Photo by Cindy Connell Palmer

ATLANTA—The Recognition Day Mass sponsored by the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women recently brought together some 55 women and 52 young people to honor them for their work and accomplishments for the Catholic community.

Women attending the Feb. 25 Mass and Recognition Day celebration at Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, included honorees (front row, l-r) Linda Aguirre of St. Patrick Church, Norcross, Kim Brannan-Sykes of St. Anthony of Padua Church, Atlanta, Dwanda Brew of St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville, Myrth Bringuel of St. Gabriel Church, Fayetteville, and (second row, l-r) Mari Cleveland of St. Jude the Apostle Church, Sandy Springs, and Danielle P. Colas of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, Douglasville. Photo by Cindy Connell Palmer

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory celebrated Mass at Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, on Saturday, Feb. 25. Priests and deacons of the archdiocese, along with the AACCW officers and members, attended the event, which is held yearly to acknowledge the talents and ministries of outstanding women and youth nominated by their parishes.

During the ceremony, Archbishop Gregory handed out certificates to each honoree, assisted by AACCW president Julie Pardo, past-president Deanna Holmer and president-elect Gwendolyn Scott.

More information about the AACCW can be found at https://archatl.com/catholic-life/council-of-catholic-women/.

55 Women of the Year

Linda Aguirre, St. Patrick, Norcross; Miriam Berry, St. Luke the Evangelist, Dahlonega; Kim Brannan-Sykes, St. Anthony of Padua, Atlanta; Dwanda Brew, St. John the Evangelist, Hapeville; Myrth Bringuel, St. Gabriel, Fayetteville; Donna Bryan, Our Lady of La Salette, Canton; Frances Buchino, St. Peter, LaGrange; Tish Burns, St. Michael the Archangel, Woodstock; Theresa Button, St. Pius X, Conyers; Maria Alejandrina Camacho, Divino Niño Jesús, Duluth; Charlotte Carter, St. Mary, Elberton; Hwa Cha Kwak, St. Andrew Kim, Duluth; Mee Ryan Chon, Korean Martyrs, Doraville; Mari Cleveland, St. Jude the Apostle, Sandy Springs; Danielle P. Colas, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Douglasville; Fannie Collier, St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta; Lori Crocker, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceville; Beth Davis, St. Bernadette, Cedartown; Venita Davis, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; June Daywalt, St. Ann, Marietta; Pat Denton, St. James, Madison; Elsie Driscoll, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hartwell;

Sandy Fohs, left, honored as woman of the year by St. Brendan the Navigator Church, Cumming, is supported by Father Patrick Langan, LC, St. Brendan parochial vicar, and her sister, Donna Brisse, of Holy Cross Church, Atlanta. Fifty-five women were recognized for their outstanding service to their parish or mission. Photo by Cindy Connell Palmer

Helen Farmer, St. Peter the Rock, Thomaston; Sandy Fohs, St. Brendan the Navigator, Cumming; Juanita Garlock, St. Monica, Duluth; Judi Genesky, St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta; Jeana Griffith, Ph.D., Sts. Peter and Paul, Decatur; Carol Hunt, Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; Joyce Kohler, St. John Vianney, Lithia Springs; Kathy Kolp, St. Francis of Assisi, Cartersville; Melinda Lillard, Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta; Diane Lux, St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Sharon Machek, Church of the Good Shepherd, Cumming; Martita Macias, St. Andrew, Roswell; Theresa Mann, Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain; Maria Massey, Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Mary Mattia, Christ Our Hope, Lithonia; Nancy Taneski McClure, St. Brigid, Johns Creek; Lesley McGee, Holy Cross, Atlanta; Lydia Mewbourn, Mary Our Queen, Peachtree Corners; Lin Morgan, St. Joseph, Athens; Diane Morrow, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Atlanta; Sandy Newton, St. Joseph, Marietta; Eileen Osinski, St. Marguerite d’Youville, Lawrenceville; Vivian Overn, St. Paul the Apostle, Cleveland; Estella Pekarske, St. Catherine Labouré, Jefferson; Lucinda Rickards, St. Matthew, Winder; Marge Ronk, St. Clement, Calhoun; Alice Sales, St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro; Lynn Sheeler, Sacred Heart, Milledgeville; Margaret Sottosanti, St. James the Apostle, McDonough; Heather Stowe, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Warm Springs; Ellen Tougaw, St. Gerard Majella, Fort Oglethorpe; Ginny Weiss, Our Lady of the Mountains, Jasper; Cindy Williamson, St. George, Newnan.

