Five members of the Los Angeles Catholic community will be honored for their many years of service to Church and community at the 21st annual Cardinal's Award Dinner Feb. 6 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood.
The 2010 honorees are Louis Carnevale, St. Euphrasia Church, Granada Hills; Noel Diaz, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Northridge; Jacqueline Powers Doud, Incarnation Church, Glendale; Elizabeth Fan, St. Denis Church, Diamond Bar; and John McGuire, Holy Angels Church, Arcadia. The 2010 honorees bring to 104 the number of men and women honored with the award since 1990.
Proceeds from the dinner will benefit ongoing renovation at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood. More than 1,000 guests are expected, and reservations (which are required) may still be made. Visit the website at www.cardinalsawardsdinner.org or contact Judy Brooks in the Cardinal's Office of Special Services, (213) 637-7636.
LOUIS CARNEVALE
Louis Carnevale is understandably proud that Carnevale & Lohr, the Bell Gardens-based marble firm he and Ed Lohr started a half century ago, has a built solid reputation for quality workmanship, and has been involved in the development of numerous Southern California landmarks, including the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
But none of that success, he quickly points out, could be possible without adhering to basic principles that apply to every aspect of life.
"It starts with honesty, trust and respect," says the softspoken St. Euphrasia (Granada Hills) parishioner. "I've always believed that you are who you associate with. I've been very fortunate to have a great family where there is love and respect, as well as a wonderful partner in Ed Lohr and a staff of good people who believe in honesty and trust. Our Christian upbringing requires it."
Those were lessons Louis learned in his own upbringing that began in South Gate, where he was the youngest of five children born to parents who believed in a close-knit family and the Catholic faith.
"We were not poor growing up; we always had what we needed," he says. The family attended St. Gertrude Church and later St. Malachy, where Louis made his first Communion. "It was a privilege to be raised Catholic."
His father worked in the marble business both in Colorado and California - a business in which Louis quickly took an interest.
"I wanted to do marble since I was seven," he smiles. "I just thought it was fascinating, to create and build something beautiful and solid."
When he was old enough, he worked summers in his dad's marble shop. Within a few years of graduating from Bell High School, Louis and his friend Ed Lohr - a Huntington Park native whose dad had worked in the marble business with Louis' dad - began Carnevale & Lohr. That was in 1958; today it is among the leading marble businesses in the country, having worked on such landmarks as the Getty Center in Brentwood and the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, in addition to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Louis calls the downtown Cathedral "our most gratifying work," referring to the altar and baptismal font that entailed trips to Turkey and Italy to locate the desired Rosa Laguna marble and fabricate it into the desired design - and then lower the massive altar through a space in the Cathedral roof to set it in place. "It was quite a job," he grins, "but it really came together well. And Cardinal Mahony made a heck of a good choice."
Carnevale & Lohr has also been in numerous construction and refurbishing projects at parishes, convents and other religious institutions throughout Southern California, including St. Nicholas Greek Church in Northridge. "We like to do interesting jobs," Louis says.
That success speaks to the company's quality of work, but it also speaks to the core elements of honesty, trust and friendship that have marked Louis and Ed's relationship.
"We worked together for 50 years, and we never had an argument," Louis says proudly. "I'm very fortunate to have had a tremendous partner and friend like Ed [who retired in 2008]. He is a stout Lutheran, and I'm a devout Catholic, but we always shared the belief that honesty and trust are essential in a business - just as they are in marriage."
On that note, Louis speaks with loving pride of his wife Jacqueline (Jackie), his high school sweetheart whom he married in 1958, and who comes in periodically to the office to assist as needed. "My parents loved her," he smiles, "and she has supported me always. I'm very proud of my family, that there is love and deep respect for one another."
The Carnevales have lived in Granada Hills since 1972, in a home Louis and his brother built. Their sons David and Michael attended St. Euphrasia School, and later Chaminade High School. Jackie - a convert to Catholicism - has been "involved in church and school activities with our kids and grandkids for years," says Louis, including helping to set up the library at St. Euphrasia.
"We're very grateful our sons had that Catholic education," says Louis. "It was a terrific experience."
In addition to attending St. Euphrasia, Louis and Jackie sometimes attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito. He has fond memories of meeting Pope John Paul II and getting to know countless priests, nuns and fellow Catholic laypeople all over the archdiocese, just as the archdiocese has gotten to know the work of Carnevale & Lohr, and the people who stand behind it.
