Gulf Pine Catholic

14 Gulf Pine Catholic • March 6, 2020 Women’s GIFT presents a silent retreat for women The retreat took place at St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis from February 21-23 in which the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola were taught by Father Dominic Pham. This was a silent retreat in which the women dedi- cated themselves to deepen the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and to discover the voice of God who longs to speak to our hearts. The theme of the retreat was based on Peace in the Storms of Life . Twenty eight women from nine different par- ish attended. Attendees were Mildred Bolden, Xiomara Bryant, Juanita P. Calderon, Sylvia A. Dusang, Gena Gatschet-Odem, Ursula Harris, Sue Hoffman, Marie Holtorf, Lauren Hymel, Toni Jones, Marcie Kearns, Joy Landry, Katherine Lefevre, Cindy Levens, Ann Marie McIntyre, Catherine A. McIntyre, Mary Rose Mcphail, Betty Misko, Thoa Nguyen, Maria Padula, Geralyn Roberts, Elizabeth K. Selle, Gale Sheridan, Carol Ann Stentz, Joan Strayham, Tran Oanh, Brandi Odom, and Father Dominic Pham. OLA Sofia Schuyler receives President’s Volunteer Service Award Our Lady Academy (OLA) Junior Sofia Schuyler has been honored for her exemplary volunteer services with a President’s Volunteer Service Award. OLA Junior Sofia Schuyler and Principal Marilyn Pigott This award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country and was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Principal Marilyn Pigott nominated Sofia in recognition of her volun- teer service in the community. Pigott said, “Sofia’s exceptional involve- ment in the community and her efforts to always give back to others made her the ideal recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.” In its 25th year, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, spon- sored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service. When asked what was her most rewarding community service experi- ence, Sophia replied, “Of all the service projects that I have been involved in, I am mostly proud to have been a part of Camp Able.” Camp Able is a summer day-camp for disabled or as members prefer to say diverse abilities She explained, “Working with these children for almost four years now has had a tremendous impact on me personally. The best part of this experience is watching the kids grow over the years and to see how much they have accomplished from summer to summer. They also have helped me grow and improve my abilities to assist them and understand their diverse abilities.” “Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them,” said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. “Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer, too.”