Florida Catholic | Bishop Wenski Honors Those Who Serve The Church

Bishop Wenski honors those who serve the church

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 05.22.08

Msgr. Patrick Caverly, center, poses for a photograph with Carol and Joe Burt, parishioners of Annunciation Parish. Msgr. Caverly, pastor of Annunciation Parish and vicar general of the diocese, was named protonotary apostolic supernumerary by Pope Benedict XVI.

Msgr. Patrick Caverly, center, poses for a photograph with Carol and Joe Bert, parishioners of Annunciation Parish. Msgr. Caverly, pastor of Annunciation Parish and vicar general of the diocese, was named protonotary apostolic supernumerary by Pope Benedict XVI.
CAROL FERRAZZANO | FC

ORLANDO | In his reflection for the Friday evening prayer service that began the conferral of pontifical and diocesan honors, Bishop Thomas Wenski referred to the past 40 years of the Orlando Diocese as “years of grace” and to those being honored as “representative of the people of our diocese who have served our church.”

One hundred and twenty-five individuals were called by name to receive honors. Of that number, eight received the Benemerenti Papal Medal bestowed upon non-Catholic men and women who have contributed to the fulfillment of the church’s mission and the betterment of society; seven are priests – six were elevated to the title of monsignor and one to reverend monsignor; and one is a religious. All the rest are lay men and women – including 16 couples – who have made significant contributions to the church, qualifying them for honor as Knight or Dame of St. Gregory the Great, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Papal Cross or the Mary, Mother of God Diocesan Medal, a new award in honor of the diocese’s 40th anniversary.

“Jesus was always among us as one who serves,” Bishop Wenski said, “and the greatest title one can have is ‘Christian.’ The servant who witnesses to hope is truly alive in Christ.”

Protonotary apostolic supernumerary, the honor for the highest-ranking prelate other than a bishop at the diocesan level, was bestowed upon Msgr. Patrick Caverly, vicar general for the diocese and pastor of Annunciation Parish in Altamonte Springs. In his years of service, the Rev. Msgr. Caverly has been a high school president, founding pastor of Resurrection Parish in Winter Garden, pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Altamonte Springs, founding pastor of Annunciation Parish, and he has served on various diocesan committees.

“I am deeply humbled by Bishop Wenski’s acknowledgement of the contributions I have made. Obviously, I am deeply grateful and at the same time very humbled at the graciousness of our Holy Father in granting me the recent honor. I see this gift not so much for myself, but as honoring all the priests of our diocese and all the people of our diocese as we celebrate 40 years together,” he said.

Because the honors were bestowed alphabetically, Grace Young of Our Saviour Parish in Cocoa Beach was the last person to mount the stairs to shake Bishop Wenski’s hand and receive the Mary, Mother of God medal.

There wasn’t a parish in Cocoa Beach in 1956 when Young arrived to work in the space program, so she attended Mass at Jake’s Bowling Alley, held when Father Charles Spellman would come over the bridge from St. Mary Church in Rockledge. Eventually, she joined Our Saviour Parish when it was formed in July of 1959. Young has been involved in the religious education program at Our Saviour for 25 years. She has spent more than 20 years in ministry to the sick and bereaved, and was part-time housekeeper for a former pastor.

“My rosary is said more than once a day in my life, making this Mary, Mother of God medal more precious to me. There are so many others who also have been very active in the parish from the very beginning and who also deserve recognition. I accept this award for them too,” Young told the Florida Catholic.

The evening celebration continued with a banquet for 750 contributors with guest speaker George Weigel, theologian and author of several books, most notably, “Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II.”

In his talk, Weigel impressed upon the guests, “Let the people of the Catholic Church remind all of the U.S. citizens that freedom is not doing what we like, but what we ought. Freedom chooses wisely and well with the least of our brethren in mind.”

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