About the Celebration

The Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church was inaugurated in 2012 to recognize the great work and true sacrifice made by lay men and women in the Diocese of Dallas. Nominated by their pastor, parish administrator or diocesan staff member, recipients of this award are practicing Catholics , exemplary volunteers, and known for their public witness to the Catholic faith.

Each person receiving the Bishop’s Award for Service to the Church accepts no compensation for their service, and is recommended by specific evidence of their virtuous good works. This award continues to be presented annually.

The Diocese of Dallas sincerely thanks all of the recipients of the Bishop’s Award for all of their tireless work to the diocese and to their parishes.

Bishop's Award for Service Mass ‐ April 26, 2025

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR AWARD RECIPIENTS

Welcome to the 13th Annual Bishop’s Award for Service Mass!

Date, Time and Place:

Mass of Celebration will be on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 a.m. at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2215 Ross Avenue, Dallas 75201.
Parking is available in the Cathedral garage. The gate into and out of the garage should be open from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. so there will be no cost to you if you exit the garage between those hours.
Plan to arrive by 9:00 a.m. and report to the Gran Salón for registration and to receive your packet. The packet will contain your medal and other pertinent information regarding photography.

Photography:

· We will have a professional photographer present to take your picture as you receive your medal from the Bishop, therefore your family members are asked not to take photos during Mass.

Seating:

When you leave the registration area, please proceed to your assigned seat in the Cathedral. Hospitality Ministers will be at the doors into the church to help you find your seat.
Please sit in your assigned seat which will be marked as indicated on the white card in the front of the packet that you receive.
Seating is reserved for the award recipients only. Family members and guests may sit anywhere in the Cathedral that is not marked reserved. Please make arrangements for any underage children to sit with a responsible adult.

How to Receive Medal from the Bishop:

After the homily, please take your medal out of the packet and hold it in your lap
When you are asked to stand, hold your medal in front of you, and the bishop will bless and sprinkle them with holy water. Be sure to unroll the medal ribbon.

2024 Nomination Form

Before You Start, Please Read the Following:

Nominees for the Bishop’s Award for Service must be:

Baptized
Confirmed Catholics
Actively participates in Sunday Mass at your parish
If married, married validly in the Catholic Church
Over age 18
A registered member of your parish for more than one calendar year
A Catholic in good standing, not under canonical penalty and free from scandal
A volunteer – they must not receive financial compensation from your or any other parish for either full-time, part-time, or contract/stipend employment.
Diocesan Safe Environment policy requires criminal background checks for volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults.
Previously unrecognized – they may not be former recipients of this award from your or any other parish. A volunteer may receive this award only once in a lifetime.

I acknowledge that I have read, understand the following criteria.

Parish | Parroquia

Nominee's Last Name | Apellido de Nominado

Nominee's First Name | Nombre de Nominado

Nominee's Middle Initial | Inicial del Segundo Nombre

Name as it is to appear on medal | El nombre tal y como aparecerá en la medalla

Address | Dirección

City | Ciudad

Zip Code | Código Postal

Phone Number | Teléfono

Email | Correo Electrónico

Number of Years Serving in the Parish | Cuantos años tiene serviendo en la parroquia

Parishioner's preferred language | Idioma preferido del feligrés

Is this person over the age of 18? | ¿Es esta persona mayor de 18 años?

Yes No

Is this person current on Diocesan Safe Environment Certification? | ¿Esta persona está al día con la Certificación Diocesana de Ambiente Seguro?

Yes No

Basis for Recommendation (Please Upload Written Document) | Razones de la recomendación (Por favor cargue el documento escrito)

Please Review Before Submitting | Por favor, revise antes de enviar

• Individual must be a Catholic in good standing and, at least 18 years of age and should have rendered dedicated, selfless, faithful volunteer service to your parish. | El ministro debe ser un católico en buen estado con la Iglesia Católica, por lo menos 18 años de edad, y que ha ofrecido un servicio voluntario dedicado, desinteresado y fiel a su parroquia.

• Parish staff persons or anyone compensated in any way by the Church are not eligible. | El personal parroquial, o cualquier persona que recibe compensación monetaria de la Iglesia no son elegibles para ser nominados.

• Nominations must be completed and signed by the Pastor (not delegated to staff). | Las nominaciones deben ser completadas y firmadas por el Párroco/ Administrador Parroquial (y no delegado al personal).

Pastor/Parish Administrator Full Name | Nombre Completo del Párroco/Administrador Parroquial

Pastor/Parish Administrator e-signature (First and Last Name) | Firma electrónica del Párroco/Administrador Parroquial (Nombre y Apellido)

Today's Date | La fecha de hoy

PLEASE NOTE

Form may take a while to upload your document, please do not navigate away from this page until submission is complete.

Nomination for must be received by September 27, 2024 – If you have any questions please email [email protected].

DO NOT inform nominees, letters will be sent to approved recipients. This event is made possible by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and thank you for your submission.

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