BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present Cheverus Award Medals to 150 laypersons, deacons, and religious during a 3 p.m. prayer service Sunday, Nov. 26, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Inaugurated 15 years ago, at the close of the archdiocese's bicentennial year in 2008, the annual award recognizes local Catholics for their dedicated service to the Church. The ceremony is held each year on or around the Solemnity of Christ the King, the final Sunday before the start of Advent.

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 suggest 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 perhaps, unrecognized fashion.

In addition to the nominees from parishes, each year, the regional bishops and episcopal vicars are asked to nominate a religious sister, religious brother 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. Additional recipients are selected personally by Cardinal O'Malley.

"The Cheverus Medals are a way, in the Catholic community, that we say thank you to God and thank you to our brothers and sisters in the household of faith," Cardinal O'Malley said at the 2018 ceremony.

He went on to describe the Cheverus Award recipients as "the motor that keeps our Church running."

The medal is named for Boston'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.

Following are the Cheverus Award recipients for 2023, listed alphabetically followed by the nominating entity:

Mr. Bernard Ba, St. Rita Parish, Lowell (Cambodian Community)

Mr. Russell Baldwin, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston

Mr. Paul R. Beck, St. Mary, Foxborough

Ms. Joan Bedford, St. Michael Parish, Lowell

Mr. James Benoit, from St. Joseph, Needham

Ms. Mary Blake, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Natanael Braz, St. Anthony, Somerville (Portuguese/Brazilian Community)

Mr. Michael Brunelle, Ste. Marguerite D'Youville, Dracut

Mrs. Linda Brunelle, Ste. Marguerite D'Youville, Dracut

Deacon Peter Bujwid, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Nicholas Campagna, St. Timothy, Norwood

Mrs. Barbara Campagna, St. Timothy, Norwood

Ms. Ann Carter, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Maureen Cartier, All Saints Parish, Haverhill

Ms. Linda Caterino, St. Anthony, Somerville

Mr. Richard Clark, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Teresa Colon, St. Joseph Parish, Lynn (Hispanic Community)

Mr. Antonio Colon, St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn (Hispanic Community)

Deacon Christopher "Chris" Connolly, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. James Cortese, Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, Wakefield

Brother Richard Cote, OMI, Merrimack Region

Mrs. Patricia Crane, St. Agnes Parish, Arlington

Mrs. Joan Croteau, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell (St. Joseph Community)

Mr. Richard J. D'Ambrosio, St. Ann Parish, Peabody

Mr. Truong Dang, St. Mary, Tyngsborough (Vietnamese Community)

Sister Eugenia "Sr. Djai" DaSilva, FIC, Tri-Parishes, Brockton (Cape Verdean Community)

Ms. Patricia DeBiase, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Tom DeCoste, St. Mary of the Nativity Parish, Scituate

Mrs. Nancy DeCoste, St. Mary of the Nativity Parish, Scituate

Ms. Sheila M. Deitsch, Regional Bishop

Mrs. Maryann Dellinger, St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn

Deacon Francis Dello Russo, North Region

Ms. Lorna DesRoses, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Damien DeVasto, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Jane Devlin, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Deb Dillon, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Verna Doane, St. Bridget Parish, Abington

Mr. Terry Donilon, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Maureen Donnelly-Creedon, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Chris Donoghue, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Mark Dunderdale, Esq., Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Antonio Enrique, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Maria Reyes Enrique, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Jay Fadden, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Thomas Farragher, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Sister Mary Margaret Farren, SNDdeN, Merrimack Region

Ms. Sylvia Fernandez del Castillo, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Marie Fils-Aime, Most Precious Blood, Hyde Park (Haitian Community)

Mr. Raymond L. Flynn, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Maria Garcia, All Saints Parish, Haverhill (Latino Community)

Ms. Jean Gately, Christ the King, Brockton

Ms. Josiane Gemayel, Ascension Parish (Our Lady of Fatima, Sudbury)

Ms. Ann Gennaro, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Mary Genova, St. John Parish, Townsend

Mr. Richard Gormley, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Joseph Gray, St. Joseph Parish, Malden

Sister Barbara Gutierrez, SDNdeN, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Gilda Hagstrom, Immaculate Conception Parish, Revere

Mr. Robert Halbick, Holy Family Parish, Lynn

Sister Ruth Haley, SSND, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston

Mr. Jimmy Hall, St. Bridget, Framingham

Mrs. Ruth Hearson, Holy Family, Duxbury

Ms. Maureen Heil, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Raul Isidro Hernandez, St. Anthony, Somerville (Spanish Community)

Deacon Luciano Herrera, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston (Spanish Community)

Mr. Daniel Hickey, St. Michael the Archangel, Winthrop

Mr. Sean Hickey, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Bernice Higdon, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Acton

Ms. Diane Jarvis, St. Patrick Parish, Lawrence

Ms. Jacinta Jimenez, St. Mary, Waltham

Ms. Jean Jordan, Transfiguration Parish, Wilmington (St. Thomas Community)

