News Release #399

Cardinal Avery Dulles to keynote annual Bishop Lucker Lecture
Bishop of New Ulm diocese to present 2006 Distinguished Service Award to five area Catholics same evening

New Ulm, MN - The Catholic Diocese of New Ulm will sponsor the fourth annual Bishop Raymond A. Lucker Lecture on Thursday, March 2, 7:00 p.m. at the Hutchinson Event Center in Hutchinson, MN.  The keynote for the evening will be theologian and author Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. Especially renowned for his work in the area of ecclesiology or the nature of the church, Cardinal Dulles will speak on Becoming a Community of Disciples.

One of the pre-eminent Catholic theologians in the world, Cardinal Dulles was created a Cardinal in February of 2001 by Pope John Paul II. It is a distinct honor for the Diocese of New Ulm to host a speaker of such prominence and esteem. His book, Models of the Church (1974), is a classic to both professional theologians and the person in the pew. The book has been translated into many languages and has been expanded into several new editions.

Avery Dulles was born in 1918, the son of John Foster Dulles who would become Secretary of State in the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower. After attending private schools in Switzerland and New England, he attended Harvard College and Law School before serving as an officer in the Naval Reserve during World War II. After the war, he entered the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1956. He received his Licentiate in Theology from Woodstock College in Maryland and his Doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He has taught and lectured extensively around the world.  His principal appointments have been to Woodstock College in Maryland, Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and Fordham University in New York where he continues as the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society.

2006 Diocesan Distinguished Service Award:
Following the lecture, the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, will present the 2006 Diocesan Distinguished Service Awards. This award is presented to individuals who have given outstanding service to the Diocese of New Ulm over a period of years.

It is given in the form of an engraved medal and framed citation signed by the bishop. This year’s recipients are:

Paul Hillesheim is a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Parish in New Ulm. In the mid-1980's, as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, he responded to the need to restore and care for the Way of the Cross, which is located next to the Diocesan Pastoral Center.  He is also an original member of the Father Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee which was created in 1995 and has served as chair for the past five years. These efforts culminated in the development of Loretto Park on diocesan property in New Ulm. 

Kathy and Ken Huebert are members of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in New Ulm. They are being honored for their volunteer work, since 1993, with the shipping and receiving of coffee from the diocesan mission in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Kathy is further recognized for her 35 years of service at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. For the past 25 years, she has assisted Msgr. Gregory Schaffer with the stateside administration of the mission's activities. 

Mary Ann Larsen is a member of St. Michael Catholic Parish in Morgan. For more than 30 years, Mary has helped thousands of people from all parts of the Diocese of New Ulm under the banner of the "We Care" Project. The Project is run out of her home in the town of Morgan and annually distributes $250,000 worth of food and services to more than 150 families. In 2003, Mary received the Catholic Extension Society's prestigious Lumen Christi Award.

Carol Prokosch is a member of St. Mary Catholic Parish in New Ulm and is being honored for her service to diocesan Catholic schools. Carol has coordinated and assisted with a number of fund drives for the New Ulm Area Catholic Schools (NUACS). Recently, she served as chair for the school's capital campaign, "Keeping the Dream Alive," which raised in excess of $2.2 million for campus and program improvements along with foundation growth. Her dedication continues in efforts to solicit and cultivate future gifts for the foundation.

To register via the internet visit www.dnu.org or contact the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 1400 6^th Street North, New Ulm, MN 56073; phone: (507) 359-2966.

Note: For further information in regard to the Bishop Lucker Lecture and/or the 2006 Distinguished Service Award recipients,  (photo is available by request)  please contact the diocesan Office of Communications (507) 359-2966; cclancy@dnu.org.