Diocese recognizes 76 honorees for service to Church, world

76 individuals, couples, and families were recognized for their outstanding service to the Church and the world on Oct. 15 with Vivere Christus awards. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presented the awards during the annual ceremony in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. The honorees were nominated by their parishes. The medal given to each has the Latin phrase “Vivere Christus Est” on it, which means “To live is Christ.” Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli created the award in 2009.
 

Sarah Santana with Bishop Sweeney.

Christine Wilson with Bishop Sweeney.

Sarah Santana is always the first to raise her hand or sign up to volunteer. In fifth grade, she already takes great joy in helping out at her parish of Our Lady of Pompei (OLP) in Paterson — from serving at the altar at Mass to serving food at a summer barbeque.

Santana puts her budding faith into practice serving OLP.

“I love helping the people and helping Father Frank [Agresti, OLP’s pastor]. They are really nice here,” said Santana, 11, who also serves as a lector at Mass. Throughout the week, she practices proclaiming the Scripture readings and prayers. “I get a little nervous before, but when I get up [at the ambo], I’m not nervous anymore.”

She was among the youngest of the 76 individuals, couples, and families who were recognized for their outstanding service to the Church and the world. On Oct. 15, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presented them with Vivere Christus awards at the annual ceremony in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Pater­son. Honorees were nominated by their parishes.

Santana is always ready to volunteer for almost any parish activity, Father Agresti said.

“Sarah is loving, sweet, kind, and prayerful and is concerned about other people. The parish loves her,” he said.

OLP church is Santana’s “happy place,” said her mother, Sandra. At home, Sandra and her husband, Herman, make sure to pray with her and her three older brothers before bed. Sandra’s mother, Hilda, also had spoken with the children about the bible and had prayed with them.

Another Vivere Christus recipient, Christine Wilson, has been gracing her parish of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsip­pany with her musical talents for 20 years.

Today, Wilson serves as a volunteer cantor, section leader in the Adult Choir, and director of the Children’s Choir. She even conducted her children — Bobby, 22, and Stephanie, 19 — when they sang in the Children’s Choir.

“I love seeing the children enjoy singing, enjoying the music, and knowing the liturgy. Listen­ing to them is precious. It’s also wonderful for the adults to see young people in ministry,” said Wilson, a choir and piano teacher at Parsippany High School. “The music gives people comfort.”

For many years, Wilson had volunteered for St. Peter’s former Pre-Cana marriage-preparation program with her husband of 27 years, Craig. They collaborated with Deacon Lou Chiocco and his wife, Carol, to guide engaged couples as they got ready for the sacrament of marriage.

Father David Pickens, St. Peter’s pastor, said, “Children in our Children’s Choir look at Christine with awe and respect.”

“She makes them eager to sing their best. Parishioners are always uplifted when the children sing at Mass. They see the children as a good sign of hope for the future of the Church,” Father Pickens said.

Kenneth and Rosa Rose with Bishop Sweeney.

Turner William Striffler with Bishop Sweeney.

It’s often a stressful time for engaged couples as they make wedding plans. So Kenneth and Rosa Rose of Assumption Parish in Morristown make their Pre Cana marriage-prep retreats “an oasis of peace” for couples.

The Roses were among those who received the Vivere Christus award on Oct. 15. They and 76 individuals, couples, and families were recognized for their outstanding service to the Church and the world.

“We invite the engaged couples to keep God in their marriages and share that our Lord desires that we spend eternity with Him,” said Rosa, who praised the dedication of the Pre Cana team members. “In marriage, our number one goal is to help each other get to heaven.”

The Roses also let couples being married at Assumption know they have a resource at the parish if they have questions or need support.

Married for 27 years, the Roses have been at Assumption for 26 years. Their daughter, 26, and son, 24, attended the parish school. The Roses also serve in religious education, as lectors, and in the Knights of Columbus, and assist at parish events.

The Roses also are involved with the Carmelite Monastery of Morristown. With a team that includes the Knights, they support the needs of the cloistered sisters.

“We are grateful to have Ken and Rosa as members of our parish, for their support of our Church mission, and for their desire to promote the sacrament of marriage through the Pre-Cana program and through the example of their own grace-filled marriage,” Msgr. John Hart, pastor, said. “They put their faith into action and are joyful servants for the Lord.”

At Easter, parishioners of all ages of St. Monica Parish in Sussex were delighted to see a large decorative basket filled with colorful eggs sitting outside the church. People enjoyed taking photos next to it.

The basket and eggs were the creation of Turner William Striffler, who was the representative from the parish to receive this year’s Vivere Christus award.

Using his artistic gifts, Striffler has provided flower arrangements to decorate the church, both inside and out, made flyers for parish events, and designed the parish Christmas cards for last year’s fundraiser. He has arranged other fundraisers through a local greenhouse. He currently works at Hautau & Sons, LLC, in Branch­ville, which donates flowers to St. Monica’s.

