Angel of the Catholic Schools Award Recipients Announced

From the Catholic Schools Office

In celebration of Catholic education in the Diocese of Memphis, the Angel of the Catholic Schools Award Dinner and Silent Auction will be held on Wednesday, May 19 at St. Louis Church-Clunan Center. The dinner and silent auction is a pre-tournament event of the Bishop's Open Golf Tournament which will be held on Friday, May 21 at North Creek Golf Club in Southaven. Both events are spear-headed by the Catholic Education Advisory Board-Development Sub-Committee. The Angel of the Catholic Schools Award is given to honor those who have made significant contributions to Catholic education in the Diocese of Memphis. The 2010 honorees are Angelo Lucchesi, Sr., one of the founders of the Bishop's Open Golf Tournament; Deacon Bill Davis, Senior Advisor to the Golf Tournament; and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, in the year of their 150th Jubilee.

Bishop J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. said, "It is with joy that we celebrate our honorees' support of Catholic education. They have given generously of themselves. Our schools, and students, are all lifted by their gifts."

Angelo Lucchesi is a proud Italian American belonging to many community organizations including UNICO, the Italian Society and the Knights of Columbus. In his endeavors for the Knights of Columbus, he was one of the founders of the Bishop's Open Golf Tournament, 24 years ago. The Tournament has been the main fundraiser for the Catholic Education Scholarship Trust. Angelo was also chosen as the Italian American of the Year in 1988, Memphis Italian Festival's Outstanding Italian Award recipient in 1993, and the 1998 recipient of the Joseph P. Cianci Humanitarian Award. His dedication to the community is evident. Angelo and his late wife, Cecilia, had four children. He worked for Jack Daniels Distillery for more than 50 years and was honored in 2002 with the Brown-Forman Lifetime Prestigious Award.

Deacon Bill Davis is a native Memphian. Ordained in 2000 and currently assigned to St Francis of Assisi. Deacon Bill is the Director of Prison ministry for the Diocese of Memphis and Senior Advisor to the Bishop's Open Golf Tournament. He is a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus member and has been involved with the tournament for 18 years and served as co-chairman for 15 years. His current and past service reaches beyond his dedication to Catholic education as he serves in many capacities throughout the Diocese. He is a past recipient of the Msgr. Paul Clunan Award. Deacon Bill and his wife, of 43 years, Georgia, have three sons and three grandchildren.

The Dominican Sisters of the St. Cecilia Congregation, celebrating their 150th Jubilee this year, have been a strong presence in Catholic education in the Memphis area for more than 100 years. The sisters continue to serve at St. Paul School, Bishop Byrne Middle and High School and St. Mary School in Jackson. The Dominican Sisters have held true to the motto of their Order, "to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of their contemplation," by giving the fruits of their contemplation in the apostolate of Catholic education. They serve with a humble and prayerful life.

Dr. Mary McDonald, Secretary of Education and Superintendent of Catholic Schools said, "It is with gratitude to God for his many blessings on our Catholic schools that we celebrate the blessings brought to our students by our honorees. Our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Memphis are enriched by their generous love and support. I thank all of those on the Bishop's Open Golf Tournament Committee for making this great event possible. It is through hard work and dedication that we are able to raise scholarship funds for our schools."

For reservations to the dinner or tournament, or for more information, call 901-373-1205 or visit the tournament website at www.bishopsopen.org.