2015 Women of the Year recognized at banquet

Friday, May. 01, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — “A devoted Catholic and an inspiration to all of us.”

These words were written about Ruth Harris of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Magna, but that description could easily fit all of those who were recognized at the 2015 Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s annual Women of the Year banquet, held April 25 at the Sheraton Salt Lake City.  

The 32 women are choir directors, parish pageant organizers, regular attendees at the weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, religious education teachers and thrift store volunteers, to name just a few of the ministries they undertake. 

The Women of the Year banquet drew more than 450 people; guests included the Most Rev. John C. Wester, who was attending one of his last formal events as Bishop of Salt Lake City before being named Archbishop of Santa Fe; Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general; Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus; Monsignor Robert Servatius, the DCCW’s spiritual advisor; numerous priests from throughout the diocese and Holy Cross Sister Yvonne Hatt, who serves in Christ the King Parish.

Each parish in the diocese that has a DCCW affiliate submitted a nomination for the Women of the Year award, as did the Catholic Woman’s League. Among those who received the award was Vanessa Liesik, a member of Saint Helen Parish in Roosevelt who serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a lector and a religious education teacher, as well as director of the parish’s annual Christmas pageant. 

Such service to the Church runs in the family; Liesik’s mother was the parish’s 1997 Woman of the Year.

Similarly, Ruth Harris of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was active in her parish for 17 years: She sang in the choir, served on the funeral committee, hosted the RCIA for five years and was a lector at daily Mass.

Her nomination form reads in part: “Ruth always took pride in straightening up the missalettes and taking care of the candles after daily Mass. Although Ruth is not able to make it to Mass these days, she till watches Mass on television and does the Stations of the Cross at home.”

Like Harris, Carol Ann Frost of Saint George Parish in St. George is a longtime member of her parish. When she joined the parish 23 years ago, she “immediately joined the choir and a year later became ‘temporary leader.’ She has been there ever since as our choir director,” her nomination form reads.

In addition, she has served leadership roles in the parish’s Women’s Group as well as been a member of the Advisory Council and the Welcome and Sunshine committees, volunteers at the parish thrift store, is a vocalist at funerals and creates the arrangements for special Masses and events.

Patricia Siliezar of Saint Joseph Parish in Ogden “does the work of 10 and is always willing to take on more when asked,” according to her nomination form. She is the parish’s office manager but teaches the Spanish-language classes for the sacraments of confirmation and baptism, as well. She also prepares girls for their quinceañeras, serves as a lector and Eucharistic minister, and translates documents — “bridging the gap between the English and Spanish communities of the parish.”

Jennifer Quintana Neisen probably has been involved with her parish longer than any of the other women: She was baptized at Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale and now serves as a lector, Eucharistic minister and CCD teacher, as well as sitting on the parish council and stewardship committee. She also is co-chair of the parish’s Diocesan Development Drive, president of the Women’s Guild, and a member of the Wasatch Deanery Council and Pastoral Year Internship Committee.

The Women of the Year deserve the award they received, said Archbishop Wester. He added, “I give thanks to our loving God, who gave you the gifts that enabled you to win this recognition, and I give thanks to this loving God for giving you to us.”