“It’s fun. I meet a lot of new people, working with them to decorate — and parishioners appreciate it,” said Striffler, who works with a team of parishioners. Previ­ous­ly, he worked for 33 years at the world headquarters of Avon Products Inc. in New York City. “I never push my ideas on other people. I ask them, ‘What do you think?’ ”

Striffler is also active in the parish’s Helping Hands ministry, which invites parishioners to strengthen their community through social and spiritual activities in support of St. Monica’s. In addition, he volunteers his time to do maintenance work at the church and rectory.

“His unselfish service to St. Monica’s and our parishioners goes above and beyond. Turner, you set a wonderful example of what it is to live for Christ,” Father Jan Wodziak, pastor, wrote in the bulletin.

Maureen Allex
Holy Spirit Parish, Pequannock

Mark & Phyllis Alpaugh
St. Mary Parish, Dover

Tony & Isabel Amaral
St. Luke Parish, Long Valley

Lynda & Jimmy Asea
Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany

Jennifer Baxter
Resurrection Parish, Randolph

Susanne Billeter
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Boonton

Erica & Joseph Bulger
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Pompton Plains

Jill, Ian, Phoenix, Seamus, & Quinn Burke
St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell

Sister Anne Matthew Carlone, FMSC
St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa

Judy Casse
St. Mary Parish, Denville

Constance Catania
St. Simon the Apostle Parish, Green Pond

Michael Cervine
St. Philip the Apostle Parish, Clifton

Jim & Armi Clancy
St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway

Cathy Cole
Sacred Heart & Holy Rosary Parish, Dover

Patricia Connelly
Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Lake Hopatcong

Beverly A. Cuccinelli
Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls

Mary Davenport
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Rockaway

Christine Deary
St. Pius X Parish, Montville

Peter & Linda DeCumber
St. Ann Parish, Parsippany

Marcel "Skip" & Judith "Judy" Diller
St. John Vianney Parish, Stockholm

Jennifer Durso
Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Branchville

Gaudy & Manuel Exebio
St. Gerard Majella Parish, Paterson

Matthew Fava
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Wayne

Mary Beth Flanagan
St. Vincent Martyr Parish, Madison

Kathleen & Gilbert Foulon
St. Catherine of Bologna Parish, Ringwood

Rakyung "Rockie" French
St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Nicola & Carol Genchi
St. Paul Parish, Clifton

Erik, Jana, Jennifer, & Nicole Golias
Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish, Clifton

Lee Gordon
St. Thomas of Aquin Parish, Ogdensburg

Kathy Gorman
St. Clement Pope & Martyr Parish, Dover

Yanet Guevara
Holy Trinity Parish, Passaic

Alfredo Gutierrez, Hermelinda Herrera, Anahi, Daisy, & Benito Gutierrez, y Leopolda Vazquez
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Paterson

Thomas & Mary Hanifin
St. Mark the Evangelist Parish, Long Valley

Jose Luis y Aleris Hernandez
St. Stephen Parish, Paterson

Josafat Herrera
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Passaic

Robert and Marie Holl
St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester

Eunice Howley
Good Shepherd Parish, Andover

Michael & Rosemary Johnson
Our Lady of Consolation Parish, Wayne

Beth Manzi
Resurrection Parish, Randolph

Joanna Mattos
Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta

Daniel McCartney
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oak Ridge

Frank McNulty
St. Francis de Sales Parish, Vernon

Chris Medeiros
Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham Township

Ralph Meola
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Flanders

Joan Mucerino
St. Christopher Parish, Parsippany

Michael, Nancy, Ryan, Jack, Kevin, Sean, & Michael Mulligan
Notre Dame of Mt Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls

Barbara Nixon
St. Patrick Parish, Chatham

Brigida Nunez
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson

Luis Nunez
Sacred Heart Parish, Clifton

Eileen Oakley
St. Joseph Parish, Mendham

Judy Olander
Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Mt. Arlington

ChiChi & Uao Onwuchekwa
St. Clare Parish, Clifton

Deacon Jose & Rosemarie Padron
St. Therese Parish, Succcasunna

George Parichuk
St. Joseph Parish, Newton

Lois Partridge
St. Bonaventure Parish, Paterson

Michael Pasquale
St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne

Jeanne Perez
St. Margaret Parish, Morristown

Guillermina Polanco
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Paterson

Kenneth and Rosa Rose
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Morristown

Eva Sanchez
Our Lady of Victories Parish, Paterson

Sarah Santana
Our Lady of Pompei Parish, Paterson

Theresa Schlegel
St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Stirling

Patricia Ann & Cory James Schmidt
St. Jude Parish, Hopatcong

Cathy Seborowski
St. Rose of Lima Parish, East Hanover

George Donald Sikora
St. Joseph Parish, Passaic

Lillian Elaine Silvestri
St. John Kanty Parish, Clifton

Jeffrey & Madeline Simon
Loyola Jesuit Center, Morristown

Marie, John, Anna, Luke, & Joshua Simonsen
Christ the King Parish, New Vernon

Turner William Striffler
St. Monica Parish, Sussex

Edward & Laura Tirpack
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta

Falco Tlatenchi
St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Passaic

Monika Truty
Holy Rosary Parish, Passaic

Maureen Weir
Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, Long Valley

James Williams
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Swartswood

Christine Wilson
St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany

Leo & Janet Zatta
Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Highland Lakes