2016 Caritas Awards

CARITAS GALA  The Bishop stands with the Caritas Award winners and Catholic Charities agency leaders who made the presentations at the annual Caritas Gala held Nov. 5 at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany.

WHIPPANY  At the Catholic Charities annual Caritas Gala held Nov. 5 at the Birchwood Manor here, a diocesan priest, two couples and the Knights of Columbus were cited for their advocacy, service, inspiration and excellence.

Father Edward Lambro, director of development and public relations for diocesan Catholic Charities, served as master of ceremonies for the event.

Bishop Serratelli gave the opening remarks and blessing, praising, “the outstanding work of our Catholic Charities agencies in the Diocese of Paterson and the worthy honorees of the Caritas Awards.”

The purpose of the Caritas Awards is to recognize individuals and/or organizations that are committed to mission of all Catholic Charities agencies: to serve, to advocate, to inspire and to excel.

The Caritas Award for Service was presented by Sam Pirozzi, executive director of Straight & Narrow, to Brian and Andrea Beyerl, who, “with love and a desire to serve as a witness to Christ’s love for all people, have by word and deed sought to be of service wherever there is need or pain.”

Brian is a doctor, who is senior partner at Atlantic Neurosurgical Specialists and also serves as a permanent deacon at Assumption Parish in Morristown where his wife, Andrea, a nurse, serves as an Extraordinary Minster of Holy Communion. Andrea led them to become foster parents for Catholic Family and Community Services in the 1990s, which led to the adoption of the youngest of the couple’s four children. She is also a volunteer with Atlantic Home Care and Hospice and the Community Soup Kitchen in Morristown.

Dr. Beyerl said he has always considered his medical practice “to be a healing ministry.” He also volunteers at the medical clinic at Straight and Narrow in Paterson.

Father Lambro, presented the Caritas Award for Advocacy to Msgr. John J. Carroll, longtime pastor of Our Lady of the Magnificat (OLM) Parish in Kinnelon. The recipient of this award, in word and in deed, seeks to foster a social order which is grounded in truth; and functions according to the norms of justice; is inspired and perfected by mutual love; and is realized in freedom. Msgr. Carroll, who was ordained in 1966 and celebrated his golden anniversary this year, also has had along career in the diocesan schools office where he served as superintendent of schools. Prior to coming to OLM, he also served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Chatham. At both parishes, he has promoted a cause close to his heart — the right to life. Each year, he has invited pro-life organizations to come to the parishes and speak to parishioners about the sanctity of life and to ask for financial support for the pregnant mothers in the homes they operate. Msgr. Carroll has also participated in the annual march for life in Washington, D.C., held every January. He was also arrested twice in New York City for blocking access to abortion clinics. “It was not a pleasant experience,” he said, “but I would do it again if I thought it would help the cause.”

The Caritas Award for Inspiring, given to recipients, who in word and deed, encourage, motivate and/or persuade others to provide needed services and to work with other people to both directly provide service and to advocate for justice, was presented by Chris Barton, executive director of Catholic Family and Community Services in Paterson, to Peter and Patricia Muratore. The couple has been married for 61 years. They are members of the Order of Malta and parishioners for more than 40 years at Christ the King, New Vernon. They said that “their participation in charitable pursuits over the years has given them some of the happiest moments of their lives.”

“Whether there was need helping the Order of Malta with the sick during their combined 15 trips to Lourdes; watching children in Totowa play on their new basketball court; packing food for needy children; supporting homes for abandoned women to have their babies, or helping to provide school and health facilities in four different countries, we have enjoyed doing it,” they said.

In addition, both the N.J. State Council and the Paterson Federation Knights of Columbus received a citation for excellence.

In a letter, Carl Anderson, Supreme knight, extended “his gratitude and best wishes to my brother knights who continue go live out the order’s first principle of charity in a personal and effective way.”