The Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Catholic Schools honored 200 teachers during the annual teacher appreciation luncheon Nov. 3.
Following a year of virtual or sometimes-canceled events, the annual luncheon was able to resume its in-person gathering at The Olmsted. Educators who have taught for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years in Catholic schools in the archdiocese were recognized.
The milestone celebrants have a combined 3,165 years of teaching experience and serve more than 18,000 students in 48 prekindergarten to 12th-grade Catholic schools across seven counties of the archdiocese.
Opening the event, Dr. Mary Beth Bowling, superintendent of Catholic schools, spoke on the mission of Catholic educators and quoted Sister Patricia M. McCormack: “I am the most effective element of evangelization in my ministry.
I evangelize more effectively by my being than by any task that I perform or programs and materials that I use. What I do speaks more eloquently than anything I say.”
Bowling also spoke about her mentor and first principal, Sister Jean Madeline Peake, an Ursuline Sister of Mount St. Joseph who served as an educator for 48 years.
“She was really Christ to those she served,” Bowling said. “Sister Jean Madeline had a servant’s heart and was a witness to me of the difference Jesus can make in a life.”
She went on to express gratitude to the educators for the difference they make in the lives of their students each day by sharing their gifts, talents and love of Jesus.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz offered a few words and a blessing to open the luncheon. He extended appreciation to the teachers for the work they’ve done during difficult times recently and the support they give one another.
“What a privilege it is for you to have a vocation as a teacher,” the archbishop said. “You might not say that every morning, but just think about it. Think about what you all have gone through over the last 18 months or so, what we call the ‘unchartered waters’ of COVID-19, of the opportunities that all of us have to continue to shape the lives, the character, the mind, heart and soul of the young people entrusted to your care.”
He also noted the work done by the Catholic Education Foundation to offer financial aid assistance to more than 3,400 students.
“We don’t need to know which student was helped and which was not because each one is precious in God’s eyes, but we do need to know how valuable it is for us to make sure that our Catholic schools are available to everyone,” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Kurtz concluded by thanking attendees and inviting them to think about their own mentors, those individuals who “most influenced you and led you on the path to devote yourself as a good, involved, faith-filled teacher.”
Following are teachers who were honored for 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 years of service.
45 years
Arnold Drury, St. Xavier High School
Diana Meyer, St. Nicholas Academy
Frank Ward, Trinity High School
40 years
Michael Baete, St. Raphael School
Laura Clemons, Sacred Heart Academy
Tony Lococo, Trinity High School
Mary Mason, Trinity High School
Theresa Steinbock, St. Francis of Assisi School
35 years
Denise Bacigalupi, Holy Trinity School
Terry Barney, DeSales High School
Laura Dant, St. Agnes School
Debbie Heaverin, Trinity High School
Julie Maschino, St. Nicholas Academy
Nico Menchu, St. Francis of Assisi
Teresa Roberts, Presentation Academy
Martha Stout, St. Margaret Mary School
30 years
Marilyn Bowman, Mercy Academy
Sarah Brian, Sacred Heart Academy
Cammie Burba, Notre Dame Academy
Ellen Burton, St. Albert the Great School
Julie Domzalski, St. Margaret Mary
Angela Eby, St. Joseph School
Mary Fichter, Sacred Heart Model School
Johna Fortener, Presentation Academy
Jeff Frazier, Sacred Heart Academy
Catherine Giangarra, St. Patrick School
Lisa Lauder, St. Gabriel School
Julie McKean, St. James School, Elizabethtown, Ky.
Patrice Payton, St. Athanasius School
Teri Rosenbaum, St. Albert the Great
Jody Schaefer, Assumption High School
Paula Spugnardi, Assumption High School
Sister Mary Ann Tarquinio, Holy Cross High School
Julia Weaver, St. Gabriel
Fred Whittaker, St. Francis of Assisi
Angela Willett, St. Patrick
Dan Zoeller, Trinity High School
25 years
Janet Adkins, Assumption High School
Sherry Baird, St. Margaret Mary
Greg Cambron, St. Xavier High School
Teri Campisano, Assumption High School
Cristin Clark, Holy Cross High School
Julie Davis, John Paul II Academy
Kim Davis, Sacred Heart Academy
Mike Domzalski, Trinity High School
Phyllis Donlon, Sacred Heart Academy
Donna Gail Edwards, St. Nicholas Academy
Lori Graves, St. Dominic
Debbie McMurray, St. Nicholas Academy
Kelley Powers, Holy Trinity
Mary Ann Steutermann, Assumption High School
David Trueblood, St. Nicholas Academy
Meg Wicke, Assumption High School
20 years
Michael Brockman, St. Xavier High School
Paula Cecil, St. Gregory
Erin Fahringer, St. Bernard
Lindsay Finley, St. Albert the Great
Christopher Gold, St. Xavier High School
Debbie Hall, Presentation Academy
Sonya Hamilton, Pitt Academy
David Ianke, St. Xavier High School
Ben Kresse, St. Xavier High School
Niamh Lutes, St. Gabriel
Amy Malcolm, Sacred Heart Model School
Kay Medley-Cain, St. Xavier High School
Brian Mitchell, St. Xavier High School
Emily Puffer, Sacred Heart Academy
Kelley Schleg, St. Agnes
Amy Sharp, Holy Trinity
Sara Sills, Mercy Academy
Michelle Stull, St. Margaret Mary
James Sutherland, Assumption High School
Mike Szabo, Trinity High School
Paula Watkins, Holy Trinity
15 years
Katrina Ballard, St. Joseph
Sister Amina Bejos, Presentation Academy
Valerie Brooks, St. Joseph
Kristen Burge, St. Patrick
Laura Cardosi, St. Mary Academy
Carol Comstock, Trinity High School
Ben Cottrell, St. Xavier High School
Betsy Darby, Trinity High School
Susanne Firestone, Presentation Academy
Ann Garcia, Holy Spirit
Inez Grider, St. Dominic
Steve Hammer, Trinity High School
Paul Houpt, DeSales High School
Leigh Jackson, Assumption High School
Jimmie Dee Kelley, St. James School, Elizabethtown, Ky.
