involved in the parish’s branch of Catholic Charities, her ministry and service has extended throughout the vicariate and the archdiocese. She organizes dinners at soup kitchens at St. Blase, Argo, and St. Christopher, Midlothian; has worked closely with efforts such as the New Hope Apartments, Easter baskets, and back-to-school backpacks for many years and shares her time, talent and treasure. Vicariate VI Dan Ahearn of St. George Parish, 9546 S. Ewing Ave., has five children with his wife, Anna. Ahearn comes from a devout Catholic family and continues that tradition with his own household. He runs a private slate-roofing and sheet metal business along with being skilled in general maintenance, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and heating, and the repair and restoration of buildings. Much of his work is devoted to churches here and in neighboring states. Pastors extol him for his keen business sense and cost-cutting measures, while making sure that the church benefits from quality service and integrity. Ahearn makes himself available as a volunteer trouble-shooter to poor parishes on the South Side with advice to pastors and the vicar about routine maintenance and repair with small- and medium-sized projects. Christifidelis Awards The Christifideles Award is given to Catholic laypeople who have, by participating in parish life, demonstrated the personal and ministerial renewal called for by the papal exhortation Christifideles Laici, calling the laity to the “vocation of responsibility for the church’s life springing from the gift and mission of their baptism.” This year’s recipients are listed here. Listings are alphabetical by parish. The churches are in Chicago unless otherwise noted: Vicariate I Patricia Morey, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Prospect Heights; David and Andrea Wirt, St. Anne, Barrington; Kathryn Urzedowski, St. Bede, Ingleside; Regienald Baylon, St. Dismas, Waukegan; Ann Marie Thomas, St. Edna, Arlington Heights; Robert James Parr, St. Francis De Sales, Lake Zurich; Dorothy Bamber, St. Gilbert, Grayslake; Jim and Marge Lorr, Holy Cross, Deerfield; Alan and Anne Bosslet, Holy Family, Inverness; Zenon and Elvia Serrano, Church of the Holy Spirit, Schaumburg; Jeanne Murphy, St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates; Robert Merz, St. James, Highwood; Margaret Anderson, St. John the Evangelist, Streamwood; Trudy Denecke, Patricia Foley and Myrtle Rosemeyer, St. Joseph, Round Lake; Ralph Elwart, St. Mary, Lake Forest; Jennifer Pepping, St. Mary of the Annunciation, Fremont Center; Miriam Preussner, St. Mary of Vernon, Indian Creek; Therese Kotowski, St. Matthew, Schaumburg; Daniel Reyes, Mision San Juan Diego, Arlington Heights; Donald and Patricia Duncan, Our Lady of Humility, Beach Park; Joseph and Rita Schurger, St. Peter, Antioch; William and Sue Virmond, St. Peter Damian, Bartlett; Carolyn Deegan, Queen of the Rosary, Elk Grove Village; Jean Marie Mulroney, St. Raphael the Archangel, Old Mill Creek; Dennis and Marge Bogacki, St. Raymond de Penafort, Mount Prospect; Salvador and Julia Abonce, Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; Terri Ring, St. Stephen Protomartyr, Des Plaines; William Conforti, St. Theresa, Palatine; Gerald and Mary Lu Gregory, St. Thomas Becket, Mount Prospect; Thomas Healy, Transfiguration, Wauconda; Richard and Sylvia Puls, St. Zachary, Des Plaines Vicariate II Kathleen Kennicott, Assumption (Illinois Street); Bob and Jeanette Heiner, St. Benedict (Irving Park Road); Harry and Ann Prato, St. Bonaventure Oratory; Mary Ellen Johnston, St. Clement; Timothy and Jane O’Leary, St. Cornelius; Salvatore and Russell Sparacino, St. Eugene; Mary Nocek, St. Gregory the Great; Donna Kunicki, St. Hilary; Lisa Garrucho, Holy Name Cathedral; Veronica Gladowski, St. Ignatius; John and Mary Affatati, St. Isaac Jogues, Niles; Margaret O’Sullivan and Chris Tomich, St. Jerome; Frank and Gloria Morvay, St. John Brebeuf, Niles; Donald Tenbrunsel, St. Josaphat; Heidi O’Toole, St. Joseph, Wilmette; John and Sally Moriarty, St. Juliana; Julie Kent, St. Margaret Mary; Steven Steyer, St. Martha, Morton Grove; Walter Schmitt, St. Mary of the Woods; Yolanda and Frank J. De- Paul, Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Park Ridge; Sheila Hebein, St. Nicholas, Evanston; Emilia Yosick, St. Norbert, Northbrook; Michael