Described as “reflectors of God’s light,” 190 teachers were honored and thanked for their years of service Nov. 3 during a special appreciation luncheon. Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre expressed his admiration and said he felt humbled in their presence.
The lively event was held at The Olmsted on Frankfort Avenue. The Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Catholic Schools honored teachers who have taught for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years, though not all were in attendance.
Many of the teachers took the opportunity to greet and catch up with their colleagues. Amy Nall, who serves as assistant superintendent of schools, told the crowd that teachers tend to work through their breaks, eating hurried lunches. She said she hoped the event served as a time to unwind and enjoy their time together.
Nall said that she thinks of all Catholic school educators as “reflectors of God’s light.”
“Daily, you reflect Christ’s light through the compassion you show, the smile that you share, the encouragement that you offer, the enthusiasm that you radiate, the hope you instill, the graces you grant and the commitment you make each and every day to be present, some of you for the past five years all the way up to the past 50,” she said.
Archbishop Fabre made brief remarks, too, telling the educators, “I’m humbled to be in the presence of so many who serve so well.”
The archbishop said he realizes that being a Catholic teacher requires sacrifice and said he was grateful for theirs.
He also shared with the group that his mother was an elementary school teacher.
“I got to see the many ways my mom went out of her way to meet the needs of the students,” he said.
Since being installed as Archbishop of Louisville, he said, “I’ve found students to be very engaged and interested in faith and in my role in the archdiocese.”
It’s proof they are being formed in the faith, he said, adding, “I can see that based on the questions they are asking.”
Catholic educators here serve more than 18,000 students in 48 schools — pre-kindergarten through 12th grade — in seven counties of the archdiocese.
Teachers who were honored for their service are:
50 years
Mary Ann Hall, Trinity High School
45 years
Kathy Blanton, St. Andrew Academy
Judy Erie, John Paul II Academy
Jan Fisch, St. Nicholas Academy
40 years
Karen Blevins, Sacred Heart Model School
Elizabeth Ann Bryan, St. Catherine Academy
Dr. Robert Mullen, Trinity High School
Nancy Schroeder, St. Francis of Assisi School
35 years
Ellen Burkhardt, St. Athanasius School
Jennifer Fentress, Notre Dame Academy
Fran Spaulding, Bethlehem High School
Jeanne Theiss, Holy Trinity School
Helen Walsh, St. Margaret Mary School
Beth Whelan, John Paul II Academy
Janet Zeller, Sacred Heart Academy
30 years
Tricia Forde, Sacred Heart Model School
Kelly Hovekamp, Assumption High School
Walter Mata, Trinity High School
Anna Meade, St. Michael School
Maureen Miller, John Paul II Academy
Andy Porta, St. Xavier High School
Rebecca Reisert, St. Xavier High School
Mike Rouse, Assumption High School
Paula Samuels, Presentation Academy
Cindy Simmon, St. Raphael School
Ann Smith, Ascension School
Beth Strobel, St. Nicholas Academy
25 years
Mike Budniak, Trinity High School
Todd Collard, Holy Trinity School
Jason Daniel, Trinity High School
Daniel Hamm, Assumption High School
Jennifer Haycraft, St. Xavier High School
Debbie Judd, Assumption High School
Kelly Kirwan, Assumption High School
Julie Knoop, Holy Spirirt School
Nancy Leopold, St. Albert the Great School
Ellen Martin, St. Albert the Great School
Gaynor McAnally, DeSales High School
JoRenee O’Bryan, St. Gregory School
Gary Owens, Trinity High School
Charlotte Peake, St. Albert the Great School
Luis Salomon, St. Xavier High School
Becky Schaftlein, Notre Dame Academy
Theresa Schuhmann, Assumption High School
Bernie Schum, Trinity High School
Kathy Schum, Assumption High School
Lisa Smith, St. Bernard School
Shannon Tanner, St. Nicholas Academy
Karen Wild, John Paul II Academy
Doug Young, Mercy Academy
20 years
Amy Baker, Sacred Heart Academy
Christine Barnhill, St. Margaret Mary School
Rebecca Beard, Holy Angels Academy
Pamela Breunig, St. Dominic School
Amy Burch, St. Margaret Mary School
Suzanne Burton, Our Lady of Lourdes School
Mary Emrich, Trinity High School
Rachel Fenwick, St. Dominic School
Lisa Finley, St. Raphael School
Lucy Geerer, St. Albert the Great School
Craig Heuser, Sacred Heart Academy
Chris Huelsman, St. Gabriel School
Susan Johnston, Holy Spirit School
Karen Kaseta, St. Agnes School
Kathy Kiefer, Trinity High School
Beth Long, Assumption High School
Bambie Phelps, St. Andrew Academy