Alice Kervin, Holy Trinity
Adele Koch, Sacred Heart Model School
Erica Lasley, Assumption High School
Kati Leahy, St. Raphael
Joseph Mathai, Trinity High School
Josh Mullin, St. Xavier High School
Theresa Neichter, St. Xavier High School
Kathleen Nilsen, St. Patrick
Andrea Peavler, Mercy Academy
Carey Storner, Sacred Heart Model School
Khaki Strebel, Holy Spirit
James Streble, St. Paul
Shelley Strong, Sacred Heart Academy
Kathleen Towsley, Sacred Heart Academy
Matt Yarborough, St. Xavier High School
10 years
Frances Ashbrook, Sacred Heart Academy
Suzanne Barnett, St. Martha
Jennifer Barz, Holy Cross High School
Courtney Billig, Holy Trinity
Christina Brittian, St. Joseph
Erin Burke, Sacred Heart Academy
TJ Cataldo, DeSales High School
Margie DeMuth, St. Albert the Great
Christina Elpers, Assumption High School
Judi Erskine, Assumption High School
Jessica Farrell, Holy Spirit
Kathryn Ford, St. Raphael
James Frank, St. Xavier High School
Stephanie Gerstle, Our Lady of Lourdes
Aaron Gottbrath, DeSales High School
Tiffany Hall, Assumption High School
Lynn Hamilton, Bethlehem High School
Jennifer Hawkins, St. Margaret Mary
Elizabeth Heilmann, St. Raphael
Dale Helfrich, Trinity High School
Stephanie Hilgeford, St. Mary Academy
Lenae Lancaster, St. Augustine
Jennifer Lewis, DeSales High School
Chasity Livers, Bethlehem High School
Chad Lyons, St. Xavier High School
Aida Mercado, Sacred Heart Academy
Eleanor Mitchell, Sacred Heart Academy
Kevin Monaghan, Assumption High School
Shelly Pence, Holy Cross High School
Janet Peter, Presentation Academy
Sarah Reinhart, Sacred Heart Academy
Sister Jill Reuber, Sacred Heart Model School
Julie Satterly, Sacred Heart Model School
Jorge Serrano, Trinity High School
Jessica Shain, St. Aloysius
Stephanie Shelton, Assumption High School
Julie Speer, St. Mary Academy
David Stewart, St. Xavier High School
Bethany Trusty, St. Paul
Jill Tucker, St. Xavier High School
Laura Wicke, St. Margaret Mary
5 years
Meredith Ashy, Sacred Heart Academy
Anne Barrientos, Immaculata Classical Academy
David Baughman, Corpus Christi Classical Academy
Jeannie Bell, Bethlehem High School
Michael Braaksma, Mercy Academy
Bridget Britt, St. Stephen Martyr
Elizbeth Buckley, St. Patrick
Lisa Byerly, Sacred Heart Academy
Thomas Carrier, St. Edward
Emily Cartwright, St. Agnes
Eric Caudill, St. Xavier High School
Jason Cooper, Mercy Academy
Kathryn Crow, St. Mary Academy
Aaron Dauenhauer, DeSales High School
Savannah Farley, St. Gabriel
Jordan Fautz, St. Stephen Martyr
Kathy Fehder, Corpus Christi Classical Academy
Derek Ferch, DeSales High School
Katie Givens, Trinity High School
Alexander Glaser, St. Xavier High School
Kris Grimm, Sacred Heart Model School
Kim Habich, Assumption High School
Kendall Hammerstrom, Holy Cross High School
Erin Harmon, St. Edward
Michelle Harrington, Holy Trinity
Brittany Howell, St. Patrick
James Holden, St. Xavier High School
Shelby James, St. Patrick
Haley Jenks, Ascension
Crystal Kannapell, Sacred Heart Model School
Susan Kaufer, Immaculata Classical Academy
Katie Keifer, Bethlehem High School
Wayne Ketterer, St. Andrew Academy
Allie Kunau, St. Margaret Mary
Amanda Lanham, St. Augustine
Emily Lindon, St. Patrick
Lynne Link, Sacred Heart Academy
Kelly Logsdon, St. Xavier High School
Cassie Lowe, St. Margaret Mary
Terry McKiernan, Holy Spirit
Jessica Miller, St. Agnes
Grace Nafziger, Presentation Academy
Stacey O’Bryan, St. Patrick
Sarah Pierce, St. Patrick
Rebecca Rausch, St. Rita
Allison Ray, St. Albert the Great
Ryan Renoud, Mercy Academy
Jessica Robinson, St. Nicholas Academy
Devin Roos, Presentation Academy
Dan Schoenfelder, St. Joseph
Betsy Schuhmann, St. Francis of Assisi
Kary Scinta, St. Edward
Kevin Sedelmeier, DeSales High School
Martha Spurlock, Corpus Christi Classical Academy
Mallory Stephenson, St. Edward
Jill Tabor, St. Raphael
Brett Versen, Sacred Heart Academy
Katie Wallitsch Oehmann, St. Nicholas Academy
Rachael Walters, Sacred Heart Academy
Cassie Wigginton, St. Edward
Arin Zirnheld, St. Albert the Great
Mary Charles Zoppoth, Holy Trinity
