Five members of the Los Angeles Catholic community who have extensive and distinguished records of service have been named recipients of the 2012 Cardinal’s Award.The honorees were presented at a luncheon held Oct. 12 at Sagrado Corazon y Santa Maria de Guadalupe Church in Cudahy, the beneficiary of the 2012 event. The recipients are:---Yolanda Brown, Parish Life Director at Blessed Sacrament Church, Hollywood.---Alex Chaves, parishioner at St. Agatha Church, Los Angeles.---Michael Enright, parishioner at St. Brendan Church, Hancock Park.---Margaret Given, parishioner at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church, Encino.---Margaret Romano, parishioner at St. Rita Church, Sierra Madre.All have been active supporters of Catholic education and collectively have served on college and seminary boards, contributed to numerous Catholic service organizations, and have organized and/or developed projects that support and promote activities for the local Church and community.The 23rd annual Cardinal’s Awards Dinner will be held next Feb. 4 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood. The beneficiary parish, Sagrado Corazon, is seeking to build a new worship space to accommodate its large number of parishioners, who currently worship in a makeshift, open-air space adjacent to the parish parking lot.At the Mass preceding the luncheon on a hot mid-morning in southeast Los Angeles, those in attendance --- past recipients as well as the new honorees and Sagrado Corazon parishioners --- sat in pews covered by a simple roof, with no walls on three sides, just as parishioners have experienced each week for many years.Sagrado Corazon was the recipient of funds from the 2006 Cardinal’s Awards Dinner, and it is hoped that the 2012 event will assist the 1,100-family parish move close to, if not meet, the $1.5 million still needed to build a new church.Sacred Heart Missionary Father Antono Garnica, pastor, expressed deep thanks for the selection of his parish --- “a parish with a small building, a long name and a big heart,” he smiled --- as the recipient of funds. He noted that the parish has regularly held various events --- dances, bake sales and more --- “but our parish alone cannot succeed. Your generosity is a motivation for us to continue working for the poor of our community, and we invite you to come and visit us often, for you are always welcome.”The 2012 honorees bring to 115 the number of men and women honored with the award. Since 1990, more than $7 million has been raised to support schools, parishes, charities or relief efforts in all pastoral regions of the archdiocese.---Mike Nelson
For information and reservations on the 2012 Cardinal’s Award Dinner, call Judy Brooks in the Office of Special Services, (213) 637-7636, or visit www.cardinalsawardsdinner.org.
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