52 Youth of the Year

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory congratulates Britney Jimenez, youth of the year from St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cartersville. The high school senior serves as a teacher volunteer in the first-grade faith formation program and in the Guardian Angels program for special needs children and assists in other parish ministries. Photo by Cindy Connell Palmer

Brenda Badillo, St. Patrick, Norcross; Hector Balderas, St. Helena, Clayton; Darnell Jean Baptiste, Christ Our Hope, Lithonia; Austin Benitez, Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain; Dylan Blohm, St. Peter the Rock, Thomaston; Katie-Rose Borrello, St. Brigid, Johns Creek; Megan Buckley, St. Marguerite d’Youville, Lawrenceville; Katherine Clare Callaghan, Holy Spirit, Atlanta; Sarah Carroll, St. Clement, Calhoun; Anna Karen Castro Alcocer, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Atlanta; Diego Jose Couvillion, St. George, Newnan; Kelly Dawkins, All Saints, Dunwoody; Patrick Dibble, St. Pius X, Conyers; Caroline Dietrich, St. Jude the Apostle, Sandy Springs; Nola Dix, Most Blessed Sacrament, Atlanta; Robert Dodd, St. Vincent de Paul, Dallas; Yusef Eason, Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta; Erin Egan, St. Thomas More, Decatur; Cindy V. Emenalo, St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta; Dominick Fiamingo, St. Joseph, Marietta;

Christ Our Hope Church honorees were Darnell Jean Baptiste, left, youth of the year, and Mary Mattia, woman of the year. The Lithonia parish has members from over 50 countries worldwide and many parts of the United States. Photo by Cindy Connell Palmer

Mary Katherine Garger, St. Matthew, Tyrone; Raymond Goslow, St. John Vianney, Lithia Springs; Tori Granelli, Our Lady of the Assumption, Atlanta; Cooper Grisham, Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; Amy Jacqueline Hernandez, St. Matthew, Winder; Irenee Houngblume, St. Michael the Archangel, Woodstock; Ryan Jackson, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Douglasville; Britney Jimenez, St. Francis of Assisi, Cartersville; Kimberly Johnson, St. Thomas Aquinas, Alpharetta; Luke Lashley, St. Andrew, Roswell; Minkyung Lee, Korean Martyrs, Doraville; Jesse Lopez, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hartwell; Gabriella Lotter, St. Mary Magdalene, Newnan; Ansley Messina, St. Gabriel, Fayetteville; Jessica Maldonado, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carrollton; Shaily Nieves Adame, Diviño Nino Jesús, Duluth; Dominic Paonessa, Church of the Transfiguration, Marietta; Christopher Parsons, Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta; Christopher Peffer, St. Luke the Evangelist, Dahlonega; Alondra Robles, Holy Cross, Atlanta; Kevin Ronczkowski, Holy Family, Marietta; Sophia Santander, St. Ann, Marietta; Heather Shapland, St. Catherine Labouré, Jefferson; Nicholas Shashy, St. Monica, Duluth; Tyler Sugg, St. Peter Chanel, Roswell; Michael Sullivan, Church of the Good Shepherd, Cumming; Grace Summers, St. Peter, LaGrange; Sydney Marie Swain, Sts. Peter and Paul, Decatur; Bit Leigh Vu, Sacred Heart, Milledgeville; Lesley White, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Warm Springs; Fred Williams, St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; Sydnee Williams, St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro.