In its annual tradition, the Diocese of San Bernardino honored several men and women for their exemplary work in their ministries through the 2024 Diocesan Awards. The program consists of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Award, the St. Bernardine Award and the St. John Paul II Youth Award.
Pastors, Administrators, Pastoral Coordinators and Diocesan Office Directors are asked to submit nominations for the awardees. Instead of holding one ceremony for all recipients, this year, the recipients were presented with their award at their home parishes. Here are this year’s 28 Guadalupe Award recipients, 18 St. Bernardine Award recipients and 17 St. John Paul II Youth Award recipients.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Award:
This award is presented to adult individuals aged 18 years and older from the parish or members of the civic community who have demonstrated exemplary generosity, leadership, and/or service beyond the scope of the parish, for the common good of the diocesan or local civic community. Recipients of this award for service in the civic community need not be members of the Roman Catholic Church.
Dianna Lee Andrews, St. James the Less Parish, Perris
Virginia Ballestar, St. Christopher Parish, Moreno Valley
Tammy Garcia Chang, Community Affairs Coordinator at the Consulate of Mexico, San Bernardino
George and Beverly Collard, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Twentynine Palms
John Dzien, St. Theresa Parish, Palm Springs
Jimmy L. Gutierrez, St. Margaret Mary Parish, Chino
Peter Hersey, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Beaumont
Frank and Lucy Heyming, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Riverside
Dan Hogan, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Menifee
Joe and Mary-Jane Kohorst, Christ the Redeemer Parish, Grand Terrace
Bertha Padilla, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Indio
Ricardo and Junieth Perez, Sacred Heart Parish, Rancho Cucamonga
Yolanda Ravega, St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Chino Hills
Martina Del Real, St. Joseph Parish, Upland
Anita Roybal, St. Bernardine Parish, San Bernardino
John and Bertha Shotwell, The Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Redlands
Makena Jade Stanisai, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School, Temecula
David Teegarden, Holy Spirit Parish, Hemet
Duane Wright, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Temecula
Joe and Halina Youssef, Sacred Heart Parish, Rancho Cucamonga
Obed Navarrete, Holy Family Parish, Hesperia
Alma Rosa Lara, Christ The Good Shepherd, Parish Adelanto
Kimberly Patino, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Victorville
Marylou Herrera, St Philip Neri Parish, Barstow
St. Bernardine Award:
This award is presented to a Church employee (parish or Diocesan Pastoral Center) with at least 10 consecutive years of employment service, and who has significantly impacted the fulfillment of the vision and mission of the Local Church through exemplary and generous leadership and/or service. Parish Employees may be nominated by their Pastor or Pastoral Coordinator. Diocesan Pastoral Center employees may only be nominated by their Office Director or Department Head.
Alexis Amor, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Beaumont
Cheryll Austin, Holy Rosary Academy, San Bernardino
Paulette Burandt, St. Margaret Mary Parish, Chino
Felix Rodriguez Cruz, St Paul the Apostle Parish, Chino Hills
Valerie Doran, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Riverside
Virginia Empante Roman, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Sun City
Carolyn Hite, St. Joseph Parish, Upland
Robert Anthony Lombardo, St. Theresa Parish, Palm Springs
Abundio Luna-Gomez, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Chino
Alfred Martini, Diocesan Pastoral Center, San Bernardino
Sr. Rosaline O’Connor, RSM, Office of Victim Assistance Ministry (Diocesan Pastoral Center), San Bernardino
Carolina Osuna, St. Bernardine Parish, San Bernardino
Armando Pena, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Riverside
Maria de Jesus Ramirez, Office of Catholic Schools (Diocesan Pastoral Center), San Bernardino
Margarita Rodriguez Moraza, The Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Redlands
Tom Strickland, St. James Catholic School, Perris
Veronica Villatoro, St. Anthony Parish, Upland
Angela Williams, The Holy Name of Jesus (Sacred Heart Academy), Redlands
Deacon Gustavo Morales, Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Adelanto
St. John Paul II Youth Award:
This award is presented in recognition, support, and encouragement to a young Catholic person from 16 to 20 years old who actively demonstrates a deep commitment, responsibility, and outstanding voluntary service. This young person carries the spirit of St. John Paul II of building bridges among peoples and inspiring others to create peace and harmony.
Mary Balana, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Twentynine Palms
Dacia Bautista, St. Margaret Mary Parish, Chino
Stephanie Benedito, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Temecula
Morgan Marie Bonadiman, Aquinas High School, San Bernardino
Sedona Cox, The Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Redlands
Ali Leilani Escobar, Christ the Redeemer Parish, Grand Terrace
James Hernandez, Sacred Heart Parish, Rancho Cucamonga
Austin Luke Trias Johnson, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School, Temecula
Tristan Alessandro Luciano, St Paul the Apostle Parish, Chino Hills
Aaron Aguiar Morales, St. Christopher Parish, Moreno Valley
Felipe Ortega, St. Bernardine Parish, San Bernardino
Natan Ramirez, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, San Bernardino
Nolan Rodriguez, Holy Spirit Parish, Hemet
Josue Sanchez, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Beaumont
Ryan Edward Sumaya, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Sun City
Omar Villela Morales, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Riverside
Lilly Rose Webster, Notre Dame High School, Riverside
Cynthia Del Villar, Christ The Good Shepherd Parish, Adelanto
Breana Esmeralda Enriquez, Holy Family Parish, Hesperia