BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present 134 Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons, and religious during a 2 p.m. daytime prayer service, Sunday, Dec. 3 at Our Lady of Help Christians Church in Newton.

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.

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 1,100.

This year's award ceremony marks a difference from those in past years, as, due to ongoing renovations at the cathedral, the ceremony will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Newton.

Typically held during a 3 p.m. vespers service, this year the ceremony will be held during a 2 p.m. daytime prayer service, which should last approximately 90 minutes.

There is no limit to the number of family members and friends who can join the honorees in the church. 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. The church parking lot can accommodate about 200 cars.

Following the event, a reception will be held in the lower level community room, and light refreshments will be served.

Following are this year's Cheverus Award recipients, listed alphabetically followed by the nominating parish, region or office:

Ana Abascal, Mary Immaculate Residence, Lawrence

Patricia Abbett, St. Mary Parish, Randolph

Susan Allen, St. Brendan Parish, Dorchester

Henry Allessio, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Hopkinton

Marciana Ataarems, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Chelmsford (African Community)

Nancy Baecher, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Swampscott

Helen Barry, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Deacon Joseph Belmonte, North Region

John Blackwell, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Pepperell

Ellen Blackwell, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Pepperell

David Boucher, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence (Lithuanian Community)

Edward Braley, St. Blaise Parish, Bellingham

Patricia Braley, St. Blaise Parish, Bellingham

Sister Rosemary Brennan, CSJ, Central Region

Patricia Brett, Central Region

Elizabeth Brosnan, All Saints Parish, Haverhill

Kathleen Brumby, St. Paul Parish, Hamilton/ Wenham

Sister Natalie Bussiere, SND , Merrimack Region

John Call, St. Richard of Chichester Parish, Danvers

Paul Callahan, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Jamaica Plain

Cristiano Camargo, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Salem/ Peabody (Brazilian Community)

Deacon Joseph A. Canova, South Region

Joyce Capitao, St. Pius V Parish, Lynn

Rose Chirvanian, St. John the Baptist Parish, Quincy

Mary Ann Chorlton, St. Barbara Parish, Woburn

Tina Clifford, St. Eulalia Parish, Winchester

Leslie Coffey, Gate of Heaven Parish, South Boston

Nereida Colon, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Roxbury

Laura Conte, St. Mary Parish, Chelmsford

Ellen Contreras, St. Brigid Parish, South Boston

Barbara Currin, St. Bridget Parish, Maynard

Madonna Daffron, St. John the Baptist Parish, Essex

Eric D'Agostino, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Topsfield

Michele Daly Taylor, Patronage of St. Joseph Parish, Somerville

Miss Patricia D'Amore, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, East Boston

Joseph DeAngelis, St. Barbara Parish, Woburn

Paul Derrivan, St. Adelaide Parish, Peabody

Maureen Dickey, St. George Parish, Framingham

Raymond DiFiore, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence (Italian Community)

Thomas Dodds, Chapel of Hope (Juvenile Corrections), Boston

Stephen Dodge, St. Thecla Parish, Pembroke

Deacon Leo J. Donoghue, South Region

Sister Phyllis Doucet, SMSM, West Region

Deacon Raymond E. Doucette, Holy Family Parish, Amesbury

Honorable Maura S. Doyle, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Joseph Doyle and, Sacred Heart Parish, Weymouth

Lee Doyle, Sacred Heart Parish, Weymouth

Ross Drew, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Chelmsford

Sister Janet Eisner, SND, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Ann Farabaugh, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Roma Fauvel, Sainte Marguerite D'Youville Parish, Dracut

Salvatore Fazio, St. Agnes Parish, Middleton

Sister Lori Fleming, SND, St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Lowell

Kellie Frary, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Nahant

Anthony Galluzzo, St. Barbara Parish, Woburn

Richard Gelotti, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Lynnfield

Nancy Genty, St. Peter Parish, Cambridge

Michael K. Gillis, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Beatrice Gomez, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Lawrence

Francisco Gomez, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Lawrence (Hispanic Community)

