Educators lauded for years of service

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz chatted with Maggie McKune, a teacher at St. Aloysius School in Pewee Valley, Ky., left, and Amanda Brown, a teacher at St. Gabriel School, right, prior to the start of the annual teacher recognition luncheon Nov. 6 at The Olmsted. Educators were recognized for milestone years of service. (Record Photo by Jessica Able)

Teachers and administrators who attended the annual teacher recognition luncheon Nov. 6 heard that Christ is alive in the ministry of Catholic education.

Leisa Schulz, superintendent of Catholic Schools shared an excerpt from Pope Francis’ recent apostolic exhortation, which was published after the 2018 synod on young people.

“He will not show me every place, time and detail, since I will have to make my own prudent decisions about these. But he will show me a direction in life, for he is my Creator and I need to listen to his voice, so that, like clay in the hands of a potter, I can let myself be shaped and guided by him. Then I will become what I was meant to be,” wrote Pope Francis.

The Holy Father’s words were echoed in the theme of this year’s luncheon — A Time for Shaping.

The Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Catholic Schools recognized 199 teachers during the event held at The Olmsted. Recognition was given to educators who have served for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years in Catholic schools in the archdiocese. These teachers serve nearly 19,000 students in 49 Catholic schools located in seven counties of the archdiocese.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz thanked the teachers for their dedication and called them to pause and give thanks to God.

“Think of the young people who are in your lives because God wants you to shape, form and support them. Think of your families and loved ones who sacrifice so you can be involved in Catholic school education.

“Let’s hold up one another in gratitude to God for the privilege that is ours to be part of this great gift we call Catholic education,” the archbishop said.

Following are teachers who were honored at the luncheon.

