The Light of Christ Catholic School Division held their annual staff celebration event Friday at the Alex Dillabough Centre, at which time they handed out a number of awards including the prestigious Lumen Christi Awards.
Those awards are handed out to individuals for their outstanding support and promotion of Catholic education.
This year the Lumen Christi Staff Award went to Eugene Rice, a teacher and, after his "first" retirement, as an administrative assistant at John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford.
He has been part of Catholic education in North Battleford since 1981, when he first started teaching at St. Thomas College. According to the remarks from Pam Spence, "every child that walked into his classroom, every parent that had a question and every staff member that needed guidance or help, knew that they were both in Eugene's heart and his prayers."
"It should be me honouring the Light of Christ Catholic school division," said Rice, "because I’ve had the great fortune, the good fortune, to have spent most of my career working in the division where we can live and practise our religion freely and openly without fear of intimidation."
The Lumen Christi friend award went to His Excellency Most. Rev. Albert Thevenot, M. Afr. Bishop of Prince Albert.
He was credited as a stalwart supporter of Catholic education. In speaking about Bishop Albert, Keith Koberinski described him as a "true shepherd of God."
"Without any fanfare, without anything phony about him, he's just a people person of God, and he is our Shepherd and we thank him for that," said Koberinski.
Also honoured were four retirees, all retiring from John Paul II Collegiate: Charlene Dubyna, who spent 33 years teaching including 18 at Battlefords Adventist School; Catherine Jurgens, who started in Middle Lake and who taught at JPII for 28 years; Louis Perrault, who has taught for 26 years including French and industrial arts at JPII; and Cheryl Thompson, who started in Medstead and who has taught at JPII for 24 years in the subjects of health and home economics.
Several long service awards were handed out: 35 years, Suzanne Lavoie - St. Rivier; 30 years, Conrad Baum - St. Peter's and Hue Boser - JPII; 25 years, Christine Elder - Notre Dame, Pat Loweryson - Holy Family, Brenda Miller - JPII, Tracey Sheppard - Holy Family and Laura Wells – JPII; 20 years, Laureen Booth - Rivier, Marie Graw - board office, Carlo Hansen - JPII and Val Yockey - Holy Family; 15 years, Trina Bahrey - board office, Cheryl-Ann Bernier - EMBM, Rena Fauchon-Smockum - JPII, Chris Fullerton - JPII, Patricia Rafuse - Notre Dame, Mary-Jean Rohs - JPII, Patricia Thiell - Holy Family and Jodie Westwood - EMBM; 10 years, Sarah Blais, Sherry Doom and Terra Karp - all EMBM; five years, Nicole Bitner, Sherry Chorney, Troy Dunits, Kimberly Kipp. Linsey Koch - all St. Mary, Shareen Morrison - Holy Family, Amanda Risling, Slavica Rmus - St. Mary, Tamara Sander - Notre Dame and Tanya Wasmuth and Verna Wyntonyk - both JPII.
Tribute was also paid to Bud Bohun and Keith Koberinski who are both serving their final year on the Light of Christ board. Their terms end with this October's school board elections.
