Awards salute religious educators

Last week, the Albany diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC) hosted Spring Enrichment at The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

In addition to talks and workshops attended by hundreds of Catholics from throughout the Diocese, the annual event included recognition for many individuals who have dedicated their lives to spreading their faith through example and instruction.

The Bishop Broderick Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement, was presented to Sister Monica Murphy, CSJ, "for her long ministry to youth, and her advocacy and commitment to Pyramid Life Center," said Jeanne Schrempf, director of the OEC.

Pyramid Life Center, located in Paradox, offers a variety of spiritual programs for individuals, families and parish groups. For example, it is the site of the summertime Christian Leadership Institute, which trains teenagers to be leaders in their parishes.

The award is named for Bishop Edwin B. Broderick, head of the Albany Diocese from 1969-'76.

The Sister Eileen Flanagan Scholarship was awarded to Kathleen Duff, a campus minister at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady. She will use the scholarship to take a graduate course on grief and loss, topics she deals with in her work with adolescents.

The scholarship is named for an associate director of the OEC who was instrumental in starting Spring Enrichment more than 30 years ago. She died in 1997.

In addition, Catholics from around the Diocese were cited for exemplifying the theme of Spring Enrichment: "Stewards of God's Gifts." The list includes Sister Mary Ellen Holohan, Rose Reed, Kathleen Burns, Karen Beattie, Jeanne Pitkin and Irene Rainville from Albany County; Donna Hoffman and Mary Giovannucci from Columbia County; Virginia Trippodo and Lucy McHenry from Fulton County; Nancy Brown and Sister Marilyn Hayes from Herkimer County; Sophie Olbie from Montgomery County; Mary Ann Dowdell and Margaret Murphy from Otsego County; Andrew Gilchrist, Peter Wrenn, John White and Barbara White from Rensselaer County; Helen Smrstik and Merilyn Wiederkehr from Saratoga County; Arlene Parisi and Debbie Ploetz from Schenectady County; Daisey Ford, Larry Wood and Nilda Rokjer from Schoharie County; and Phyllis Welsh and Rev. George Fleming from Warren and Washington counties.

(6/16/05)