David and Michael and Ed Lohr's son Eddie are all principals in the business and - says David and Michaels' proud dad - adhere to the same principles of business as their fathers. "They are three very good people, all of them as honest as the day is long," he says. "I find it very gratifying that after all these years, we're still a small family business that is built on honesty, trust and workmanship. We continue to do the very best job we can, whatever that job is."
JACQUELINE POWERS DOUD
When you've spent your life in higher education, as Jackie Doud has, you obviously love it. And then some.
"I think I'm addicted to higher education," says the president of Mount St. Mary's College with a broad smile, reflecting on a career that began in Catholic school in Glendale and now finds her as heading a two-campus Catholic women's college --- a dream job, she believes sincerely, in many ways.
"Education is a very upbeat profession," she says, "because it changes people for the better; it offers people the opportunity to make a positive difference in the world; it levels the playing field of life like nothing else. It's broadly available, and at Mount St. Mary's we can make it available to people in a smaller, caring environment."
That appeals very much to one who has experienced the kind of support that a Catholic educational environment fosters. Born in Pennsylvania, the youngest of four siblings, she moved with her family to Glendale at age two. Because her mother died at a young age, she says, "my father and oldest sister were a big influences, as were the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
The BVM Sisters taught her at Incarnation School and Holy Family High School. "Theirs was an education-oriented community," she says. "and they fostered in me a life-long interest in education."
By 1967, she was teaching French at Mundelein College for women near Chicago, where she earned her Bachelor's in French. "The mid to late 1960s were a dynamic time in the church, in the Midwest, and in higher education," she recalls.
She earned a Master's in French Literature at UC Berkeley, and her doctorate in Higher Education from Claremont Graduate University. By then she was serving at the University of La Verne as associate dean and then dean of its School of Arts and Sciences La Verne. Moving to Woodbury University in 1984, she served as vice president of academic affairs, dean of the faculty, and professor of humanities.
And in 1991 --- by now having left the religious life --- she was named the first "non-sister" dean of the faculty and academic vice president at Mount St. Mary's College. She was later named provost and, in 2000, the first lay president (and 11th overall) at "the Mount."
"So I've come full circle at a Catholic women's college," she smiles. "And I've enjoyed every place I've been. But the Mount is a good fit for me."
As its first lay president, she shas worked "to make our mission a lived experience, and to create a supportive atmosphere." She divides her time during the week at the Mount's two campuses in Brentwood (Chalon) and downtown (Doheny), toward realizing her goal of bringing them closer together "and finding more opportunities to interact. We've introduced the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the Bravo Banquet and other events to help make that happen."
Jackie is supported by her husband Bob, emeritus professor of philosophy at Pasadena City College, a writer, poet, and systematic theologian --- "a real scholar who writes for journals all over the world." Married for 32 years, the Douds attend Incarnation, her childhood parish, where Jackie is a lector, and enjoy reading, traveling and being with family and friends.
She also serves on many school and community boards and leadership groups, has received numerous honors for work in education, and --- not incidentally --- has worked to help build Mount St. Mary's endowment fund to provide continued opportunities for higher education for women.
"Education is a very positive profession, and it can be a very transformative process, especially at smaller schools," she says. "Higher education offers people the chance for a more satisfied life, more service and professional opportunities, and helps one to be better a consumer. You deal with people who are looking to improve themselves and the world. You find a lot of satisfaction in education."
Especially at Mount St. Mary's, which has "a large emphasis on service and leadership. I get to speak at high schools and other venues where I come in contact with young people eager to make a difference in the world. At the Mount, our size enables us to give a lot of personal attention, where everyone is held to high standards in an environment that combines challenge and support. I think it's the nature of women to be collaborative, and that's very much the spirit here."
"We're serving the community by educating primarily women," she continues proudly. "I go to a lot of college events, and I hear the stories of the students who've had it tough in their lives, many of them being the first in their families to go to college. To be close in touch with the students, to hear about their journeys and challenges, is an exceptional opportunity."
Especially for one so in love with her profession.
NOEL DIAZ
He is a successful businessman and founder of an enormously popular international evangelization ministry. But there is still a seven-year-old boy inside Noel Diaz that brings a smile to his face as he says, "My background shows you need to value what you have."
That's because he remembers spending week after week shining shoes in his native Tijuana so he could earn enough money to buy the white shirt and black dress pants he needed to make his First Communion ceremony. "I was very motivated," Noel recalls. "I just wanted so much to receive the Lord."
His desire to enable others to receive the Lord has been a motivating force behind the creation of El Sembrador (The Sower) Ministries, a Burbank-based radio and television organization that airs religious programming throughout Southern California, Mexico, Central and South America. El Sembrador also sponsors major evangelization congresses each year in Los Angeles that draw thousands of all ages eager to embrace and live the Gospel message proclaimed by Jesus Christ.
"Pope John Paul II talked about 'the new evangelization,' about the need for sharing the good news with everyone," says the softspoken Diaz, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes, Northridge. "And I believe in that very much."
The only child of a single mother, Noel recalls his First Communion Day that he worked so hard to be part of as, "for many years, the best day of my life. I felt very close to God. Somehow, I knew I needed God in my life."
He also knew that he wanted "to study and build a career, so my mom wouldn't have to work and struggle. I wanted to prove I could do something good with my life" At age 18, he came to Los Angeles, enrolled at L.A. City College and took a nighttime job working for an optical firm. Eventually he earned enough to bring his mother to the U.S., and get married.
Sensing that Noel desired more "spiritual fulfillment" in his life, a priest at his parish, Our Lady of Loretto in Los Angeles, introduced him to Bible Study. "I fell in love with reading the Bible," he smiles. "And I felt a deeper call to serve --- but I was not sure how to translate it into the rest of my life."
His work with the optical firm progressed nicely, enough for him to buy a house for his family (and eventually take over the business). Moving to St. Thomas the Apostle parish, he played bass at the Saturday Vigil Mass, still wondering how he was being called to serve God.
"I was shy," he says, "but I was good at talking about Jesus with others one-on-one. Others would say to me, 'I want to go where you're going; what you have, I want too.' One week, a co-worker came to me; he said he was an alcoholic planning to commit suicide. I started talking to him about God and the Bible."
That night they went to a prayer group meeting at St. Vincent Church downtown. Encouraged, Noel's co-worker told him, "This is what I need. Now, where will we go tomorrow?"
Struggling for an answer, Noel spent the next four days in "a difficult internal battle. Finally, that Saturday at Mass, I prayed at the consecration: 'Lord, I give up; I'll serve you as you wish, just show me the way.' That was March 31, 1984 --- the moment my journey began."
On April 3, he attended an in-home prayer group meeting. "It was very simple," Noel says. "I'd read the Bible, we'd ask what needs people had, and we would pray. In a few months, our attendance grew from five to 60."
The meetings moved to St. Thomas' cafeteria, then the auditorium and finally into the church, "and our attendance grew to over 1,000 during the week." That led to what is now five annual congresses at the L.A. Convention Center --- one each for women, men, couples and youth, plus a general interest event.
The "beginning of our media journey,' Noel says, began January 3, 1990: a daily 30-minute radio program in Southern California, "Dimensión de Fe," followed in 1995 by a 30-minute television program began; that was a year after El Sembrador Ministries was officially established as a non-profit organization.
In 2002, El Sembrador established a 24-hour satellite TV channel to broadcast Catholic programming to Latin America. In 2003, the firm leased 1670 AM radio, to mark the beginning of all-Catholic radio. Today, it has 45 employees, and expects to grow larger through digital channels that will reach even more listeners and viewers throughout Southern California.
"What motivates us," says Noel, "is that many Catholics among the Spanish-speaking population are away from their home countries, and the Gospel is very important to them. It says, 'God is with you, you're not alone.'"
As both El Sembrador and his optical business have grown, says Noel, "I have learned to train, to delegate and move away from doing all the work. Now I have more time with my family." That includes his wife Sara and "three good kids": Noel Jr, 31; Javan, 25; and Kyrene, 18.
Noel values his family time just as he values all he has received in his life --- especially his call to serve. "I believe in personal encounters with Jesus," he says sincerely. "And to experience him in your life you need to open your heart and give your life to him. It starts with that commitment, just as I asked, 'What else do you want me to do?'"
ELIZABETH FAN
There are three little words that seem to never have entered the vocabulary of Liz Fan: "Take a rest."
"I think I'm a hyper person," smiles this wife, mother and perpetually-in-motion parishioner of St. Denis Church, Diamond Bar. "I can't sit still. If I'm sitting, it means I'm sick. But I'm very happy to volunteer wherever I can; I get so much satisfaction from it, and to me it's a 24/7 calling."
That becomes abundantly clear when examining the longer-than-your-arm list-full of parish and diocesan activities in which she participates. They include the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (for whom she is treasurer, as well as President of the East San Gabriel/Pomona District) and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles (where she is on the Advisory Board of Directors).
Add to that her longtime involvement in parish and community educational, outreach and respect life activities, and little wonder that this former microbiologist says with a laugh, "To me, going back to work would be like a vacation."
She comes by her giving nature honestly enough. Born in Hong Kong to "a devout Catholic family," Liz quickly has learned the value of service from her parents who volunteered with the Maryknoll priests and sisters.
"My parents always lent a hand where there was a need," she recalls. "Their feeling was always, 'Let's do something for them.' Mom was a nurse with the Maryknoll fathers, and helped missionary nuns. Dad had been a seminarian in Canada, and later did missionary work in Mexico before returning to Hong Kong and became a businessman"
The family emigrated to the U.S. largely because Liz's father had been educated in the West, "and he believed in the quality of education here." They settled in Long Beach, where Liz's family attended St. Joseph Church. After graduation from high school, Liz enrolled at Oregon State, heading for a degree and career in microbiology.
"I was never a good typist, was never interested in home economics stuff," she explains. "I was more interested in science and math, and microbiology - bacteria and how organisms affect the human body interests me."
She met her future husband Michael (now an internal medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente) when they were both very young, fate brought them back together when he came to America to attend college. Liz also attended the University of the Pacific's pharmacy school but returned to Microbiology when her husband was pursuing a medical school education. Liz chose to retire from her medical career to care for her son who was born prematurely. "And I never regretted it," she says proudly.
She later gave birth to a second child, and soon became involved in education on several fronts. She spent 21 years as a volunteer in the Walnut Valley Unified School District handling a variety of responsibilities --- room mother, supervising hot lunch programs, coordinating library activities, school newsletter editor, proctor exams at the high school, also headed the 15 schools' community clubs (equivalent to PTAs) as the Coordinating Council President.
At her parish, when her son began religious education classes, she was invited to become a teacher. "I was hesitant to teach, because I thought I didn't know enough, but I did. They told me that I am there to share my faith with the children and it has been so incredibly rewarding to work with young people, to help them grow in their faith."
One thing led to another, until today Liz's list of activities could very well match a standard parish ministry roll-call: family life ministry, religious education/faith formation, scrip program, Safeguard the Children committee, Women's Council, Altar Care, ACCW, Italian Catholic Federation ("I'm the token Chinese," she laughs) and Catholic Charities, to start with.
She heads St. Denis' Christian Service outreach, participated in the "Homewalk L.A." effort to raise money to end homelessness in Los Angeles, and is proud that St. Denis participates in the winter shelter coalition with other East San Gabriel Valley churches. Her involvement in respect life efforts includes joining those who pray the rosary every month in the Eucharistic Chapel and at local abortion clinics and also San Gabriel Valley's "40 days for life" campaign last fall and the upcoming spring campaign which will start on Ash Wednesday.
Beginning with support and in honor of her only sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Bakersfield was another activity Liz supported. She believed that there would be a cure for her sister. Unfortunately her sister lost her battle. Liz continued her support for relays in memory of her sister in Walnut and Diamond Bar.
Also a member of the Walnut Valley Educational Foundation board of directors, where they raise funds to benefit the students and staff at the school district. Liz feels especially blessed for the support of her husband and children in her activities. She is also proud that her children have followed her footsteps as service volunteers. Son Jason, a former national merit scholar finalist, graduated from UC San Diego, is currently in medical school and has served with Habitat for Humanity. Daughter Stacie, a graduate of UC Irvine, works for First American Corp., and has served in a mentoring program for elementary school kids.
Obviously, good parenting skills have not been set aside in Liz's quest to assist others, a quest she is happy to pursue while maintaining a close relationship with her family and her faith.
"I always try to help wherever I can," she says with her ever-present smile. "I enjoy my "work" as volunteer, and I'm very happy to do all this, to give to my church and community. I believe we should always try to make a difference. And if we can make someone happy, that's worth the effort."
