The women and senior high school youth of the Archdiocese of Atlanta were honored for their ministry and service to the church and their communities at the 33rd annual Recognition Day, sponsored by the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women.

The ceremony, consisting of a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, assisted by priests and deacons of the archdiocese, followed by a reception, was held at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Sunday, Jan. 31. Honorees included 57 women and 54 youth from parishes in North Georgia. The combined choirs of St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta, provided the music for the Mass.

Recognition Day was initiated in 1977 by then-AACCW president, Genevieve Jones-Geising, as a time to recognize and appreciate the ministries and activities of women and teens in the archdiocese.

In opening the Mass, Archbishop Gregory remarked that “many of my brother priests, deacons, husbands and brothers are doing what we should do more often by thanking the women in our lives and honoring the young people.”

In his homily, Archbishop Gregory again offered his thanks.

“The AACCW arranges this day each year to honor a few of the valiant souls in our archdiocese who make life better for many of us in our parishes, schools and institutions. They are joined by some terrific kids who are obviously learning the art of giving from their families and their parishes,” he said.

Archbishop Gregory talked about how King David began his career as a leader of Israel when he was a youth “probably not  much older than the young people we will recognize today.”

“Scripture says that the Spirit of God rushed upon (David) from the moment when Samuel anointed him as king of Israel,” he said. “That same Spirit fills these young people with promise and fills the Church with hope as we watch them grown into bright and generous adult Catholics.”

At the end of Mass, the women and youth were each presented with a certificate and a plaque.

A reception hosted by the Southeast and Southwest districts of the AACCW followed the Mass.

Father Timothy Gadziala, spiritual moderator of the AACCW and pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, emphasized the importance of the role of women and youth in the archdiocese. He said, “By honoring them we pay tribute to their participation, evangelization in the life of the church.”

Shirley Towle, the current AACCW president, thought the event was “beautiful,” adding, “the archbishop always makes everyone feel warm and welcomed. I talked to a family, not Catholic, who were in awe of the ceremony. The woman honored in this family converted to Catholicism seven years ago.”

One of the honorees, Espinette Dorsey, of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur, professed herself to be “absolutely dumbfounded, surprised” about the “beautiful ceremony.”

The energetic Dorsey is involved in Stephens Ministry, taking Communion to the sick and homebound in her parish, head of the consolation committee, and weekly Bible study. She has also been active in prison ministry, evangelization, welcoming newcomers to the parish, leading the home and school group, women’s council and Girl Scouts.

“This Mass was incredible. Those who nominated me, everyone around me—they raised me to be the person I am,” said Kyle Simonis, youth of the year from St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville. He added, “I never figured I would be nominated. I have done what I wanted to do, what interests me. I was just shocked and amazed.”

Simonis is a senior at Brookwood High School in Snellville. He is involved with Life Teen in his parish and theater in high school. He’s able to combine his knowledge of acting with the Life Teen program, using skits based on Scripture, such as the Passion, or different aspects of the faith to reach out to people.

Archbishop Gregory said in his homily, “Our recognition of the countless acts of kindness and service that these honorees have offered are but a small expression of the gratitude that fills the hearts of so many other people in their parishes and communities.”

“It is important to pause occasionally just to say thank you and we love you,” he said.

