Special to The Texas Catholic
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas recently honored its 2025 Spark of Hope award recipients for their service and dedication to uplifting those in need. This year’s honorees included Deacon James and Johnnie Harris, who received the Spark of Service award; Roger McLaren, who was presented the Spark of Assistance award; the Walmart Distribution Center in Lancaster, which received the Spark of Giving award; Kayla Kennedy, who was given the Spark of Knowledge award; and Michael Pazzaglini, who received the Spark of Health award.
This year’s annual Spark of Hope breakfast was held May 2 at Westin Galleria Dallas.
Deacon Harris and his wife, Johnnie, recipients of the Spark of Service award, which recognizes Vincentians with more than 30 years of service to SVdP, have served the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for more than three decades. In 1989, while working as business manager at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish in Garland, Johnnie founded the parish’s SVdP conference and became its first president. A year later, she invited her husband to join. Deacon Harris became the second president in 1995 and helped launch the diocesan auto donation program and SVdP Thrift Store, experiences that led him to discern a call to the permanent diaconate.
Ordained in 2002, he served as spiritual advisor for the St. Michael conference and later served as a deacon at Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in Garland, where Johnnie became conference president. Deacon Harris also served as spiritual advisor to the Diocesan Council of Dallas from 2016 to 2022. Today, the couple continues to serve as associate members of the Good Shepherd SVdP conference.
McLaren, recipient of the Spark of Assistance award, has served Inwood National Bank for more than 34 years. A graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler, he serves as the bank’s community reinvestment act officer, focusing on community development. McLaren emphasized that Inwood’s outreach to nonprofit partners is a team effort.
For nearly a decade, McLaren and the Inwood National Bank team have partnered with SVdP on its mini-loan program, helping families break free from cycles of high-interest debt. That partnership is now expanding to serve the diocesan councils of Austin and Fort Worth.
The Walmart Distribution Center in Lancaster received the 2025 Spark of Giving award, recognizing its philanthropic support of the local community.
Since 2022, the Lancaster facility has donated several tons of food, clothing, hygiene items, and other goods to the St. Vincent Center. The center’s team has distributed these items to neighbors seeking assistance, helping meet essential needs and providing hope to hundreds of families. According to SVdP leadership, those donations are upwards of 25 pallets every other week.
Kennedy, recipient of the Spark of Knowledge award, is a lifelong educator and community advocate committed to empowering underserved children through innovative learning programs. While teaching at The Hockaday School, she studied literacy at Columbia University’s “Readers and Writers Workshop.” After retiring, Kennedy began volunteering at the SVdP Thrift Store, where she recognized the academic challenges many families faced.
In response, she co-founded StudyTime, an after-school study program, with a team of volunteers to provide a safe, enriching space for students from underserved communities. Her goal is to inspire a love of learning and ensure every child has access to the tools and opportunities needed to thrive.
Pazzaglini, recipient of the Spark of Health award, serves as national vice president for the South Central Region of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He previously led SVdP North Texas as executive director and CEO, guiding major growth over nine years.
A longtime nonprofit leader and IBM veteran, Pazzaglini has chaired national SVdP committees and brings expertise in strategy, fundraising, and outreach. He co-founded the St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy with Hank Hermann, the 2025 Catholic Foundation Award honoree. He helped establish the pharmacy as a 501(c)(3) and partnered with lead pharmacist Carlos Irula to expand its reach across Texas dioceses.
The 2026 Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas Spark of Hope Breakfast will be held April 10, 2026, at the Westin Galleria.
Cutline for featured image: The 2025 Spark of Hope honorees included, from left, Deacon James Harris, who along with his wife Johnnie received the Spark of Service award; Roger McLaren, who received the Spark of Assistance award; the Walmart Distribution Center in Lancaster, which received the Spark of Giving Award (accepted by St. Vincent Center team members Dr. Lisa Hill and Tausha LaFlore); Kayla Kennedy, who received the Spark of Knowledge award; and Michael Pazzaglini, who received the Spark of Health award. The award winners are pictured at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas 2025 Spark of Hope Breakfast, held May 2 at the Westin Galleria Dallas. (Courtesy photo)