JOHN McGUIRE
Whoever suggests that the way to cut costs in schools is by cutting back arts programs should expect a good argument from one John Patrick McGuire of Arcadia.
It was singing, you see, that helped John earn extra money in high school, and singing that helped John get into college on a full scholarship. And, once he had established himself in one career, it was singing --- cantoring at Holy Angels Church, to be precise --- that provided an entrée into a completely new business opportunity that, in turn, has provided John and his wife Rosemarie opportunities to participate in supporting numerous worthwhile organizations and activities in the local Church and community.
His support of the Carmelite Sisters, Santa Teresita Hospital, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles and the Boy Scouts, among others, can be traced to a simple credo that he and his wife have lived by for years. "Rosemarie and I," says John, "believe in helping those less fortunate."
He was born in Danbury, Iowa, to a Catholic family who worked hard and attended church regularly. (His dad, who manufactured concrete burial vaults, attended Mass daily.) John, who raked and mowed lawns to earn money, attended Danbury Catholic High School and studied music, singing in a dance band, and wondering as graduation day approached how he could afford college.
But a nun who led the music department insisted he apply to St. John's University, a Benedictine school in Collegeville, Minnesota. "She said they needed male singers," he recalls, smiling.
He arranged to travel to St. John's and sight-read his audition well enough to qualify for room, board and tuition. "Had I not gone there," he says, "I'd probably have stayed in Danbury and worked with my dad."
Following college, he served as a medic in the National Guard, stationed in Missouri and then Texas where he met Rosemarie, whom he eventually married. Needing a job once his Guard service ended, he went to work with at his father-in-law's meat business in Minnesota.
Until the day a fellow who had once dated Rosemarie and now lived in California was visiting and asked John, "What are you doing in this town? What do you really want to do?"
"I told him, 'I'd like to get into banking.' He told me to send resumes to accounting, banking and finance companies in California." In November 1963, John came west and interviewed with 11 companies; within four days, he had seven job offers. He was accepted into Bank of America's management program, as he, Rosemarie and their young children settled in Arcadia.
Still active in music, John was soon cantoring as many as five Masses a Sunday at Holy Angels, and training others. And then, one day in 1975 as he was leaving church, John was approached by a parishioner he'd never met, but who knew John was in banking, and requested a meeting.
"Now we had other bankers at Holy Angels, but for some reason he chose me," John says. "Well, he wanted a loan for this lawn equipment business he had called Flexrake. I remembered how I had been mentored in my early years at BofA, and I figured that someday I would do that for someone else."
The businessman got the loan, and John served as a consultant. Soon, John was offered a position directing sales; within a year the business had more than tripled in volume. The business incorporated, with John receiving a share of the stock. In 1996, he bought out the owners; today Flexrake continues to be a successful manufacturer and supplier of garden tools.
"People used to ask me if I ever got paid for all that cantoring," John says, smiling and nodding his head. "Are you kidding? There's no question we got paid for all the work we did for the church. No question."
Through his friend William (Rube) Hayden, one of the first Cardinal's Award recipients, John became involved in charity work. "Rube mentored me, encouraging me to help this and that person, and --- because he was so active with the Carmelites --- he introduced me to Mother Margarita, who was then the superior for the Carmelite Sisters."
As a member of the Santa Teresita Hospital board of directors, John assisted the Carmelites in many of their ministries, earning the Mother Margarita Golden Spirit Humanitarian Award in 1996. "The Carmelites really impressed me because they took care of everyone, no matter who it was," he says. "They never turned anyone away at Santa Teresita. And that meant something to me."
Believing that young people are a precious resource worth nurturing, John has provided unique opportunities through Flexrake, establishing a program in conjunction with St. John's, John's alma mater, in which a student between his/her junior and senior years in college would be brought to California for 12 weeks during the summer to learn all facets of the Flexrake operation.
"Too often," notes John, "when kids go to interview for a job after graduation, they struggle with putting down their experience on a resumé because it's so hard to get it. That's why Rosemarie and I set up this 'curriculum,' at Flexrake, and paid these students a salary while they worked. And there were some who thought I was crazy, but we did it anyway because we believe in helping young people."
John and Rosemarie continue to support both St John's and the College of St. Benedict, and are proud of their adult children --- Daniel (who works in real estate), David, Jill and Richard (who all work in their father's business).
"I look on all of this as a blessing," John says sincerely. "It's a real joy to be able to help." |