and Jennifer Artwohl, Our Lady of Hope, Rosemont; Caroline Villa, Our Lady of Mercy; Kathleen O’Regan, Our Lady of the Brook, Northbrook; Annmarie Gesualdo, St. Philip the Apostle, Northfield; Claudia Miller, Queen of All Saints Basilica; Patricia Sanfilippo, Sacred Heart, Winnetka; Alois and Carol Ideler, St. Tarcissus; Tom and Myrna Kinsella, St. Teresa of Avila Vicariate III Hilda Guzman, St. Agnes of Bohemia; James Gorman and Dorothy Ormond, St. Gabriel; Eduardo Arce, Good Shepherd; Szymon Gurda, St. Helen; Noreen Russo, St. John Berchmans; Ramiro and Lourdes Hernandez, St. Malachy-Precious Blood; Alberta Bowles, St. Martin De Porres; Lucie and Marty Weir, St. Mary of Perpetual Help; Colleen Brewer, Notre Dame de Chicago; Linda Hodul, St. Procopius Vicariate IV Howard Heidorn, St. Beatrice, Schiller Park; Helen Kreidermacher, St. Bernardine, Forest Park; Eddie and Doris Brown, St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy; Norbert and Mary Zyk, St. Celestine, Elmwood Park; Kazimierz and Teresa Milewski, St. Constance; James Rasmussen Jr., St. Cyprian, River Grove; Stuart and Branka, Eric, Esther, Kristina and Martin Nyberg, St. Edward; Wladyslawa and Jan Mitoraj, St. Ferdinand; Mary Lou Berger, St. Frances of Rome, Cicero; LaVerne Candlish and Theresa Schultz, St. Hugh, Lyons; Alina Szymczyk, Jesuit Millennium Center-Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Joe and Kathy Gazdacka, St. John of the Cross, Western Springs; Stan Czerwien, St. Louise De Marillac, LaGrange Park; Denise Murray, St. Luke, River Forest; Edward and Donna Roberts, St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park; Carina Willems, St. Mary, Riverside; John and Rebecca Ramonez, St. Mary of Celle, Berwyn; Joel and Regelia Tiscoreno, Mary, Queen of Heaven, Cicero; Ramiro and Maria de Lourdes Vasquez, Our Lady of Charity, Cicero; Donna and Mark Contreras, Our Lady of Victory; Ronald Tabert, Our Lady, Mother of the Church; Dorothy Maleski, St. Pascal; Christine Mary Czerwinski, St. Pius X, Stickney; Adam and Jadwiga Kokot, St. Priscilla; Susan Jablonski, St. Robert Bellarmine; Pauline Wehr, Harwood Heights; Leonard and Cathy Gassmann, Sacred Heart, Melrose Park; Terry Robertson, St. William Vicariate V Elisha Bradley Daugherty, St. Bernadette, Evergreen Park; Marek and Renata Niezgoda, St. Blase, Argo; Janice Nowakowski and Patricia Podlasek, St. Bruno; John Hurley, St. Cajetan; Frank Nykiel, St. Camillus; Jim and Trudy Pavesic, St. Catherine of Alexandria, Oak Lawn; Maria Leon, St. Clare of Montefalco; Raymond and Claudette Walschlager, SS. Cyril & Methodius, Lemont; Rebecca Cornacchia, St. Damian, Oak Forest; Katherine Ewers, St. Denis; Douglas and Bernice Benker, St. Elizabeth Seton, Orland Hills; Gregory and Pamela Gervais, St. Francis of Assisi, Orland Park; Susann Kucharzak, St. Gerald, Oak Lawn; Mary Anne Cannon, St. Germaine, Oak Lawn; Janet Podczerwinski, St. James, Lemont; Thomas Donegan, St. Jane De Chantal; Kate Keller, St. John Fisher; Robert and Donna Azzaline, St. Joseph, Summit; Stanley Brach, St. Julie Billiart, Tinley Park; Greg and Colleen Klimczak, Most Holy Redeemer, Evergreen Park; Maria Smilga, Nativity B.V.M.; Genanne and Tom Meehan, Our Lady of Loretto, Hometown; Emma and Ramon Licona, Our Lady of the Snows; Les and Philomena Ruisz, Our Lady of the Woods, Orland Park; Richard and Linda Karl, St. Patricia, Hickory Hills; Barbara Brown, St. Patrick, Lemont; Robert Pellegrini, Queen of Martyrs, Evergreen Park; Nancy Webster, Sacred Heart, Palos Hills; Kevin and Tina Bugos, St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr, Tinley Park; Lawrence Wisniewski, St. Symphorosa Vicariate VI Paul and Tina Kapocius, St. Agnes, Chicago Heights; Joyce Franklin, St. Ambrose; Geraldine Szewczyk, St. Anne, Hazel Crest; Corine Henry-Whitsey, St. Benedict the African-East; Katie Williams-Hall, Corpus Christi; Joan Gibbons, St. Florian; James Silvia, St. Irenaeus, Park Forest; Allan Filewicz and Joan Kerkla, St. Isidore the Farmer, Blue Island; Melinda Unyi, St. John, Glenwood; Claude and Rolande Surpris, St. John de la Salle; Kenneth and Madeline Ziolkowski, St. Jude the Apostle, South Holland; St. Kieran, Chicago Heights; Anthony Copeland, St. Kilian; Sharon Twardowski, St. Lawrence O’- Toole, Matteson; John and Phyllis Tumpich, Sacred Heart Croatian; Gwendolyn Dale Anderson, St. Thomas the Apostle