During the 22nd annual St. Elizabeth of Hungary celebration, Bishop Edward Malesic recognized employees of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland for their dedication and hard work, telling them they “truly represent the face of Christ’s love within our diocese. What you do is at the heart of the Church’s mission. You proclaim Jesus to those who need him the most.”
The celebration included a livestreamed Mass on Nov. 5 at La Sagrada Familia Church in Cleveland, the awards presentation and a reception in the parish hall.
Although their work is important to the Church’s mission, the bishop said Catholic Charities’ employees don’t often receive the affirmation or recognition they should. “We don’t say it often enough. Thank you. Thanks to all who go about their vital work every day without fanfare, without accolades, carrying out the works of mercy to the poor, the lonely and the despairing – those who have no hope but for you,” he said.
“If you don’t take care of the people the Lord puts in your path every day, who would?” the bishop asked. “You are good people because you answer the call to wake up in the morning and do something good that interrupts the cycle of pain and grief. I am so very proud of you and proud to call you partners in the mission of the Church with me.”
He explained that the awards are named after St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who was entitled to the life of a queen but chose to cast that aside. Instead, she lived her short life – she married at age 14, was widowed at 20 and died at age 24 – dedicated to the poor, sick and homeless. “She is one of those saints who inspire us to be our better selves and who show us that living a life devoted to others is not only possible, but desirable,” Bishop Malesic said.
Recalling Pope Francis’ words, he said the good work of Catholic Charities in the diocese “is the salt, leaven and light that provides a beacon of hope to those in need. Catholic Charities helps the poor, the vulnerable, the lost and the abandoned, those on the margins and those struggling to get by.” He said the pope refers to our culture as a “throw away culture,” noting many people among us are devalued and discarded like consumer goods. But people should never be thrown away as no longer useful or good. “Even if they are at the bottom of life, God wants to lift them up. God sees their goodness, even when no one else does. We can’t throw people away,” the bishop said.
He reminded the group that Jesus told us “Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did it for me.” The bishop also recalled what St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said during her years of working in the slums with the poorest of the poor: “You did it for me,” something they should remember when having a challenging day.
“I don’t romanticize the poor and afflicted. Like all people, they can be challenging. But Jesus uses them, sometimes, to test our virtue. Will we strive to do the right thing, even if it isn’t easy? Know that I know your work is important and so worthwhile. God knows that, too. You do it for him,” the bishop said.
He also reminded the group that God has a plan for each of us and he is working out his plan of salvation in them. “Blessed are those who recognize this plan and act upon it because it gives us all a purpose and it provides for us a destiny: eternal life with God.”
The bishop told Catholic Charities’ employees they are “very special people,” noting they are not getting rich doing their work. “You do it because you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to live your life in service to others, just as St. Elizabeth was moved by the Spirit to leave wealth and join poverty,” he said, acknowledging the work isn’t easy and can take a heavy toll. “It can lead to a certain type of spiritual burnout if we don’t put it into a more spiritual light,” he said.
He encouraged them to work on their spiritual lives, to take time for themselves, enjoy their families, a walk in the woods, talk with God and listen for him to speak to their hearts. “Pray and pray often. A strong spiritual life is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not take your spiritual life for granted … make preparation for your future eternity,” the bishop said.
“If you don’t have faith, then what you do is a job and jobs can get very tiring. If you have faith, then what you do – your calling – is more than a job. It’s a vocation to be lived out with love. That might still be difficult, but it is a life lived with purpose.”
He encouraged the group to “continue to do good, love one another, seek justice, find peace, forgive those who have offended you, have faith and trust in the Lord. And at the end of the day, know that we are doing what Jesus told us to do and building up for ourselves a storehouse of grace in heaven.”
Patrick Gareau, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, said 21 people were nominated for the 2021 St. Elizabeth of Hungary Awards by their peers. Nominees were Natisha Bowling, Fatima Family Center; Shelli Brooks, Fatima Family Center; Andrew Carmichael, Rose-Mary Center; Catherine DeMarco, St. Augustine Towers; Saundra Dixon, Early Learning Programs; Nancy Doutt, Matt Talbot for Women; Hannah Gee, Catholic Charities – Wayne County; Sierra Greer, Help me Grow; Michelle Harris, System of Care – Family Services; Angela Ivancic, chief clinical officer; Ramonita Rodriguez Johnson, Covenant Center Hispanic Services Office; Steven Jones, Early Learning Programs; Debby Kirkpatrick, Catholic Charities – Summit County; Meghan McGuan, Emergency Services; Sean Ring, Virgil E. Brown Family Service Center; Evelyn Santos-Rodriguez, Hispanic Senior Center; Noelia Speringo, CYO; Angela Triplett, administration, human resources; Sharon Westbrooks, Rose-Mary Center; Rhonda Wilson, Fatima Family Center – Father Albert House; and Yolanda Thompson-Witherspoon, Early Learning Programs.
Doutt, administrative assistant at Matt Talbot for Women, was honored with the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Award – a statue of the saint – in recognition for her dedication to her work. “We all benefit from her working here where she treats all the clients and staff with respect and considers the needs of all,” her co-workers wrote in the nomination. They said if anyone is in need of anything, she has the items or knows where to get them.
McGuan, director of Emergency Services, received the Servant Leader Award, a statue of Jesus washing the feet of an apostle. In her nomination, her co-workers said throughout the pandemic she was “in the trenches with her staff working to provide shelter to the homeless while worrying about her staff’s safety and staffing concerns.” They said she never stopped serving the homeless, demonstrating a Christ-like approach to leadership and she “truly embodies the attributes of a servant leader.”
Five Mission and Values Awards were presented to the following:
- Gee, program coordinator for the Youth Engagement Specialist Program. Her nomination said she brings calm in the midst of a family’s chaos by offering hope and strategies to manage the crisis.
- Ivancic, chief clinical officer, was recognized for her new ideas to promote and support the behavioral health programs of Catholic Charities in all eight counties of the diocese.
- Santos-Rodriguez was nominated for her efforts to help the seniors she serves at the Hispanic Senior Center, including packing and delivering meals to homebound seniors during the pandemic and providing them with art supplies, puzzles and other things to keep them busy.
- Speringo, a 42-year CYO employee, was honored for continuously demonstrating professional demeanor, skills and knowledge to further the mission of CYO and Catholic Charities. Her nominators noted that she values the dignity of a person, speaking to them by name and listening to them.
- Westbrooks has served in several roles at Rose-Mary. Her nominators said she is “driven by integrity and is easy to support as she is guided by the Rose-Mary way,” doing things in the best interest of those she serves.
“Congratulations to all the nominees,” Gareau said. “It is an honor to be nominated and we are pleased to celebrate your service.”
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