Jose Gonzalez, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Jamaica Plain

Danilo Apolinario Guedes de Sena, St. Bridget, Maynard

Patricia M. Guerriero, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Walter Gurry, Holy Ghost Parish, Whitman

Gail Hanlon, St. Peter Parish, Plymouth

Patricia Hastry, St. Jude Parish, Norfolk

John Hayes, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Salem/ Peabody

Rita Hohmann, Holy Name Parish, West Roxbury

Dianne Horne, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, South Boston

Thérèse Hudson, St. Anne Parish, Salem

Oby Ikoro, St. James Parish, Stoughton

Pierre Andre Jean (Fre Jean), Our Lady of Grace Parish, Chelsea (Haitian Community)

Susan Kay, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Edward Kelly, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Townsend

Rosalie Kiernan, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Sharon

Bill Kisich, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Cambridge

Marie Kleponis, St. Agnes Parish, Reading

Deacon Paul Kline, Central Region

Steven Kuhn, Sacred Heart Parish, Manchester-by-the-Sea

Alex Kulevich, Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Marblehead

Barbara Kulevich, Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Marblehead

Elizabeth (Betty) Lazdowsky, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Diane LeBlanc, Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish, Waltham

Deacon Paul Lewis, South Region

Mary Madden, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Plymouth

Silvina Madruga, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence (Portuguese Community)

Sister Dorothea Masuret, CSJ, South Region

Rita McGowan, St. Joseph Parish, Quincy

Maryann McLaughlin, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Claire McManus, Pastoral Planning Advisory Board Member/ Archdiocese of Boston (Awarded in 2016, accepting in 2017)

Steven McPherson, St. Florence Parish, Wakefield

Wendy Mejia, Sacred Hearts Parish, Malden (Spanish Community)

Clarence (Clay) Morris, St. Ann Parish, Dorchester

Diane Morrissette, St. Rita Parish, Lowell

Manuel Najarro, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Everett

Cuong Van Nguyen, Sacred Hearts Parish, Malden

Binh Thai Nguyen, Sacred Hearts Parish, Malden (Vietnamese Community)

Elaine Nichols, St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Tyngsborough

Judith A. Norton, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Weymouth

Sandra O'Meara, All Saints Parish, Haverhill

Elayna O'Neil, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Revere

Wanda T. Osgood, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence (Polish Community)

Joyce Patch, St. Florence Parish, Wakefield

Roque Pen?a, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence (Hispanic Community)

Dam Pham, St. Bernadette Parish, Randolph

Helena Poplasky, St. Mary Parish, Quincy

Lee Porcella, St. Stephen Parish, Boston (North End)

James Powers, St. Albert the Great Parish, Weymouth

Therese (Terry) L. Quinn, St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Lowell

Catherine (Cathy) Rais, St. Malachy Parish, Burlington

Imelda Roche, St. Bonaventure Parish, Manomet

Sister Theresa Ryder, SND, North Region

Nancy J. Salah, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Ipswich

Miss Mary Sances, Gate of Heaven Parish, South Boston

Linda Santry, St. Ann Parish, West Bridgewater

Lawrence Schell, St. Jerome Parish, Weymouth

Mary Jane Scholz, Most Precious Blood Parish, Dover

Joseph Seymour, All Saints Parish, Haverhill

Kevin Shea, North Region

Christopher Siek, All Saints Parish, Haverhill

Miss Sandra (Sandy) Silva, St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Beverly

Brother Daniel E. Skala, CFX, West Region

Anthony Sousa, Immaculate Conception Parish, Stoughton

Kathy Stebbins, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Donna Steinbach, Cardinal/ Archdiocese of Boston

Manuel Subda, St. Mary Parish, Plymouth

Mary Ulliani, St. Barbara Parish, Woburn

Sister Mary Valliere, CJC, South Region

Jose Villalta, St. Christopher Parish, Dorchester

Sandra Wallace, St. Mary Parish, Quincy

Margaret Wilkie, Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Newton

Janet Wilkinson, St. Cecilia Parish, Ashland

Aynsley Wright, St. Mary Parish, Georgetown-Rowley