by Owen Canfield, associate director, Catholic Foundation Catholic School Development
A record crowd attended the 2024 Saints & Scholars Dinner for Catholic Education, a celebration by the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma of the work being done in the 18 Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
The 242 attendees constituted the largest crowd in the three-year history of the dinner, which was held on Feb. 1 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Oklahoma City. The dinner raised more than $100,000, also the most ever.
Elisabeth Sullivan, executive director of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education, gave the keynote speech. Sullivan talked about the importance of Catholic education today, especially given the anti-Christian sentiment so prevalent in society, and about weaving the pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness into Catholic school classrooms.
The dinner included a salute to David Morton, principal at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, for his 50 years as a Catholic school teacher, coach and administrator.
The evening featured the announcement of the School Volunteer of the Year, School Support Staff Member of the Year and Educator of the Year as chosen by the Education Grants Committee of the Catholic Foundation.
Adriana Meneses-Amezquita of Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School was named School Volunteer of the Year. Other finalists were Jenny Schultz of Rosary Catholic School and Kirsten Stursa of Holy Trinity Catholic School.
Support Staff Member of the Year went to Imelda Aleman, a pre-K and kindergarten assistant at Saint Eugene Catholic School. Melissa Patton, a former aide and school nurse at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Shon Perkins, maintenance director at Saint Philip Neri, were the other finalists.
Kathryn Pickens, a math teacher at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School, was named Educator of the Year. Other finalists were Mary Kate Tener, a first-grade teacher at Saint Eugene Catholic School, and Nicky Goff, who teaches math at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Father John Herrera, parochial vicar at Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Guymon, served as master of ceremonies.
Proceeds from the dinner benefit two funds at the Catholic Foundation. The Saint Katharine Drexel Fund helps financially struggling parishes carry out their mission of Catholic education. The Saint John Baptist de LaSalle Fund provides professional education and leadership formation opportunities to teachers and principals. Gifts to these funds may be made online at cfook.org/drexel or cfook.org/delasalle.
Owen Canfield is associate director of Catholic schools development at the Catholic Foundation.
Photos: (Above) Kathryn Pickens, Educator of the Year
Educator of the Year finalists are flanked by Peter de Keratry, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma executive director, Chuck Duginski, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma Education Grants Committee chairman and Lara Schuler, senior director of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The finalists are, L-R, Mary Kate Tener, first-grade teacher at St. Eugene Catholic School; Kathryn Pickens, math teacher at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School; and Nicky Goff, math teacher at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School; Photos Chris Porter.
Support Staff Member of the Year finalists are flanked by Peter de Keratry, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma executive director and Lara Schuler, senior director of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The finalists are, L-R, Shon Perkins, St. Philip Neri Catholic School; Melissa Patton, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School and Imelda Aleman, St. Eugene Catholic School. Imelda Aleman is the Support Staff Member of the Year.
School Volunteer of the Year finalists are flanked by Chuck Duginski, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma Education Grants Committee chairman, Lara Schuler, senior director of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Peter de Keratry, Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma executive director. The finalists are, L-R, Adriana Meneses-Amezquita, Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School; Kirsten Stursa, Holy Trinity Catholic School, and Jenny Schultz, Rosary Catholic School. Adriana Meneses-Amezquita is the School Volunteer of the Year.