BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present 113 Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons, and religious during a 3 p.m. vespers service, Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Inaugurated in 2008 at the close the archdiocese's bicentennial year, the annual award ceremony recognizes 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.

A criterion 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 even unrecognized, fashion.

Cardinal O'Malley has previously said that one of the main the purposes of the award is to "put a spotlight on those people whose hidden contributions to the life of the Church often go unnoticed."

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 lay persons who serve on archdiocesan committees or lead key ministries. Some additional recipients are selected personally by Cardinal O'Malley.

During his homily at last year's award ceremony, Cardinal O'Malley said the Cheverus Award Ceremony is a chance to "to express our thanks to God for these brothers and sisters of the household of the faith who have given such generous and joyful service to our Church."

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

With this year's group of recipients, the total number of individuals and couples who have been named Cheverus Award recipients stands at 966.

There is no limit to the number of family members and friends who can join the honoree at the cathedral. 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.

Following the event, a reception will be held in the neighboring Cathedral High School gymnasium, and light refreshments will be served.

2016 Cheverus Medal Recipients

(Listed alphabetically)

Mirian Andrade, Madonna Queen Shrine, E. Boston/Cultural Diversity

Jose Miguel Arango, Madonna Queen of the Universe Shrine, East Boston

Kathleen Asmar, St. Mary of the Nativity Parish, Scituate

Peter Bailey and Patricia Bailey, St. Theresa of Avila Parish, West Roxbury

Lucenira Barbosa, St. James Parish, Haverhill

Ann Barden, St. Theresa of Avila Parish, West Roxbury*

Sister Linda Bessom, SND, North Region

James Bloise, St. Michael Parish, North Andover

Gilberto Bocaneli, St. Anthony Parish, Allston/Cultural Diversity

Pat Bottary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Roxbury

Helen Boucher, St. Thomas the Apostle, Millis

Marie-Therese Brown, St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Roxbury

John Ciampi, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Cambridge

Albert L. Conley, St. Joseph Parish, Holbrook

Lucy Corchado, Immaculate Conception Parish, Salem

Deacon Charles A. Cornell, West Region

Marilyn Costa, St. John the Baptist Parish, Salem

Brother James Crowley, OSB, South Region

Brian Curtin, St. Margaret Parish, Burlington

Gerald Curtis, Archdiocese of Boston

Edward H. D'Alelio, St. Ann by the Sea Parish, Marshfield

Lucien Dalpe, St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Tyngsborough

Michael De Pascale and Maria De Pascale, St. Joseph Parish, Medford

Linda DeCristoforo, Archdiocese of Boston/Our Lady of Grace Parish

Lee DeLuca, St. Anne Parish, Littleton

Rita Di Gesse, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Allston

Bernard J. Donahoe, St. Gerard Majella Parish, Canton

Leo M. Dowling, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Dorchester

Paul Doyle, Immaculate Conception Parish, Weymouth

Catherine Evans, St. John the Evangelist Parish, East Bridgewater

John Flaherty and Maureen Flaherty, St. Camillus, Arlington

Mary Forrester McColough, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Marshfield

John ('Jack') Frates, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Beverly

