Annual Caritas Awards given for Advocacy, Service, Convening

Catholic Charities honors five for their efforts on behalf of poor, marginalized

WHIPPANY  In recognition of their efforts on behalf of the poor and marginalized, Diocesan Catholic Charities honored five people with Caritas awards for Advocacy, Service and Convening at its annual Caritas Gala held Nov. 7 at the Birchwood Manor here.

Receiving Caritas awards from Joseph Duffy, president of diocesan Catholic Chari­ties were: Filippini Sister Marie Antonelli, principal of Holy Spirit School in Pequan­nock for Advocacy; Tom Johnson, Jr. a parishioner of Assumption, Morristown, for Convening; Cynthia (Suzy) Moran, a parishioner of Christ the King, New Vernon, for Service, and Bob and Sue Sameth, parishioners of Christ the King, New Vernon, for Service.

In his remarks, Bishop Serratelli said, “I join with you to celebrate the great work of our Catholic Charities agencies and to honor some very special people who embody the spirit of stewardship in our Diocese. The honorees exemplify the mission of our Catholic Charities agencies here in the Diocese of Paterson by living out the Gospel imperative to care for those less fortunate. I thank the leadership and staff at Catholic Charities, the many volunteers and all who financially support their efforts to see the face of Christ in every person they serve.”

The Bishop called Sister Marie “a legend in our Diocese for her fierce commitment to Catholic education.” He said that Bob and Sue Sameth and Suzy Moran “are good, caring people in a world that cries out for a compassionate touch” and that Thomas Johnson “by his selfless example, practices stewardship in both word and deed.”

In presenting Sister Marie Antonelli with the Caritas Award for Advocacy, Duffy said, “Sister Marie has been a Religious Teacher Filippini for 51 years, the last 31 as principal. One of her nominators, a former pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, said: ‘She has been a most significant witness to the presence of Christ throughout her 50-plus years as a Religious. She has been a tireless and dedicated teacher and advocate for learning. The success of Holy Spirit School is due to her hard work, educational expertise, and her ability to motivate people to help young children learn and become good Christians and citizens of the world.’”

Duffy called Sister Marie “a tireless worker on behalf of the Church and an advocate for student education, a model of religious life and a well-known friend to clergy and laity alike.”

Duffy told the audience — the second largest in the history of the gala, which raised more than $375,000, the largest amount ever — that Sister Marie “has also been recognized for her goodness and excellence by others. She has received the Vivere Christus Award, the Pro Ecclesia Award and the NCEA Principal of the Year Award.”

Duffy also quoted another nominator who said, “There are no limits when it comes to Sister Marie’s students and the parish community. She is there for the student who needs consoling or for a sick parishioner in need of a visit. If it is helping a less fortunate family coming to the school needing housing or employment, Sister Marie is up to the task of helping and is their strongest advocate.”

Duffy presented the Caritas Award for Convening to Thomas Johnson Jr., founder of Africa Surgery, a non-profit organization providing health care and surgical services to needy people in Sierra Leone. For five months a year, Johnson, a former member of the Peace Corps (1989-91), lives there working with international and local medical programs and facilities that provide diagnoses and treatment for many illnesses. When he is not there, he coordinates activities from Morristown.

“When Tom went to Sierra Leone in 2001, he found a country whose farming and education system was in tatters following war and whose already weak medical infrastructure was all but destroyed,” Duffy said. “He immediately began working with a local physician to arrange for health care and surgeries. He returned home and reached out to Msgr. Martin Rauscher, a former Caritas Award recipient, a Catholic Charities board member and then-Assumption’s pastor, and founded Africa Surgery Inc. That assistance from Assumption continues to this day with the support of Msgr. John Hart, pastor.”

In presenting the Caritas Award for Service to Cynthia (Suzy) Moran, a Dame in the Order of Malta, Duffy said Moran’s service to the poor extends from New Jersey to Guatemala. “Volunteering with the nonprofit, From Houses to Homes, which has replaced cornstalk shacks with sturdy block homes, she supports this work financially and gets her hands dirty helping to build them on her frequent trips to Guatemala,” said Duffy. “She is a benefactor of the Cambiando Vidas School that today provides an education to 174 pre-k through sixth-graders and helped to build the San Jose Medical Clinic in 2001. To date, almost 20,000 patients have been treated at the clinic.”

“Here in New Jersey, as a member of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund Board,” Duffy said, “she has helped raise millions of dollars to support education, especially in the poorer urban communities of our Diocese. She also is a supporter of Birth Haven, which provides shelter, support and education to homeless pregnant women.”

Bob and Sue Sameth received the Caritas Award for Service for their commitment to serving the less fortunate. As a Knight and Dame of the Order of Malta, they have made seven pilgrimages to Lourdes with to accompany the sick hoping for physical healing as well as inner peace. They have served as membership chairs for the Order of Malta in N.J. and as Hospitaliers for the Diocese of Paterson.

“As Hospitaliers,” Duffy said, “they reached out to Catholic Charities two years ago and that contact led to the expansion of CFCS’s children’s food back pack program. They raised money for the food and recruited volunteers to assist in the purchase and monthly packaging of the food. Today, the program provides for six meals over weekends to more than 600 children each month. Bob also served for more than 25 years on the Tri-County Scholarship Board where along with fellow board members like Suzy Moran, he helped to raise millions in scholarship aid given to students based on financial need. They have also been long time supporters of Birth Haven where they both are board members.”

Father Edward Lambro, Catholic Charities’ director of development and public relations, coordinated the annual Caritas Gala.