News Release #409

Area Leaders to Receive 2007 New Ulm Diocesan Distinguished Service Award

Medal presentations to be made at annual Bishop Lucker Lecture

New Ulm - The New Ulm Diocesan Distinguished Service Award (DDSA) is given annually for committed service and outstanding contribution to diocesan mission and ministry. The award consists of an engraved medal and a framed citation signed by the bishop. In giving this award, the diocese seeks to honor people from every walk of life whose efforts help to support the Catholic Church on the diocesan level in a significant way. The awards will be presented by the Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, bishop of New Ulm, at the annual Bishop Lucker Lecture on Sunday, March 11, 2007 at the Hutchinson Event Center, 1005 Highway 15 South in Hutchinson, MN. The lecture will take place at 7:00 p.m. followed by the award presentations. The public is welcome to attend both the lecture and award presentations free of charge.

The 2007 Award recipients are:
Rev. Jack Brunner is pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Watkins . His dedication and vision for Catholic schools was evident in Bird Island , Winsted, Fairfax , and particularly in New Ulm where he helped form the New Ulm Area Catholic Schools, which combined three parish schools as well as a high school into an area system. Fr. Brunner has also brought a keen sense of stewardship and vision to various diocesan groups, such as the Diocesan Priests’ Council, Priests’ Pension Board, and the Property Committee.

Mary Ann Powers is a member of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Spicer/New London . As an active member of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) she has served as regional president, and currently serves on the regional Legislative Commission. She has also been active in the Reverence for Life movement throughout the diocese and the State of Minnesota . Her involvement extends to her parish where she is a sacristan.

Joel and Kathleen Schwarz are members of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Parish in New Ulm . For the past eleven years, they have served as a presenter couple for the diocesan Marriage Preparation Program. They have shared their wisdom and experience with engaged couples on the topics of communication, intimacy, and conflict resolution. The Schwarz’s are the parents of six children.

Ken Stadick is a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Parish in New Ulm . He has been a leader in the renovation and improvement of the Way of the Cross shrine in New Ulm. This includes serving as chairperson of the coordinating committee and supervising or assisting with the various projects involved in the beautification of the shrine. Stadick is also active with the Father Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee, serving as chairperson of the grounds sub-committee which planned and supervised the various phases in the development of Loretto Park in New Ulm.

Bishop Lucker Lecture:
The Catholic Diocese of New Ulm will sponsor the fifth annual Bishop Raymond A. Lucker Lecture on Sunday, March 11, 7:00 p.m. at the Hutchinson Event Center, 1005 Highway 15 South in Hutchinson, MN. The keynote for the evening will be Father J. Bryan Hehir speaking on the “Importance of Charity in the Life of the Church.”

Father Hehir is the Secretary for Social Services and the President of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Boston. He is also the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University . Prior to assuming his present positions, Father Hehir served as President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, the national network of charities in the United States , from 2001-2003. From 1993-2001, he served on the Harvard Divinity School faculty as Professor of the Practice in Religion and Society which included a stint as Interim Dean and Dean of the Divinity School from 1998-2001.

From 1984-1992, Father Hehir served on the faculty at Georgetown University in the School of Foreign Service and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. From 1973-1992, he served on the staff of the U. S. Catholic Conference of Bishop s in Washington, D.C., addressing issues of both foreign and domestic policy for the church in the United States.
He received his Bachelor and Master of Divinity degrees from St. John’s Seminary and a Doctorate in Theology from Harvard Divinity School . His research and writing focus on issues of ethics and foreign policy, Catholic social ethics and the role of religion in world politics and in American society.

The announcement of Father Hehir as this year’s presenter continues the tradition of drawing upon prominent Catholic leaders, teachers, and scholars. Previous lecture presenters are: Bishop Robert Morneau (2002), Sister Donna Markham, OP (2003), Father Clemente Barron (2004), and Cardinal Avery Dulles (2005). All past presentations are available on video and/or transcript. For further information contact the New Ulm Diocesan Office of Communications/Media Resource Center, 1400 6th Street North , New Ulm, MN 56073; (507) 233-5330; email: jweicherding@dnu.org.

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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.