Isabella Fusco, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence

Carol Ghiloni, St. Clement Parish, Medford/Somerville

Alan Giangregorio, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Winthrop

Charles Giordano, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Canton

Georgia Grace, St. Angela Merici Parish, Mattapan

Mary Gralton, St. Ann Parish, Quincy

Gladys Griffin, St. Brendan, Bellingham

Daniel Guerrios, Holy Family Parish, Dorchester

Rose D. Guilles, St. Matthew Parish, Dorchester

Brother Sam Gunn, BH, Central Region

Anne Hackett, St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Melrose

Margaret Heanue, Sts. Martha and Mary Parish, Lakeville

Deacon Martin Henry, South Region

Marie Hill, St. Brigid Parish, Lexington

Susan Horne, Archdiocese of Boston

Dolores Hufnagel, St. Pius X Parish, Readville

Jay Ippolito, Archdiocese of Boston

Shirley Jannetti, St. Lucy Parish, Methuen

Brother Damian J. Johnson, OFM/IC, West Region

Arthur Joseph, St. Helen Parish, Norwell

Philip Keating, St. John Chrysostom Parish, West Roxbury

William King, St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Charlestown

Edward (Eddie) LaBatte, Holy Family Parish, Amesbury

Catherine Lavigne, St. Francis de Sales Parish, Charlestown

Deacon Vincent J. Leo, Central Region

Stanley F. Lewicki, Jr., St. Martha, Plainville

Ernest Linek, Archdiocese of Boston

Barbara Logan, Holy Trinity Parish, Quincy

Asbel Lopez, Immaculate Conception Parish, Everett

Jerzy Markiewicz, St. Stanislaus Parish, Chelsea

Abbess Clare Frances McAvoy, OSC, Central Region

Doreen McDonnell, St. Mary of the Assumption-St. Ann, Hull

Mary M. McIver, Sacred Heart Parish, Lexington

Claire McManus, Archdiocese of Boston

Michael McShane, Archdiocese of Boston

Balbino Mendez, Immaculate Conception, Revere/Cultural Diversity

Margarita Mercede, St. John the Baptist, Peabody/Cultural Diversity

John (Jack) Miniter, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Ipswich

Michael Monte, Good Shepherd Parish, Wayland

Sergio Monteiro, St. Peter Parish, Dorchester

Virginia Moore, Sacred Heart Parish, Quincy

Marianela Morales, St. Patrick Parish, Brockton

Miss Bridget ('Della') Moran, Sacred Heart Parish, Lynn

Tom Morrissey, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Brookline

Carmel Moynihan, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Waltham

Edward Nazzaro, Jr., Immaculate Conception Parish, Revere

Kha Nguyen, St. Patrick Parish, Lowell

Phuong Nguyen, St. James Parish, Haverhill/Cultural Diversity

Ramona Novoa, St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury

Valdilene Paulino dos Santos, Holy Family Parish, Rockland/Cultural Diversity

Philomene Pean, Immaculate Conception, Everett/Cultural Diversity

Brother Patrick Pennell, CFX, North Region

John Pereira, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Peabody

Francesco Piatti, S. Paul Parish, Cambridge

Serna Postar, St. Francis Chapel, Boston

Rod Powell, St. Cecilia Parish, Boston

Teresa Prochorski, St. James Parish, Salem/Cultural Diversity

Mark Pykett, Archdiocese of Boston

Kathy Reilly, St. Bartholomew Parish, Needham

Robert Russell and Kathleen Russell, St. Christine Parish, Marshfield

Maureen Saldarini, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish, Chestnut Hill

William Sebet, St. Dennis Parish, Westwood

Marie Shattuck, Star of the Sea Parish, Salisbury

John Stueve, St. John the Baptist Parish, Peabody

Patrick Sweeney, St. Mary Parish, Lynn

Lucy Quiles Torrejon, Sacred Heart Parish, Roslindale

Lorraine Tower, St. Mary of the Hills Parish, Milton

Jacqueline I. Townes, St. Katharine Drexel, Dorchester/Cultural Diversity

Sister Lucille Van Hoogmoed, PDDM, South Region

Denise Van Veen, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Westford

Deacon Julio Cesar Vargas, Sacred Heart Parish, Lawrence/Cultural Diversity

Rosemary Waldron, Immaculate Conception Parish, Malden

Deacon Raymond C. Wellbank, North Region

Suzanne Whitehead, St. Rose of Lima/Sacred Heart, Middleborough

Agnes Zanella, St. Tarcisius Parish, Framingham

Steven Zolud, St. Joseph Parish, Wakefield

*Posthumously Awarded