THEY ARE THE UNSUNG workers and volunteers who help allow the Catholic Church to attend to and serve its diverse ministries and populations.
So much so that it became evident three years ago that it wasn’t enough to honor just one Catholic woman volunteer. Thus, Suzanne Land and Brenda Ames, president and vice president of the Catholic Charities Auxiliary of Orange County, respectively, suggested expanding the organization’s annual Woman of the Year celebration.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the signature event, which had been unchanged for 30 years, returned in 2024 as the dinner for Inspirational Catholic Women.
This year the event honored 18 women who have provided “countless volunteer hours in parishes,” Ames said. “I don’t think people realize how much they do,” Land said.
“This is an opportunity to recognize the women who help in so many ways,” Fr. Mike Rizzo, chairman of the board for Catholic Charities of Orange County Board of Trustees said of the honorees. “They demonstrate the Heart of Mary. They are the hands and feet of Christ.”
This year’s class was indicative of the breadth and diversity of the diocese, with its honorees representing 12 churches and one diocesan ministry. They represented Caucasian, Latino, Filipino, Korean and other Asian communities.
Two women, Jan Prodan and Jane Nelson, were given special recognition as winners of the Joyce Brown Legacy Award. They have been members of the Auxiliary for 26 and 20 years, respectively, and have been with numerous charities and volunteer efforts. An audience of about 260 attended the sit-down dinner at the Arboretum, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the charity’s Human Dignity Curriculum program, run by New Hope Counseling Services, which provides direct on campus mental health support and intervention and consulting services at 16 diocesan schools, plus Cristo Rey High School, as well as a support hotline.
New Hope addresses a staggering need in Orange County where, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency, 45 percent of local teens report struggling with emotional challenges from bullying, abuse and other causes.
Julianna Tapia, principal at Christ Cathedral Academy since 2022, offered a sobering report on the need for the service. She credited counselors at her school with helping to save the lives of two children who were actively planning suicide.
“Thanks to their intervention, those students are here, they’re alive and they’re thriving,” she said. “Their work reminds us that our children are known, loved and that their lives are precious. They are stepping in at the darkest moments and providing light.”
Ellen Roy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Orange County, said among 10-14-year-olds in Orange County, suicide is the leading cause of death, with 20 percent considering, 16 percent planning and 9 percent attempting suicide.
“It’s hitting us all,” she said. Ames said New Hope’s services are vital in “helping our children get out of the cycle of violence and abuse.”
Fr. Mike noted that unlike several programs that Catholic Charities supports, such as the Cantlay Food Distribution, the citizenship support and health and wellness programs, which receive funding from a number of sources, New Hope Services receives virtually all its support from the Auxiliary and the Inspirational Women event.
“We don’t have outside donors,” he said of the dinner. “That’s why there is such a focus on this.”
In addition to the meal, patrons were able to donate and participate in various raffles and contests. There was also entertainment by the Mater Dei Rubies Singers, who included in their group Faith Nguyen, the granddaughter of one of the evening’s honorees, Mary Nguyen. Speaking of the awardees and their continuing devotion to volunteerism, Ames said, “The Heart of Mary is their true influence.”
She added a paraphrased quote from Mother Teresa echoed by several honorees “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
This year’s honorees are:
Jeanette Barreras. Holy Family Catholic Church
Brenda Bianchino, San Antonio de Padua del Canon Catholic Church
Chris Born, San Antonio de Padua del Canon Catholic Church
Maria Felicidad Claudio, St. Kilian Catholic Church
Donna Eagar, St. Francis Guild/St. Hedwig Catholic Church
Cathy Fitzpatrick, St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church
Norie Gatis, Diocese of Orange/ San Jose Filipino Ministry
Marita Lagman, Diocese of Orange/San Jose Filipino Ministry
Lety Lopez, Christ Cathedral
Sharon Lynch, St. Joseph Catholic Church
Araceli Martinez, St. Bonaventure Catholic Church
Mary Nguyen, Christ Cathedral
Graciela Palafox, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
Vivian Stewart, St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church
Mary Beth Syms, Holy Family Catholic Church
Fe Tamparong, Christ Cathedral
Janet Wiesen, Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Mary Wilson, St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church