Mrs. Cynthia Kelleher, St. Paul Parish, Hingham

Mrs. Eleanor King, Holy Family Parish, Gloucester

Mrs. Frances "Fran" Kirkman, St. Williams Parish, Tewksbury

The Honorable Thomas P. Koch, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Beata Kozak, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Boston

Mr. Patrick Krisak, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Alfred Lamothe, Transfiguration Parish, Wilmington (St. Dorothy Community)

Mrs. Jeanette Lamothe, Transfiguration Parish, Wilmington (St. Dorothy Community)

Mr. Joseph "Joe" Lapointe, St. Edith Stein, Brockton

Mr. Luis Fernando Lara, Immaculate Conception, Marlborough

Ms. MarieYolette "Mimie" LeCorps, Tri-Parish Brockton (Haitian Catholic Community)

Ms. Elizabeth Lydon, St. Mary, Waltham

Mrs. Gloria Jean Madruga, Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, Gloucester

Ms. Theresa Malionek, Sacred Heart, East Boston

Mrs. Amparo Marin, St. Joseph Parish, Lynn

Mr. George Martell, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. James Mazzarini, St. Patrick Parish, Stoneham

Mr. James McDonough*, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Carol McGinness, St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine, Boston

Ms. Maureen McRae, St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish, North Reading

Mrs. Elaine Melisi, Holy Ghost Parish, Whitman

Ms. Kelly Meraw, St. John the Evangelist and St. Paul Collaborative, Wellesley

Ms. Mary Margaret Moniz, St. Mary of the Assumption, Dedham

Ms. Carmen Morales, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston

Ms. Nilsa Morales, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston (Spanish Community)

Mrs. Rebecca Mugherini, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Bridgewater

Sister Elsa Navarez-Rodrigues, HMSP, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. James B. Newman, Holy Apostles Parish, Halifax

Mr. Tien Xnan Nguyen, St. Ambrose Parish, Boston

Dr. Vito Nicastro, PhD, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Attorney August "Gus" Niewenhous, St. Mary Parish, Winchester

Ms. Blanca Ocampo, St. Columbkille Parish, Brighton (Hispanic Community)

Mr. Fran O'Connor, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Matthew O'Neil, St. Anne Parish, Readville

Mrs. Anne O'Neil, St. Anne Parish, Readville

Mr. Ramon Orellana, Most Holy Redeemer, East Boston

Mrs. Elba Orellana, Most Holy Redeemer, East Boston

Mr. Anthony Paquette, St. Luke, Belmont

Mr. Neil Paton, St. Mary, Tyngsborough

Mrs. Rose Paton, St. Mary, Tyngsborough

Ms. Janet Provodakes, St. Nicholas Parish

Ms. Audrey Pugliesi, St. Pius X, Milton

Ms. Ann Purcell, Corpus Christi-St. Bernard, Newton

Mr. Paul Racki, St. Joseph-St. Lazarus, East Boston

Mr. James S. Reedy, Congregation of St Athanasius, Chestnut Hill

Mrs. Susan "Sue" Reichenberg, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Brockton

Miss Alessandra Ribeiro, St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn (Brazilian/Portuguese Community)

Mrs. Dolores Roy, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Cohasset

Ms. Mary R. Ryan, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Mary Theresa Shauan, Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin Parish, Somerville

Mr. Joseph Shaughnessy, Most Precious Blood, Hyde Park

Sister Dianne Shaw, SNDdeN, Merrimack Region

Mr. Michael Sheedy, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell (St. James, Groton Community)

Dr. Donald L. Sherak, MD, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. MaryJane Silva, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Hull

Ms. Vivian Soper, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Hector Soto, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston (Spanish Community)

Sister Mary Marta Soza, PDDM, Regional Bishop

Ms. Mary Spinale, St. Anthony Parish, Shirley

Dr. Richard A. Spinello, St. John's Seminary, Brighton

Mr. John Straub, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Mary Sullivan, Paulist Center, Boston

Ms. Mary Carroll "MC" Sullivan, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Mary Svoboda, St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Danvers

Mrs. Paula Sweeney, St. Rita Parish, Lowell

Mr. Stephen Sypek, Resurrection Parish, Hingham

Ms. Victoria Tafur, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston (Spanish Community)

Mrs. Annie Talaid, St. Joseph Parish, Malden (Filipino Community)

Mr. Alden Thatcher, Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Mrs. Kelly Thatcher, Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Ms. Agatha Tong, St. James the Greater Parish, Boston (Chinese Community)

Mr. Gregory Tracy, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Donis Tracy, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Hai Tran, St. Joseph Parish, Malden (Vietnamese Community)

Ms. Vina Troianello, Regional Bishop

Mrs. Carol Van Valkenburgh, Incarnation Parish, Melrose

Sister Judith Ward, SNDdeN, North Region

Mr. John Wermers, St. Mark's Parish, Dorchester

Mrs. Mary M. Wilson, Cardinal/Archdiocese of Boston

(*Mr. James McDonough: Awarded in 2022, to be received posthumously in 2023 by Mrs. Lynne McDonough)