Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

(From the July 1, 2004 edition of the Inland Register)

At its annual Grant and Award Luncheon, the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Foundation honored the 27 people who were nominated to receive the Catholic Community Service Award, gave out $39,000 to fund 56 grant requests, and announced the recipients of the Catholic Community Service Award.

The luncheon was held at the Waterford retirement community, located at 29th and Pittsburg in Spokane. The staff at the Waterford hosted the 176 luncheon attendees in the newly remodeled dining room, prepared the meal and even arranged to have the food donated by SYSCO and Food Services of America.

The New Horizons Orchestra provided a string quintet to play music while people gathered in the reception area before going in to lunch and again, after the event. Residents at the Waterford were also able to join the luncheon guests for the musical entertainment.

The recipients of the Catholic Community Service Award for 2004 are:

Maggie Albo. Through months of research and hours and hours of meetings and negotiations, Maggie was able to insure the respectful internment of 195 abandoned human remains. She envisioned and coordinated the development of the “Potters Field” in Holy Cross Cemetery. This gave honor and a holy resting place to people who had been left in the medical examiners office, indefinitely. Maggie was recognized in Newsweek magazine for her efforts. She initiated and supervised bringing Handicapped Encounter Christ to Spokane, often running retreats, workshops, and finding ways around almost insurmountable obstacles for those whose voice is often ignored.

Alma Druffel recently co-chaired the “Here I am, Lord, send me” campaign for the education of seminarians in her parish. Both St. Gall Parish, Colton, and St. Boniface Parish, Uniontown, reached more than 140 percent of the parish goal. She was selected as “Catholic Daughter of the Year” for the State of Washington. Alma is a member of the St. Gall Altar Society and the St. Gall Parish Council. She has served on the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Guardian Angel – St. Boniface School Advisory Council. In addition, she gives her time to Pullman Memorial Hospital, Washington State Pharmaceutical Association and the Whitman County Council of Aging and Human Services.

Mary Ann Marciel. After the executive director of the Transitions Programs left and the financial situation made it necessary to lay off the administrative staff, Mary Ann stepped in as the volunteer executive director, refusing to accept any type of compensation. She provided needed leadership, oversaw a reorganization of personnel, developed ideas for achieving financial stability, restructured the fund raising program and raised significant dollars. The Transitions Program – Women’s Drop in Center, Miryam’s House and the Transitional Living Center – survives and a new executive director is now in place.

Marty Markarian was the first woman at Spokane’s St. Francis of Assisi Parish to be a lector. She organizes and performs most of the tasks to get ready for the parish garage sale and the Boutique at the Fall Bazaar for the parish. She painted the daily Mass chapel and the sacristy for the chapel. She started an evening out for parish members over the age of 80. Marty is a published poet. She organizes the St. Vincent de Paul Style Show and has chaired the Poor Clare Tea. Marty has a large extended family and is very active in her family affairs.

Spokane Valley Community Center’s Clothing Bank Volunteers. This group of people volunteer seven days a week to provide clothes, diapers, layettes and household items to families living in poverty in Spokane Valley. Last year they sorted through 171,763 pounds of donations and assisted almost 21,000 people (6,577 families). Some of the volunteers have been with the Center since 1991. Many of the volunteers support the program financially as well as give their time.

Other nominees for the award were: Barbara Aripa, Sacred Heart Parish, Nespelem; Betty Beebe, Immaculate Conception Parish, Davenport; Greg Bye, Project Timothy, Dayton; Gordon & June Cresci, St. Patrick Parish, Walla Walla; Mary Druffel, St. Gall Parish, Colton; Cassie Hill, St. Mary Presentation Parish, Deer Park; Virginia Just, St. Joseph Parish, Dayton, and St. Mark Parish, Waitsburg; Anna Kestell, St. Augustine Parish, Spokane; Kathleen and Joe McKeirnan, Holy Rosary Parish, Pomeroy; Therese Overfield, St. Joseph Parish, Dayton; Patti Quinn, Assumption Parish, Spokane; Helen Rawson, Immaculate Conception Parish, Okanogan; Howard Ringley and Emilio Zamora, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Cheney; Rosemarie Romain, St. Mary Parish, Spokane Valley; Charles and Mary Ruzicka, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Walla Walla; Sue Sabin, St. Genevieve Parish, Twisp; Ilene and Jerry Sullivan, St. Michael Parish, Inchelium; Martin Weber, St. Thomas More Parish, Spokane; Deacon Walter Weid, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Spokane; Sister Julie Wokasch, H.O.P.E. for C.O.A.P., Spokane.

Each of the individuals received a framed certificate to commemorate their nomination for the award.

The following grants were funded for 2004:

Caritas Center, Spokane: $700 to help provide assistance with utility costs for the poor in the area west of Division St and north of Wellesley in Spokane and the Nine Mile area in the county.

