BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present 125 Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons, and religious during a 2 p.m. daytime prayer service, Sunday, Nov. 25 at Immaculate Conception Church in Malden.

Inaugurated in 2008 at the close the archdiocese's bicentennial year, the annual award ceremony recognizes local Catholics for their dedicated service to the Church.

Each year, one-third of the parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston are asked to nominate a parishioner for the award. Most recipients are nominated by their pastor and approved by their regional bishop or episcopal vicar and Cardinal O'Malley.

The criteria given to pastors suggests that the nominee be a layperson who has served the parish over an extended period of time and has done so in a quiet, unassuming and unrecognized fashion.

In addition to the nominees from parishes, each year the regional bishops and episcopal vicars are asked to nominate a religious and a deacon from their region who are deserving of a Cheverus Medal. The Central Ministries of the archdiocese also make nominations from among religious, deacons and laypersons who serve on archdiocesan committees or lead key ministries. Some additional recipients are selected personally by Cardinal O'Malley.

"We look forward to this wonderful celebration each year," said Cardinal O'Malley. "This is our opportunity to say thank you to the many people in our parishes, schools and ministries for their extraordinary generosity and commitment in service of the Church in the Archdiocese of Boston. The award recipients and their families have demonstrated a commitment to the poor, the forgotten and in passing on the faith to our young people among many other examples. The Cheverus Award is our opportunity to express our gratitude to those who quietly and consistently make significant contributions to the life of the Church in the archdiocese."

The medal is named for the city's first bishop, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, who led the diocese from 1808 until his return to France in 1824. Bishop Cheverus died in 1836 as the archbishop of Bordeaux.

The oval-shaped medal bears a likeness of Bishop Cheverus based on the Gilbert Stuart portrait. On the reverse side is Bishop Cheverus' coat of arms.

Due to ongoing renovations at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, this year the ceremony will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in Malden, which is located at 600 Pleasant Street. The church's parking lot can be accessed through entrances on Pleasant Street or Fellsway West.

There is no limit to the number of family members and friends who can join the honorees in the church. The presence of the pastor and a delegation of parishioners is encouraged to help underscore the appreciation and gratitude of the parish towards the honoree.

At the conclusion of the prayer service, a reception with light refreshments will be held in the lower level of the church.

Following are this year's Cheverus Award recipients, listed alphabetically followed by the nominating entity:

Joan Amaral -- Sacred Heart Parish, East Boston

Kathleen Baldner -- Archdiocese of Boston/Knights of Columbus

Sister Stephen Marie Barney -- South Region/Sisters of Jesus Crucified

Michele Barrette -- St. Edward the Confessor Parish, Medfield

Renee Barrick -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Haverhill

Patricia Barry -- St. Irene Parish, Carlisle

Louise D. Bellucci -- St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish, North Reading

Sophie Beninati -- St. Athanasius Parish, Reading

Lisa Berardinelli -- St. Francis of Assisi, Braintree

Judith Berry -- Immaculate Conception, Malden

Bonnie Bonanno -- St. Lucy, Methuen

Ruth Ann Borman -- St. Mary Parish, Foxboro

Bernard "Bernie" Boyle -- St. Mary Parish, Winchester

Eugeniusz Bramowski -- Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, South Boston

Francis Britton -- Holy Family Parish, Lowell

Robert Brouder -- St. Lucy Parish, Methuen

Chien Mai Bui -- St. James Parish, Haverhill/Vietnamese Community

Susan Campbell Trainor -- St. Francis of Assisi, Medford

Anthony Capobianco and Maureen Capobianco -- St. Catherine of Genoa Parish, Somerville

Janet Carvelli -- Corpus Christi-St. Bernard, Newton

Deacon Michael F. Cavanaugh -- St. Clare Parish, Braintree

Frank Centrella and Patricia Centrella -- St. Ann Parish, Somerville

Sister Angela Chavez -- Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

William D. Chin -- St. Joseph Parish, Belmont

Marianna Cincinnato -- St. Joseph-St. Lazarus Parish, East Boston

Sister Nancy Citro -- Central Region

Jeanne Clancy -- Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Boston

John Cole -- St. Joseph the Worker, Hanson

Barbara Connelly -- St. Mary Parish, Waltham

Mother Michael Crimmins -- North Region

Beatrice Cunha -- St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Lowell

Cheryl D'Antonio -- St. Bridget Parish, Abington

Mary Delapp -- Most Precious Blood Parish, Hyde Park

Ann Desmond -- St. Luke Parish, Belmont

Joanne Donovan -- St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine, Boston

