By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
On April 26, the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe was filled with the faithful from across the Diocese of Dallas as Bishop Edward J. Burns celebrated the annual Mass for the Bishop’s Awards for Service to the Church, honoring the dedicated parish volunteers who the bishop called the quiet yet vital heartbeat of parish life. These men and women, serving in roles both visible and behind the scenes, exemplify humble discipleship and a deep commitment to living out their baptismal call.
“Today, we gather not only to present the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church,” Bishop Burns said during his homily, “but to recognize something deeper — the spirit of Christ at work in all of you. Each one of you, in your parish and in your own quiet way, has shown a dedication and a commitment to the life of the Church that is truly inspiring.”
Bishop Burns added that volunteers such as those being honored represent the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
“You carry forth the mission and the message of the Gospel in ways that transform our hearts and uplift our spirits,” he explained. “We take this moment to pause and say thank you for your faith, for your witness, and for your tireless efforts.”
Adding a personal touch to the day’s celebration, Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso — who once served as an auxiliary bishop in Dallas — returned to join the celebration, as his brother, Steven Seitz, was among the 2025 honorees.
Below is a list of the recipients of the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church and the parishes they represented:
All Saints Catholic Church
Jennifer Brodrick-Tehan
Marissa Walton
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Brisia Davila
Maria Yesenia Vizcarra
Catholic Campus Ministry at Southern Methodist University
Aaron Chapman
Mary McDermott
Christ the King Catholic Church
Julie Summerville
Nick Summerville
Church of the Incarnation at the University of Dallas
Adam Muller
Annie Muller
Divine Mercy of Our Lord Catholic Church
Jose Juarez
Maria Juarez
Epiphany Catholic Church
Julia Ledesma
Victor Ledesma
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
Gilberto Valenzuela
Jane Gardner
Holy Cross Catholic Church
Jeanne Hawkins
Jesús Gutierrez
Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church
Robin Medina
Steven Seitz
Holy Family Catholic Church
Mary Birgen
Robert Kroeger
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Michelle A. Hernandez
Don Watson
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Christopher Carstens
Sandra Brue
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Corsicana
Alicia Lagunas
Sherry Bryson
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Grand Prairie
Carmensa Garcia
Juan Antonio Garcia
Mary Immaculate Catholic Church
Alexander O. Sagcal
Belinda Lara
Mater Dei Personal Parish
Daniel Elijah Smith
Stacy Smith
Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
Minh Van Nguyen
Phong Do
National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Antonia Guzman
Jesús Martinez
Nuestra Señora del Pilar Catholic Church
Alberto Flores
Francisco Sanchez
Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church
Greg Pinkstaff
Linh Nguyen
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church
Matt Mahrer
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Alejandro Gaytan
Lidia Parra
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
Jose S. Hernandez Garcia
Oscar Tellez
Our Lady of San Juan-St. Theresa Catholic Church
Cesar Arzola
Martin Rodriguez
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
Jose G. Rodriguez
Tina Larsen
Prince of Peace Catholic Church
Larry M. Hahn
Donna Wolf
Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Chinese Catholic Church
Jasper Wong
Christopher Lu
Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Vietnamese Catholic Church
Dominic Trung Nguyen
Peter Nguyen
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Celestine Duze
Elaine Spears
San Juan Diego Catholic Church
Miguel Barcenas
Silvia Morales
Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Church
Elsa Espinosa
Leonardo Parra Vega
St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church
Ambrosia Kim
Sophia Sang Sook Shon
St. Ann Catholic Church, Coppell
Jim Abadie
Raul Moreno B.
St. Ann Catholic Church, Kaufman
J. Dolores Perez
Martin Nunez Jr.
St. Anthony Catholic Church, Wylie
Lee Evins
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Guillermina Reyna
Ubaldo Vicente
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church
Janell Miank
Jaqueline G. Covarrubias
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
Gloria Vasquez
Mike Vasquez
St. Edward Catholic Church
Maria Dolores Castillo
Mario Jaimes
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
Blaine Daigle
Daphne Murphy
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church
Rudy Garza
Susanna Aleman
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Bonham
Antonio Salazar
Jill O’Bryan
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Frisco
Maria Cristina Ezquer
Michael Oviedo
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Lancaster
Rudy Beltran
Venancia Nava
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Whitesboro
Jaqueline Mota
Michael Pack
St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church
Rita Aguirre
Steven Aguirre
St. James Catholic Church
Raul Espitia
Xochitl Puente-Espitia
St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church
Maria Virginia Diaz
Sergio Diaz
St. John the Apostle Catholic Church
Robin Truett
Sherry Goelden
St. Joseph Vietnamese Catholic Church
Joseph Tran
Michael Khoan Le
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Commerce
Nancy Bonilla
Noel Bares
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Richardson
Patricia Dulac
Will Quintania
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Waxahachie
Debbie Theisen
Pat Theisen
St. Jude Catholic Church
Kim Tran
Lee D. Teasdale
St. Jude Chapel
Richard A. Tulli
Susan Kleiman
St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church
Carl Mica
Laura Swaney
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church
Dale Townsend
Veronica Wilson
St. Mary of Carmel Catholic Church
Elizabeth Moncevais
Sandra Olivia Torres
St. Mary Catholic Church
Henry A. Marroquin
Kay Herrmann
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Garland
Christopher D’Angelo
Karla Marie Shain
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Grand Prairie
Joe Barrera
Maria Isabel Hernandez
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, McKinney
Gavin Peters
Maria Magdalena Moreno
St. Monica Catholic Church
Anastasio Dimas
Joan Minigutti
St. Patrick Catholic Church, Dallas
Audrey Okou
Juanita Mitchell
St. Patrick Catholic Church, Denison
Donna Trautman
John A. Hanel
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
Jim Hagan
Martha Bocanegra
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church
Jadwiga Wasilewski
Sylvia Martinez Mendez
St. Peter Vietnamese Catholic Church
Nikki Nghi Huynh Vu
J.B. Hoang Trung Nguyen
St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church
Jorge Torres
Leo Sims
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Alicia S. Logsdon
Louis McDonald
St. Rita Catholic Church
John Vallala
Samuel Solis
St. William Catholic Church
Daryl L Russell
Patricia A. Russell
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
Heather Tolmachoff-Ortega
Johnny A. LaBarba
Cutline for featured image: Bishop Edward J. Burns, left, presents St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church parishioner Janell Miank with a Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church on April 26 at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (CHARLES LONGORIA/Special Contributor)