Samual Picota, St. Xavier High School
Shannon Pritchett, St. Patrick School
Jean Schubert, Assumption High School
Rob Seng, Trinity High School
Marilyn Shanks, St. Francis of Assisi School
Lucia Simpson, Trinity High School
Aaron Striegel, Trinity High School
Martha Tribbey, St. Gabriel School
15 years
Steven Ashby, St. Xavier High School
Chad Bader, St. Xavier High School
Jill Bowman, DeSales High School
Bart Bruner, St. Xavier High School
Benedictine Sister Kathy Cash, Trinity High School
Jan Church, Sacred Heart Model School
Pam Conway, Assumption High School
Julie Cook, St. Francis of Assisi School
Heather Cordaro, St. Nicholas Academy
Amanda DeGrella, Mercy Academy
Diane DeWilde, Holy Cross High School
Sherry Downey, Holy Cross High School
Gil Downs, St. Xavier High School
Lori Driskell, Holy Trinity High School
Trish Feltner, St. Mary Academy
Aundrea George, St. Agnes School
Tori Graham, Holy Trinity School
Connie Hasty, St. Aloysius School
Shayne Hull, Trinity High School
David Iacovazzi, Sacred Heart Model School
Sarah Johnstone, Assumption High School
Lara Krill, St. Gabriel School
Stephen Murphy, St. Xavier High School
Lisa Priest, St. Margaret Mary School
Jennifer Richards, Holy Trinity School
Shari Schoen, Holy Spirit School
Kelly Schweikhart, St. Stephen Martyr School
Elizabeth Stone, St. Bernard School
Stephanie Dierig Tebbe, St. Xavier High School
Kate Temple, Sacred Heart Academy
Patricia Thomas, Holy Cross High School
Becky Weilage, Notre Dame Academy
Michelle Williams, Pitt Academy
Chris Willman, St. Xavier High School
10 years
Lindsey Ackerman, St. Martha School
Karen Allen, St. Joseph School
Abby Asfahl, Assumption High School
Katie Baker, Holy Trinity School
Mary Jo Bird, St. Martha School
Renee Bland, St. Augustine School
Megan Clark, St. Edward School
Carrie Early, St. Albert the Great School
Caroline Elliott, Sacred Heart Model School
Rachael Fitzmayer, St. Gabriel School
Brenda Franz, Sacred Heart Academy
Shelly Freeders, St. Margaret Mary School
Erin Glaser, Mercy Academy
Rachel Hall, Trinity High School
Jessica Hammer, Sacred Heart Model School
April Hammond, St. Augustine School
Ginnie Hoover, Sacred Heart Model School
Heather Hunt, St. Gabriel School
Emily Jarboe, Sacred Heart Academy
Dana Jones, St. Athanasius School
Isaac Knable, St. Xavier High School
Connie Kuebbing, Sacred Heart Academy
Josh Kusch, Trinity High School
Brandon Lewis, St. Aloysius School
Heather Lozon, Mercy Academy
Deanna McElroy, St. Dominic School
Allison Moore, St. Margaret Mary School
Martha Moreno, St. Edward School
Efren Quirino, St. Xavier High School
Jennifer Shanks, Mercy Academy
Mike Snyder, Trinity High School
Nikki Stillwell, Notre Dame Academy
Kevin Wangler, Trinity High School
Chris Wessling, St. Raphael School
Jamie Williams, Pitt Academy
5 years
Rachel Allen, St. Patrick School
Kerry Ball, St. Albert the Great School
Elizabeth Bender, Assumption High School
Samantha Bideau, St. Rita School
Seth Blakeslee, Trinity High School
Meredith Brooks, St. Aloysius School
Jesse Cantrall, St. Xavier High School
Natalie Carmichael, St. Agnes School
Courtney Cecil, St. Gabriel School
Kayla Daley, Assumption High School
Denise Deaton, St. Aloysius School
Delaney Deely, St. Rita School
Jerry Ernstberger, Holy Trinity School
Leeann Galvin, St. James Elizabethtown School
Aileen Garris, St. James Elizabethtown School
Andrew Gottbrath, St. Xavier High School
Ashley Herl, Holy Spirit School
Jason Horton, DeSales High School
Courtney Humston, St. Albert the Great School
Sarah Jarboe, St. Xavier High School
Allie Kerns, Trinity High School
Abby Kremer, Mercy Academy
Alex Laudeman, Assumption High School
Lydia Lee, St. Agnes School
Olivia Leftwich, St. Patrick School
Katy Lyvers, Sacred Heart Academy
Daniel Martin, St. Xavier High School
Theresa Mattingly, St. Dominic School
Tracy Merkley, Presentation Academy
Sadia Naeem, St. Xavier High School
Becca Noonan, Presentation Academy
Katy O’Brien, St. Agnes School
Barbara Peterson, St. Francis of Assisi School
Michael Plas, St. Agnes School
Levi Ray, Holy Spirit School
Tommy Redmon, Presentation Academy
Kate Reedy, Trinity High School
Michael Riddle, St. Xavier High School
Pat Riley, St. Patrick School
Bill Robinette, St. Athanasius School
Elizabeth Sotelo, Assumption High School
David Stack, St. Xavier High School
Andrew Stairs, St. Xavier High School
Carol Stellino-Smith, Assumption High School
Wendy Stewart, Holy Trinity School
Sarah Strange, John Paul II Academy
Julia Taylor, Sacred Heart Academy
Fred Tyler, St. Bernard School
Kristin Walsh, Assumption High School
Becca Weible, Holy Trinity School
Leah Wolford, Assumption High School
