The Jan Tyranowski Outstanding Youth Minister Award has been created to recognize an outstanding youth minister in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland who, like Jan, has left a lasting impact on the lives of the teens of their parish and helped them to grow deeper in their faith.
“He was one of those unknown saints, hidden amid the others like a marvelous light at the bottom of life, at a depth where night usually reigns. In his words, in his spirituality and in the example of a life given to God alone, he represented a new world that I did not yet know. I saw the beauty of a soul opened up by grace.” - St. John Paul II
Nominations will be accepted from anyone who has worked with the nominee or been impacted by their ministry.
Nominated by multiple people, they wrote this about her:
“Theresa works harder than anyone I know - in parish life and that I’ve ever seen in my corporate life. Her heart is absolutely made for teens, it’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. Every conversation she is apart of she is constantly thinking ‘how would this help the teens.’”
“She reminds me of the bible verse about leaving the 99 to go after the 1. She always makes the teens feel loved exactly where they are! Her mission has always been rooted in love.”
The inaugural winner was nominated by one of many to whom she has ministered. They wrote,
"To me, what makes Sara truly special is how she cares and shows that she cares about teens. Among all the chaos and jumble of today’s world, it can be easy to feel like you are just another person or like you don’t matter. She makes sure you feel important. Sara doesn't do this job for a paycheck. She doesn't just clock in, fulfill the everyday requirements, and clock out. She will do anything for her students, showing them unconditional love. I can never say enough about how Sara has changed my life by showing me God."
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Kathleen McComb, Victim Assistance Coordinator
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