50 years

Tom Zehnder, Trinity High School

45 years

Michael Glaser, St. Xavier High School

Alan Huelsman, St. Xavier

Michael Johnson, St. Xavier

Marty Minogue, Trinity

40 years

Elaine Bachman, Notre Dame Academy

Valerie Barr, St. Michael School

Joe Bryant, Trinity

Mary Ellen Donniger, St. Bernard School

Steve Finch, St. Nicholas Academy

Joseph Hall, St. Xavier

Vicki Johnston, St. Andrew Academy

Sandy Maxted, Assumption High School

Bernadette Porter, St. Dominic School

John Price, St. Xavier

Greg Sysol, Trinity

35 years

Rick Blackwell, DeSales High School

Gary Gruneisen, St. Xavier

Betsy Kramer, Sacred Heart Academy

Mary Lee McCoy, Sacred Heart Academy

Jill Schurman, Sacred Heart Academy

Susan Singer, St. Aloysius School

Beth Turpin, Mercy Academy

James Wagoner, St. Xavier

Debbie Zangari, St. Margaret Mary School

30 years

Pat Barnett, Sacred Heart Academy

Shannon Davison, Sacred Heart Academy

Maggie DiPasquale, St. Nicholas

Lisa Duffy, Notre Dame

Becky Ehrhard, Our Lady of Lourdes School

Judy Fieldhouse, Assumption

Mary French, Holy Trinity School

John Jefferson, St. Xavier

Emily Johnson, Sacred Heart Academy

Emily McCarty, St. Athanasius School

Julie Motiff, Our Lady of Lourdes

Lisa Mullaney, Holy Spirit School

Eddie Rudolph, Trinity

John Zickel, St. Xavier

25 years

Charlotte Colley, St. Margaret Mary

Michelle Cornwell, St. Gabriel

Diane Darst, Assumption

Robin Davis, St. Andrew

Paul Diehl, Trinity

Brenda Harrison, St. Margaret Mary

Katie Hughbanks, Assumption

Mary Keele, John Paul II Academy

Debby Klein, St. Agnes School

James Kraeszig, St. Xavier

Matt Manning, Trinity

Stasia Polston, Assumption

Laura Probus, Holy Trinity

Andy Schulten, St. Xavier

Martha Tedesco, Assumption

20 years

Debbie Abbott, St. Albert the Great School

Karen Alpiger, Mercy Academy

Deanna Askin, Our Lady of Lourdes

Michael Bickett, St. Martha School

Bob Bowman, Mercy

Ann Brabec-Church, Our Lady of Lourdes

Patrick Chitwood, St. Xavier

Shannon Dauenhauer, St. Martha

Carey Given, Holy Trinity

Kellie Hood, Ascension School

Kathy Hoon, St. Bernard

Kim Hurt, Notre Dame

Susan Jaffe, St. Xavier

Benjamin Jankowski, St. Xavier

Catie Jones, St. Francis of Assisi School

Daivie Kay, Notre Dame

Kristi Kelly, St. Mary Academy

Jennifer Martin, St. Xavier

Michele Metcalfe, St. Xavier

Patrick Miller, St. Joseph School, Bardstown

Charley Moore, St. Xavier

Karen Mudd, St. Dominic School, Springfield

Deana Padgett, Mercy

Kevin Payne, St. Xavier

Lisa Platt, Our Lady of Lourdes

Caroline Putman, St. Bernard

Dawn Renner, Immaculata Classical Academy

Cathy Rueff, St. Margaret Mary

Amy Sample, St. Xavier

Gioconda Sparling, Sacred Heart Model School

Barry Swearingen, Trinity

Judie Virant, St. Albert the Great

Danielle Wiegandt, Holy Cross High School

Mary Ann Zurlage, Holy Spirit School

15 years

Aaron Abell, St. Xavier

Mary Heather Adam, St. Albert the Great

Donna Allen, St. Gregory School, Samuels

John Baldwin, Trinity

Kathy Book, St. James School, Elizabethtown

Benedictine Sister Karen Byerley, St. Stephen Martyr School

Heather Byers, St. Paul School

Rhonda Canary, St. Aloysius School, Pewee Valley

Susan Delk, St. Margaret Mary Academy

Tonya Dillon, Presentation

Margie Downs, St. Joseph

Marcia Dunlap, Notre Dame

Carrie Foster, St. Xavier

Donna Franklin, St. Martha

Margaret Graves, Presentation

Stephanie Heitz, Mercy

Scott Holzknecht, Trinity

Nicole Hubbs, Sacred Heart Model School

Patty Kirchner, St. James, Elizabethtown

Jennifer Love, Sacred Heart Academy

Dan McCue, St. Xavier

Angie Moth, St. Margaret Mary

Jeff Noe, Trinity

Mary Parola, St. Leonard School

Megan Rose, Assumption

Melissa Schoenbachler, Mercy

Jennifer Schulz, St. Gabriel

Robert Schweitzer, St. Xavier

Sorin Spohn, St. Xavier

Tammy Thomson, Notre Dame

James Torra, Trinity

Debbie Tucker, St. Rita School

Amy Wheatley, Mercy

Gina Wilkie, Sacred Heart Academy

Amber Wissing, St. Xavier

10 years

Lou Armstrong, Assumption

Aida Batiste, Sacred Heart Academy

Amanda Brown, St. Gabriel

Pat Burton, Mercy

Jenee Chamberlain, St. Gabriel

Donna Conrad, St. Athanasius

Sallie Cunningham, Sacred Heart Academy

Frances Dotson, Sacred Heart Academy

Jeffrey Farmer, St. Xavier

Brigid Hallahan, Holy Spirit

Paul Houpt, DeSales

Todd Larkin, St. Xavier

Ernesto Laspiur, Mercy

Chris Luken, Trinity

Kelly Matz, St. Martha

Holly McGuire, Trinity

Carey Ogburn, St. Raphael School

Christine Rieth, Bethlehem High School, Bardstown

Terry Rogan, St. Gregory

Johanna Schrage, Sacred Heart Academy

Katie Spenlau, Sacred Heart Model School

Doug Sumey, Assumption

Stacy Tackett, St. Michael School

Ashley Titus, Notre Dame

Jessica Vivona, Mercy

Audry Voit, Holy Spirit

Kelly Young, Sacred Heart Model School

Amy Zuccaro, Trinity

5 years

Meredith Aerie, John Paul II

Chad Carpenter, Trinity

Jay Cobb, Trinity

Kathryn Cohan, Holy Trinity

Nicole Cox, St. Margaret Mary

Tom Crews, DeSales

Rebecca Cripe, St. Athanasius

Jane Cruthirds, Sacred Heart Academy

Katie Culver, Assumption

Joanne Deam, St. Mary

Christina Dowell, St. Stephen Martyr

Olivia Dvorjak, St. James, Elizabethtown

Melissa Fette, Presentation

Tara Gittings, St. Bernard

Jessica Gottbrath, Mercy

Mitch Greenwell, Trinity

John Gulden, DeSales

Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp, Sacred Heart Academy

Jesse Harrod, Sacred Heart Academy

Alecea Hawkins, DeSales

Natalie Higginbotham, St. Athanasius

Kristopher Horton, St. Xavier

Dana Jones, St. Athanasius

Maria Kupper, Sacred Heart Academy

Kristen Marry, Mercy

Kara McCarthy, St. Bernard

Maggie McKune, St. Aloysius

Jenni Meyer, St. Nicholas Academy

Erin Montfort, St. Rita

Randy Perkins, Trinity

Jason Rand, Trinity

Margie Reece, St. Athanasius

Brian Reilly, Holy Spirit

Sarah Reinhart, Holy Trinity

Caroline Robinson, St. Leonard

Amanda Simmons, Mercy

Lauren Smith, St. Patrick School

Meghan Smith, Our Lady of Lourdes

Tyler Spears, St. Xavier

Mike Swearingen, DeSales

Bethany Tems, Our Lady of Lourdes

Patricia Thomas, Holy Cross

Laura Timperio, Holy Trinity

Kristen Walter, St. Bernard

Carole Wastog, Mercy

Laura Wicke, St. Margaret Mary

Rose Willenborg, St. Paul

Eric Wong, Mercy

Jessica Able
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Jessica Able
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