Catholic Engaged Encounter: $750 to help train new team members and provide scholarships for couples to attend the programs

Ecumenical Outreach Ministries: $700, to assist individuals and families to prevent disconnection of utility services provided by the City of Cheney

Fig Tree ecumenical newspaper, Spokane: $300 to partially fund expansion to rural and mid-sized communities; $750, to develop a regional interactive web site.

Gonzaga Prep, Spokane: $1,200 as partial funding for the Catholic School Elementary Band Program

Guardian Angel/St. Boniface School, Colton/Uniontown: $400, to assist the school to purchase a new keyboard to use in the school and church liturgies

Holy Family Adult Day Health, Spokane: $500 as partial funding to set up a Music Therapy program for individuals suffering from physical disabilities

Holy Rosary Parish, Pomeroy: $150 to purchase rosaries and Bibles for parishioners who are in the nursing home or hospital

Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, Spokane: $1,000 as partial funding for retreats for handicapped individuals; $1,000 for scholarships for diocesan youth retreats; $750 as partial funding for Senior Days of Prayer.

Interfaith Council: $1,000 to provide partial funding for the Guatemala Dialogue project

Jail and Prison Detention Ministry: $1,200 as partial funding for the Detention ministry serving the jails and prisons in Eastern Washington

Natural Family Planning, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane: $1,200 as partial funding for the Natural Family Planning program.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Spokane: $411.70, to help develop a youth ministry Garden of Hope to grow produce for House of Charity, St. Margaret Shelter and Second Harvest Food Bank; $1,000, as partial funding for Los Embajadores mission trip

Our Place Community Ministries, Spokane: $800 for emergency financial assistance for Our Place clients

Project Timothy, Dayton: $1,200 as partial funding for Project Timothy.

Right to Life Spokane: $500 to assist with the costs of reprinting the Right to Life Flyer that the program uses; $600 to assist with the purchase of a new computer

Sacred Heart Parish, Pullman: $560, to help fund the JustFaith process to educate Catholics about Catholic Social Teachings; $500 to help present a one-day youth liturgy workshop for 100 teens and adult catechists

Sacred Heart Parish, Springdale: $400 to purchase child-sized classroom tables for the religious education program

St. Aloysius School, Spokane: $1,150 to assist in purchasing three TVs and DVD/VCR players for use in classrooms.

St. Anthony Parish, Spokane: $500 to help fund the religious education and Sunday School Sacramental Preparation programs

St. Francis Xavier Parish, Spokane: $500 to purchase Catholic reading and recorded materials for parish library; $250 to purchase R.C.I.A. supplies, Bibles and catechisms; $300 to help fund a retreat on vocations for young people; $90.30 to help purchase Catholic-themed software to catechize a computer-savvy generation

St. Gall Parish, Colton: $1,725 to replace the roof on the rectory

St. Joseph Parish, Otis Orchards: $500 to help pay for registrations for WISDOMWORKS workshop in the parish; $825 to help purchase religious education curriculum materials

St. Joseph Parish, Colbert: $400, as partial funding to send two RCIA team members to an Initiation Experience Institute and two teens to Diocesan Leadership Camp; $150, for scholarships for catechists to attend the Diocesan Catholic Faith Conference

St. Joseph Parish, Spokane: $500 to send seven people to the Diocesan Catholic Conference workshop for catechists; $500, to help fund the Sunday morning religious education program

St. Joseph Parish, Dayton/St. Mark Parish, Waitsburg: $1,000 for food baskets to feed the poor and wives running from abusive spouses; $500 to help purchase study books for Secular Franciscan formation classes

St. Margaret Shelter, Spokane: $500 to remodel the toddler play area.

St. Mary Parish, Spokane Valley: $338 to help fund the Journey to Jesus retreat for parish catechists; $1,000 for partial funding for youth mission trip to Mexico.

St. Mary Presentation Parish, Deer Park: $635 to assist with religious education teacher training and purchasing TV, VCR, DVD, and books; $500 to repair the floor in the Deer Park Senior Center (a parish outreach program).

St. Mary Mission and St. Joseph Parish, Omak: $1,200 to help begin youth ministry in the parishes through retreats

St. Michael Parish, Inchelium: $500 to help fund youth ministry in the parish; $375 to build a Handicap Ramp at the parish; $400 to help fund the “Faith-Alive!” meetings for adults in the parish; $500 to help fund the summer Bible camp for K to 6th grade children; $1,200 to paint parish buildings

St. Paschal Educare, Spokane: $1,000 to partially fund installation of a new fire and smoke detector system as required by state law

St. Patrick Parish, Walla Walla: $500 to purchase Spanish language textbooks for sacramental preparation program; $250 to purchase a TV and VCR to use for parents of children in sacramental preparation; $500 to purchase classroom tables for tri-parish religious education program

St. Thomas More Parish, Spokane: $440 to assist in sending four students to the Diocesan Youth Leadership Camp

St. Thomas More Newman Center, Pullman: $2,000 to help fund retreats for about 100 Washington State University students; $700 to help purchase faith formation materials for young adults