Dr. Pauline Viviano 

Dr. Pauline Viviano loves teaching the Bible.

By day, for over 25 years, she's been teaching graduate and undergraduate students at Loyola University of Chicago.

By night, and on the weekends, Dr. Viviano has enthusiastically shared her knowledge of Scripture with Catholic adults in the parishes of Chicago, and beyond.

Since 1983, she's given over 150 talks and multi-week courses on biblical topics in Chicago-area parishes, an average of six a year. Since 1985, she's taught 23 semester courses introducing the Bible in the Lay Ministry and Diaconate training programs of the Archdiocese of Chicago, an average of one 14-week course a year. Since 1999, Dr. Viviano has been significantly involved in the Chicago Catholic Scripture School, the official Bible study program of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the Scripture School, she's taught 22 ten-week classes on various sections of the Bible, an average of over two such classes a year.

Over the last twenty years, Dr. Viviano has also contributed to adult faith formation nationwide. She's taught many week-long workshops on Scripture-related topics at various universities and regularly taught in diocesan lay ministry training programs in Arkansas, Wisconsin, and elsewhere.

Pauline Viviano has been a gift to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Pauline communicates the Catholic approach to the Bible in language that the average Catholic understands.

She's a committed and highly knowledgeable Catholic, and in the process of teaching Scripture, she teaches Catholicism and Catholic theology in a way that students love.

And Pauline's deep faith and passion for Scripture illuminate everything she teaches.

Archdiocesan Awardees

Roxanne Wleklinski

Roxanne is the head of Children’s Liturgy of the Word at St. Ann’s Parish in Lansing.  She has been a catechist for over six years and she always encourages others to join and take part in this ministry.

Dorota Stanek

For the last four years, Dorota Stanek has been the Catechetical Coordinator at The St. Hyacinth Wincenty Witos Polish School. She has been a catechist there for eleven years. Mrs. Stanek is consistently caring for our students with kindness, determination, and love.

Parents of our students feel very comfortable entrusting them to Mrs. Stanek. She is always aware of a student's spiritual and social needs, and she manages her students with concern and respect.

Youth Catechesis Council of St. John of the Cross

Jim Duff, Donna Urbain, Michael Baron, Barb Knowles, and Sande Esposito have each held a term as Chairperson on this council during the last 10 years.  Through them a strong foundation was laid. At St. John of the Cross, the Youth Catechesis Council elects one person as the chair to lead all the members.  Each one of them brings their unique gifts to the council and through their ministry both the Council and the program evolves.

Ten years ago, Sande had the vision to guide the Council toward creating a mission statement that would provide direction over the next decade. 

Barb allowed the parents and catechists to have a voice through a parent survey and textbook selection.

With Michael’s knowledge of technology and his leadership skills, he developed a fundraiser to purchase new computers for the YC staff and found a specialist that created an efficient database.

Donna knew that a strong council would continue to lead to a strong YC program so she campaigned to raise the level of awareness of the YC Council and increased numbers to 12 members.

Jim dedicated himself to hear the voice of all members and he lead the Council to create the first Vacation Bible School that will take place this summer.

Over the last 10 years, these very talented people used their unique gifts and allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them in a way that will continue to touch the lives of every child in Youth Catechesis for years to come.

Marie Seaman

Marie has been involved in ministry for 45 years. Her career began as a first grade teacher at St. Dominic's School for Boys in Memphis, Tennessee. By 1966 she had moved to Chicago, where she soon became one of the 72 Master Catechists who were chosen by the relatively new Office for Religious Education to train catechists. In 1972, and for the next ten years, Marie was hired by the ORE, where she became part of a team of pioneers in the field of Religious Education to write catechetical programs for use in parishes. She also designed the first Early Childhood program to be used in Chicago.

In 1982 Marie accepted a position as pastoral associate in Denver, Colorado. Then, from 1985-1990, she was called to Bardstown, Kentucky, where she spent wonderful years traveling to the sixty little rural churches as catechist to catechists in that diocese.

Since 1990, Marie has served the parishes of St. Cletus in LaGrange, St. Emily in Mount Prospect, and St. Louis de Montfort and St. Linus in Oak Lawn as Director of Religious Education.

All told, Marie has served the Archdiocese of Chicago for 33 of her 45 years of ministry. Well-loved by fellow catechetical leaders of the Southwest Suburban Cluster and of the Chicago Association of Religious Educators, and most especially by the thousands of families whom she has served, Marie will be sorely missed when she retires from active ministry in June.

Pedro Avitia

Pedro Avitia has been a catechist of evangelization at Maryville/Our Lady of Guadalupe for three years, dedicated to the evangelization of adults. He has organized intensive evangelization retreats of La Escuela de la Cruz, which have been very productive. He organizes Lenten retreats each year to help men and women be more united with Christ our Lord and the Church. He has formed cells from these retreats—small groups of women who help make other small groups, which become part of the community to share their testimony and persevere in their everyday lives.

Rosemary Whiteside

Rosemary Whiteside is a very quiet, unassuming individual who gives from her heart.

Rosemary has nine children and nine great grandchildren. She and her husband, Art, have been parishioners at Our Lady of Victory for 42 years, and tomorrow she and her husband will be married 48 years.

Through the years, Rosemary has been a den mom, a lunch mom, and currently she is a lunch grandma. For years she has been a catechist for fourth grade in the parish religious education program.

Anna Ewelina Janicki

For the past three years, Anna has worked with the Transfiguration Parish Sacramental program through the Saturday Polish School and also in the School of Religion. She understands the importance of helping her students keep their Polish traditions, language, and heritage. At the same time, she understands that these children are growing up in American schools and are accustomed to learning in an interactive way with current teaching methods.

Anna spends much time searching out good teaching materials. When something is not available in Polish, she translates it or makes her own teaching materials. She has translated the entire parish First Communion book so her students could participate in this education along with the rest of the children. Anna constantly translates notes and memos, makes phone calls, and sends email so that the parents are kept up-to-date and involved in their child's sacramental preparation.