CHINO HILLS—In an intimate, outdoor gathering on a comfortable fall evening, Bishop Gerald Barnes honored five with his Amar Es Entregarse Award, given to those who exemplify his Episcopal Motto, “love is the total giving of one’s self.”
The 2020 honorees are:
• Father David Andel, the longtime Judicial Vicar of the Diocese and a popular presence in parish ministry at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Yucaipa; St. Catherine of Alexandria, Riverside, St. Catherine of Siena, Rialto and St. Theresa, Palm Springs.
• David Okonkwo, the Director of the Diocesan Ministry to Catholics of African Descent and key connection to African and African-American communities in the Diocese.
• Deacon John Degano and Cheryl Degano, assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria, Riverside and a longtime voice of the local Church in Riverside’s civic affairs.
• Father Earl Henley, M.S.C., Director of the Diocesan Office of Native American Ministry, a minister to the many Native American communities in the Diocese.
• Deacon Luis Sanchez and Rosa Sanchez, assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes, Montclair and serving as the Director of the Diocesan Office for Deacons. Deacon Sanchez has also served an important role as the coordinator of Operation Bienvenida, the Diocese’s transitional ministry to Central American refugees seeking asylum in the United States.
The Amar Es Entregarse Awards are typically given at the annal Bishop’s Dinner but that event was cancelled amid COVID-19 public gathering restrictions. Still, a special event was planned to allow for the moment when the honorees receive their award—a gold medallion—from Bishop Barnes.
A dinner and reception were held in the courtyard area of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Chino Hills. The honorees and their families were invited to attend. Bishop Barnes, Coadjutor Bishop Alberto Rojas and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Rutilio del Riego were all present.