Outstanding Youth Of The Year

Michelle Abreu, St. Patrick Church, Norcross; Martin Adebowale, Christ Our Hope Church, Lithonia; Juan Alonso, St. Theresa Church, Douglasville; Anthony Amodeo, St. Ann Church, Marietta; Caley Anderson, St. Peter the Rock Church, The Rock; Andrew Anderson, St. Peter Church, LaGrange; Ryan Baerwalde, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Dallas; Erik Baker, St. Gabriel Church, Fayetteville; Tess Baudry, St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta; Corina Bellman, St. Bernadette Church, Cedartown; Ross Biegler, St. Brendan the Navigator Church, Cumming; Molly Boff, St. Joseph Church, Marietta; Amanda Bolton, St. Peter Chanel Church, Roswell; Angeline Brew, St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta; Grace Caprara, St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Dahlonega; Jessica Curtis, All Saints Church, Dunwoody; Zach Demaso, St. Andrew Church, Roswell; Britney Esson, St. Michael Church, Gainesville; Marine Feron, Holy Family Church, Marietta; Megan Frasier, St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville; Justin Gates, St. Paul of the Cross Church, Atlanta; Jonathan Gauthier, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; Johnathan Green, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur; Cassandra Guilarte, St. Matthew Church, Winder; Diana Guyton, Holy Cross Church, Atlanta; Kendra Hearn, Sacred Heart Church, Griffin; Gusan Philip Jang, Korean Martyrs Church, Doraville; Daniel Law, Queen of Angels Church, Thomson; Stephen-Michael Lee, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta; Anthony Leon, St. Philip Benizi Church,  Jonesboro; Claire Lundy, St. Mary Magdalene Church, Newnan; Patrick Lyons, St. Monica Church, Duluth; Amelia Macías, Our Lady of the Americas Mission, Lilburn; Estela Martinez, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Smyrna; Taylor Moats, Sacred Heart Church, Milledgeville; Josephine Omuto, St. Marguerite d’Youville Church, Lawrenceville; Katrina Parsons, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Elisa Raubach, St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn; Silvia Razo, St. John Vianney Church, Lithia Springs; Naomi Brooke Richards, St.  James the Apostle Church, McDonough; Deidra Rodriguez, St. Pius X Church, Conyers; Kelsey Runyan, St. Mary Church, Toccoa; Agata Rzucidlo, St. Joseph Church, Athens; Steven Sammon, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton; Caroline Savini, Mary Our Queen Church, Norcross; Natalie Schleicher, Prince of Peace Church, Flowery Branch; Rebecca Schumaker, St. Thomas More Church, Decatur; Stephanie Shipley, St. Gerard Majella Church, Fort Oglethorpe; Kyle Simonis, St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville; Lauren Stier, St. Augustine Church, Covington; Bennett Travers, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta; Zach Veiger, Good Shepherd Church, Cumming; Daran Williams, Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; and Christopher Zauche, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Woodstock.

Outstanding Women Of The Year

Carmen Amodio, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Dallas; Nancy Andrews, St. Monica Church, Duluth; Joyce Beale, Holy Cross Church, Atlanta; Lane Benesh, St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta; Marta Bermudez, St. Augustine Church, Covington; Betty Bertoli, Sacred Heart Church, Milledgeville; Laura Bleekrode, St. Brigid Church, Johns Creek; Judy Butterick, St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn; Rose Campbell, St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro; Bea Cassidy, Prince of Peace Church, Flowery Branch; Maryann Clagett, St. Luke the Evangelist Church, Dahlonega; Ruth Ann Cooney, Mary Our Queen Church, Norcross; Kathleen Cunningham, Queen of Angels Church, Thomson; Ellie Daniels, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta; Carol Davis, St. Andrew Church, Roswell; Joanne Dawson, St. Matthew Church, Winder; Frances Theresa de Jesus Rentas, St. John Vianney Church, Lithia Springs; Karen DeRochers, St. Catherine Laboure Mission, Jefferson; Delores Dini, Good Shepherd Church, Cumming; Judy Donohue, St. James Mission, Madison; Espinetta Dorsey, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Decatur; Frances Dunham, Sacred Heart Church, Griffin; Catherine Duyos, All Saints Church, Dunwoody; Judy Earle, Sacred Heart Church, Hartwell; Lori Finn, St. James the Apostle Church, McDonough; Maureen Harty, Christ Our King and Savior Church, Greensboro; Deanna Holmer, St. Mary Church, Toccoa; Hye Ja Hong, Korean Martyrs Church, Doraville; Ellie Hubbard, St. Lawrence Church, Lawrenceville; Jenny Jobson, Sacred Heart Basilica, Atlanta; Christi Johnson, St. Paul of the Cross Church, Atlanta; Patty Kratzer, St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville; Cheryl Lloyd, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Mary Malone, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Cleveland; Rosalina Martinez, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Smyrna; Lorna Meier, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mission, Warm Springs; Diana Mendoza, St. Michael Church, Gainesville; Agnes Midas, St. George Church, Newnan; Rebecca Miller, St. Gabriel Church, Fayetteville; Ruth Morkaut, St. Marguerite d’Youville Church, Lawrenceville; Kathy Parker, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; Sarah Regitz, St. Ann Church, Marietta; Jenny Risinger, St. Peter the Rock Church, The Rock; Maria Rodriguez, St. Gerard Majella Church, Fort Oglethorpe; Dorothy Rogala, St. Mary Magdalene Church, Newnan; Ann Rossomondo, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton; Pat Schafer, St. Joseph Church, Marietta; Patricia Schwartz, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Woodstock; Sandra Schweizer, St. Peter Church, LaGrange; Gwendolyn Scott, St. Pius X Church, Conyers; Cynthia Simien, Christ Our Hope Church, Lithonia; Glenna Sobol, Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; Kathleen Stento, St. Theresa Church, Douglasville; Angelina Sutjiawan, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta; Kathleen Swann, Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; Kirticina Elizabeth Twine, St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta; and Katherine Woodyard, St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville.