By Ruby Thomas, Record Staff Writer
The Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Lifelong Formation and Education honored 198 Catholic school teachers during the 15th annual teacher appreciation luncheon Nov. 5.
The luncheon honored educators who have served in Archdiocese of Louisville schools for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years. These teachers have served more than 19,000 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade at 46 schools in six Kentucky counties.
Leisa Schulz, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Louisville told the honorees during the event, held at The Olmsted, 3701 Frankfort Ave, “Your dedication to Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Louisville is evident by the years of service we are celebrating today.”
“You exemplify the mission of sowing seeds of faith and knowledge,” she said. “Many of you have been toiling in the fields for many years and have reaped the benefits.”
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz praised and thanked the teachers, telling them he is “grateful for the gift of Catholic schools” and for the witness they provide to the life of the church and the community.
The archbishop also spoke about Pope Francis’ recent visit to the United States and the way the country took notice.
The archbishop noted that the pope came to the U.S., not as a politician, but as “a pastor to be present.”
“Being present is important to those in the teaching profession,” said Archbishop Kurtz. “Your bread and butter is your presence and your witness.
We’re here today to honor and celebrate that witness and presence.”
The archbishop thanked representatives of the Catholic Education Foundation, who were present at the event, for the foundation’s contribution to Catholic schools. Archbishop Kurtz noted that many have worked to make Catholic schools successful — the archdiocese, parishes, pastors, school principals and parish councils.
“The center of what we do is the formation of character, faith and human development of the young people who have been entrusted to Catholic schools,” said the archbishop. “Thank you for your willingness to sow the seeds of faith within the students in your classrooms.”
45 years
Rick Blair, St. Xavier High School
Peggy Broderick, St. Martha School;
Sheila Marstiller, St. Michael School
Tom McAnally, DeSales High School.
40 years
Mary Ann Arms, St. Andrew Academy
Connie Byers, St. Edward School
Sharon Bohannon, Trinity High School
Tom Dubay, Trinity
Cathy Edelen, St. Gregory School
Bob Glasford, St. Xavier High School
Kitty Schloemer, St. Mary Academy
Deborah Sims, St. Stephen Martyr School
35 years
David Aberli, Trinity High School
Rita Baxter, Notre Dame Academy
Bob Beck, St. Xavier High School
Mike Chancellor, Trinity High School
Deborah Cheek, St. Xavier High School
Beth Hicks, Assumption High School
Deborah Jenkins, St. Martha
Jim Protenic, Mercy Academy
Carolyn Veigl, Sacred Heart Model School
Joseph White, St. Xavier High School
Paula Wood, St. Michael
30 years
Denise Bacigalupi, Holy Trinity
Bill Bornschein, St. Xavier High School
Mary Dyar, St. Athanasius
Sheryl Kremer, St. Gabriel
Martha Lies, St. Agnes
Angela Lincoln, Assumption High School
Denise Ritchie, St. Nicholas Academy
Cheryl Sinclair, St. Athanasius
Leola Sweeny, St. Gabriel
Patricia Toombs, St. Margaret Mary
Kathy Wallace, St. Leonard
Sarah Watson, St. Xavier High School
Diane Whoberry, St. Stephen Martyr
Michelle Young, St. Edward
25 years
Sally Craven, Assumption High School
Carole Baker, Trinity High School
Patricia Barnett, Sacred Heart Academy
Shawn Bond, St. Joseph
Ellen Burkhardt, St. Athanasius
Denise Chancellor, St. Gabriel
Ann Colvin, St. Albert the Great
Mike Johnson, Mercy Academy
Mike Magre, Trinity High School
Chuck Medley, St. Xavier High School
Susan Messerschmidt, St. Francis of Assisi
Sue Morgan, St. Xavier High School
Lisa Murray, St. Andrew Academy
Lisa Seidt, St. Nicholas Academy
Charlie Shircliff, St. Edward
Jim Stairs, St. Xavier High School
Janice Sullivan, St. Mary Academy
Mary Waskevich, St. Stephen Martyr
Cara Westman, St. Aloysius
20 years
Theresa Beaumont, St. Aloysius
Amy Dixon, Ascension
Patricia Dunagan, Presentation Academy
Peggy Gray, Holy Trinity
Kelly Hartman, Presentation Academy
Rick Heim, Sacred Heart Academy
Barbara Koehler, Sacred Heart Academy
Linda Kuchenbrod, St. Gabriel
Barbara Lutmer, Assumption High School
Vickie Peterworth, Sacred Heart Model School
Keith Rapp, Trinity High School
Stacy Sauer, St. Mary Academy
Karen Snapp, St. James, Louisville
David Trueblood, St. Nicholas Academy
Robert Wheatley, Sacred Heart Academy
Lynn Wilt, John Paul II Academy
15 years
Dr. Nathalie Barber, Bethlehem High School
Cathy Basham, St. James, Elizabethtown
Bob Beatty, Trinity High School
Jeff Becker, Trinity High School
Jennifer Browning, Trinity High School
Audrey Carney, St. Joseph
Brenda Clark, St. Margaret Mary
Jennie Condra, St. Raphael
Heather Culton, St. Edward
Julianna Daly, St. Agnes
Taffie Duckworth, St. Martha
Erin Gary, Assumption High School
Donna Greenwell, St. Athanasius
Melanie Hagan, St. Margaret Mary
Michelle Hartlage, Holy Trinity
Jeff Heady, Sacred Heart Academy
Joe Henning, Trinity High School
Jed Hilbert, St. Xavier High School
Debby Horn, St. Agnes
Angie Krish, St. Joseph
Miller Jennifer, St. Gabriel
Colleen Murphy, Assumption High School
Missy Oakes, Notre Dame Academy
Hugh O’Brien, St. James, Elizabethtown
Laurie Ortkiese, Sacred Heart Model School
Kathy Parsons, St. Michael
Suzanne Penezic, St. Raphael
Laura Pohlmann, DeSales High School
Jennifer Richards, St. Joseph
Shea Rutledge, St. Edward
Kelley Schleg, St. Mary Academy
Linda Schork, St. Xavier High School
Libba Schuhmann, Holy Trinity
Jennifer Shirley, Assumption High School
Stacie Short, St. Albert the Great
Kelly Smith, Assumption High School
Stephen Smith, St. Xavier High School
Steven Tompkins, Trinity High School
Wanda Trigg, DeSales High School
Karen Woo, St. Martha
John Wood, Holy Cross High School
Kyle Yochum, St. Xavier High School
Benedictine Sister Sarah Yungwirth, St. Patrick
Mike Zimmerman, Saint Paul
10 years
Gina Beirne, Assumption High School
Megan Berger, St. Martha
Sunny Bowen, Our Lady of Lourdes
Heather Byers, St. Paul
Dave Case, Trinity High School
Debbie Cunningham, St. Patrick
Kevin Daugherty, John Paul II/St. Stephen Martyr
Tim Dooley, St. Paul
Grace Duckworth, St. Albert the Great
Nathan Durbin, St. Xavier High School
Tracy Edgerton, Mercy Academy
Jill Elder, Assumption High School
Kelly Fiepke, St. James, Elizabethtown
Ann Garcia, Holy Spirit
Martha Gray, Holy Trinity
D. Dee Hill, Holy Trinity
Elizabeth Hinkebein, St. Agnes
Candace Kresse, Sacred Heart Academy
Suzie Ledford, Mercy Academy
Jennifer Mayer, Sacred Heart Academy
Steve Mercer, Holy Spirit
Chris Moore, Sacred Heart Academy
Carol Murphy, St. Patrick
Edwin Noe, St. Xavier High School
Beatriz Pacheco, St. Xavier High School
Danika Peak, St. James, Elizabethtown
Mary Jude Pfeifer, Holy Spirit
Tracy Raque, Assumption High School
Robert Saxton, Trinity High School
Meredith Scherr, St. Gabriel
Jill Schurman, Sacred Heart Academy
Catherine Smith, Presentation Academy
Sunni Sosna-Kelty, St. Paul
Daniel Stuber, St. Xavier High School
Bradley Terry, Presentation High School
Jessica Williams, Assumption High School
5 years
Daniel Able, St. Xavier High School
Patrick Alexander, St. Xavier High School
Theresa Bautista, Sacred Heart Academy
Margie Belcher, St. James, Elizabethtown
Nathan Bird, St. Xavier High School
Daniel E. Blaser, St. Xavier High School
Artie Braden, Bethlehem High School
Amy Brooks, St. Xavier High School
Sarah Cleary, Holy Cross High School
Kim Conway, St. Joseph
Kim Crable, Holy Spirit
Katie Daly, Sacred Heart Academy
Amy Decker, St. Paul
Kim Demling, Assumption High School
Erin Duckworth, St. Michael
Connie Ferch, Sacred Heart Academy
Bianca Nelly Garcia, St. Rita
Katie Garrett, St. Joseph
Sally Glacken, St. Patrick
Lisa Hague, Mercy Academy
Steve Hammer, Mercy Academy
Tami Harbolt, Nativity Academy
Jennifer Hawkins, St. Michael
Elizabeth Heilmann, St. Raphael
Rita Koontz, Bethlehem High School
Ron Koontz, Bethlehem High School
Matthew Lega, Assumption High School
Stacy Lohman, Holy Spirit
Thomas Malewitz, St. Xavier High School
Jennifer Muller, St. Nicholas Academy
Blake Napper, Mercy Academy
Dana Nicholson, St. Rita
Penny Osborne, St. James, Elizabethtown
Ann Patterson, St. Michael
Sarah Peace, Mercy Academy
Ginny Pratt, St. Mary Academy
Jeff Purichia, St. James, Louisville
Scott Ross, Trinity High School
Laura Shircliff, St. Albert the Great
Kari Sims, Mercy Academy
Wendy Sims, St. Margaret Mary
Connie Tutwiler, St. Aloysius
Sara Voit, St. Margaret Mary
Jenn Watson, Mercy Academy
Michelle Welp, St. Michael
Amanda Wooten, Notre Dame Academy
