October 31, 2022 | Seventy five of our parishes and missions were represented at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle last Sunday for a prayer service and awards ceremony that shines the light on humble men and women who typically serve in anonymity. 

Parishioners, clergy and religious gathered to recognize the recipients of the annual St. Jude the Apostle Medal. This award is presented to individuals and couples from each of our parishes for their distinguished and outstanding service to their home parish. 

“We gather here today to recognize the award recipients of the St. Jude medal because of your faithful dedicated service and ministry to your parish and for your role in helping to build up the body of Christ in your local parish and our local Church,” said Bishop Gregory Parkes during his homily for the Evening Prayer and Conferral of Medal celebration.

Evening Prayer is a part of the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours. With its rich use of the Scriptures (psalms, canticles, and readings), prayers of intercession, symbols and gestures, Liturgy of the Hours deepens appreciation for the rich traditions of the Catholic faith.

“As your Bishop, I think it’s important that we recognize you. This is a way of celebrating God’s gifts and talents that have been given to you. It is also a way to inspire others through your examples of humble ministry and to inspire others to maybe get involved in your ministry,” Bishop Parkes added. 

The award recipients are chosen each year by their pastor.  During the conferral of medals, award recipients walked to the front of the church where Bishop Parkes presented their medal, offered a greeting and congratulated them.

The medal acknowledges the sacrifice and dedication of the people in our parishes who, through their generosity and faith, have greatly contributed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their parish.

The St. Jude the Apostle Medal was commissioned for the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 1999 at the request of Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch, fourth bishop of Saint Petersburg.

To view of a list of all the recipients click here.

Some of the award recipients for this year include:

Leonalda Baron, a parishioner of St. Paul, Tampa for over 19 years. She has served in several ministries, including, Sacristan, Ministry to the Sick, Children’s Faith Formation, and more. 

Julie Lezcano, a parishioner who has been at St. Lawrence, Tampa for over 50 years. She leads the Senior’s Program twice a week and serves in many other ways. 

John Greif, a parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua, San Antonio for over 25 years. He volunteers to mow the parish cemetery weekly, serves on the Parish Finance Council, and has been a part of the parish’s offertory counting for many years. 

Anthony Carbone, a parishioner from St. Michael the Archangel, Clearwater. He has served as the Knights of Columbus Grand Knight for four years. He serves as the Trustee for Council #11295 and Faithful Navigator for assembly #11295. Also, he has been lead usher for the last four years at his parish.

Individuals and couples from our parishes and missions received the St. Jude Medal Award from Bishop Gregory Parkes for their outstanding service to their community during a prayer service on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 3:00 p.m., at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. 

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