Paulette Lynne Doucette -- St. Mary Parish, Georgetown-Rowley

Therese English -- St. Clare Parish, Braintree

Joseph Falcone -- St. Mark Parish, Dorchester

Patricia Ferguson -- St. Monica Parish, Methuen

Eileen Fitzgerald -- Our Lady of Hope Parish, Ipswich

Colleen Foley -- St. Michael Parish, Lowell

Joan Foster -- Holy Family Parish, Gloucester

Deacon Raymond Gagnon and Pauline Gagnon -- Merrimack Region

William Geller -- St. Thomas More Parish, Braintree

Lauren Gray -- Sacred Heart Parish, Braintree-Weymouth

Sister Joan Guertin -- Merrimack Region/Sisters of Holy Union

Sally Guidotti -- St. Michael Parish, Hudson

Lloyd Hammer -- Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Sudbury

Mary Hanlon -- Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Alice Harrington -- St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish, Billerica

Donna Hennessey -- St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish, North Reading

Simon Ho -- St. James the Greater Parish, Boston

William Hyde -- Holy Family Parish, Lynn

Deacon Alejandro Iraola -- St. Monica-St. Augustine Parish, South Boston

Deacon Michael Iwanowicz -- West Region

Nelda Jardon -- Our Lady of Lourdes, Brockton

Ann Joyce -- St. Margaret Mary, Westwood

Mary Kulas -- St. Bridget Parish, Framingham

Ralph Lambert -- St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Shirley

Christopher Lee -- Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston/Knights of Malta

Thiago Lira and Graziele Lira -- St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn/Brazilian Community

Francine Littlejohn -- St. Thomas Aquinas, Bridgewater

Judy Lyons -- Most Holy Redeemer Parish, East Boston

Robert Lyons -- Holy Family Parish, Duxbury

Brother John Maganzini -- St. Anthony Shrine, Boston

Colette Maguire -- Incarnation Parish, Melrose

Dorothy Marino -- St. Mary Parish, Ayer

Mary McCauley -- St. John the Evangelist Parish, Wellesley

Linda McElwaney -- St. Mary of the Assumption, Revere

John McGinn III -- St. Ann Parish, Peabody

Theresa McNulty -- St. Catherine of Siena, Norwood

Lucrecia Mendez -- St. James Parish, Haverhill/Hispanic Community

Stacey Militello -- Immaculate Conception, Marlborough

Herbert Morais -- Our Lady of Good Voyage, Gloucester

David Moran -- St. Agnes Parish, Arlington

Charlotte Morin -- Immaculate Conception Parish, Lowell

Christine Morse -- St. Mary of the Annunciation, Danvers

Kathleen Murphy -- St. Joseph, Malden

Thadeus K. Muthemba -- St. Michael Parish, Lowell/Kenyan Community

Thuy Nhung Thuong Nguyen -- St. Ambrose Parish, Dorchester/Vietnamese Community

Ronald Nutter -- St. Maria Goretti Parish, Lynnfield

Noreen O'Connell -- St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Cambridge

RoseMarie O'Connor -- St. Charles Borromeo Collaborative, Woburn

Kevin O'Connor -- St. Anthony of Padua, Cohasset

Carlos Oliveria and Senira Oliveira -- St. Anthony of Padua, Cambridge/ Brazilian Community

Susan O'Sullivan -- Archdiocese of Boston/Knights of Columbus

Dr. Hosffman Ospino -- Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Deacon Stephen Papik and Elizabeth Papik -- Holy Trinity Parish, Lowell

Rosemary Piper -- Holy Family Parish, Amesbury

Frances M. Randall -- St. Mary Parish, Billerica

Anne Rennie -- St. John's Seminary, Boston

Geraldine Rheaume -- Star of the Sea Parish, Salisbury

Sister Mary Brigid Riley -- West Region

Antonio Garcia and Aida Rivera -- Holy Family Parish, Roxbury/Hispanic Community

Joanne Roche -- Holy Mothers Collaborative, Hanover

Efren Rodriquez and Ana Maria Rodriguez -- St. Mary of the Annunciation, Cambridge/ Hispanic Community

Ed Shifflett -- St. Monica-St. Augustine Parish, South Boston

Andrew Skonieczny -- Shrine of Our Lady of Good Voyage, Boston

Douglas Smith -- St. Paul Parish, Wellesley

Thomas C. Stakem Jr. -- Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Dell Staunton -- St. Agatha Parish, Milton

Kathy Stebbins -- Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston*

Marie Sullivan -- Holy Rosary Parish, Winthrop

Laura Sullivan -- Our Lady of The Lake, Halifax

Gerard Sutherland -- St. Timothy Parish, Norwood

Sister Cecile Tanguay -- Merrimack Region/Sisters of the Presentation of Mary

Robert Timmerman -- St. Joseph Parish, Needham

Erica Velasquez -- St. Charles Borromeo/Hispanic Community

Eunilda Victoriano -- St. Joseph Parish, Lynn

Larry Webster -- St. James Parish, Haverhill

John Wedge and Barbara Wedge -- St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Dracut

Donna Widener -- Christ the King Parish, Brockton

Deacon John W. Wise -- North Region

Eleanor Wright -- St. Edith Stein Parish, Brockton

Joseph Wysocki -- St. Anne Parish, Readville

Alfred Yip -- St. Columbkille Parish, Brighton

* Awarded in 2017, to be received in 2018