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
