The Bay Ridge Community Council honors St. Anselm Parishioners
The Bay Ridge Community Council presented its Hidden Treasures of the Community Awards for 2015 on Tuesday, February 24th in the community room of Shore Hill Residence. Three parishioners of Saint Anselm: Maria Gambino, Josephine Ghorra, and Terence Greene were among the honorees. The Saint Anselm Catholic Academy Home Academy Association, one of the member organizations of the Council, nominated the three honorees for the well-deserved recognition.
Maria Gambino volunteers for St. Anselm Catholic Academy lunch program several days a week and has been the coordinator of the parent volunteer receptionists. She began the Snowflake Ball in which the girls of the Academy invite their father, uncle, or grandfather to a night of dining and dancing at the Academy. For the past four years she has served as a member of the Executive Board of the Home Academy Association and is presently its treasurer. Maria serves as a teacher in the parish’s catechetical program, working with second grade students on Sundays at 8:30 AM from September through June, preparing them for reception of the sacraments. Maria is an outstanding example of Community Service.
Josephine Ghorra is involved in many aspects of the St. Anselm Catholic Academy and Parish community. Josephine is a founding member of the St. Anselm Advent Tree Lighting Committee and assists in the planning of the Advent Tree Lighting ceremony. She is the Chair of the St. Anselm Youth Activities Halloween Party, held the Saturday before Halloween for children up to grade six and adults (costumes are most definitely encouraged), and co-chair of the Ladies’ Night Extravaganza & Raffle, an event that benefits the many outstanding educational programs of St. Anselm Catholic Academy. An enormous supporter of the St. Anselm Youth Activities swim teams, Josephine devotes many Friday nights to cheering on and assisting the girls and boys of St. Anselm. Josephine is truly a Hidden Treasure of Bay Ridge.
Terence Greene is an extremely active member of the St. Anselm community. He has served as coach of the St. Anselm Pandas Softball division for young girls and as basketball coach for both girls and boys of many grades, teaching both athletic skills and sportsmanship. After coaching for several seasons Terry became the Basketball Commissioner of St. Anselm Youth Activities. As Commissioner, he is responsible for St. Anselm’s participation in the Brooklyn Children’s Basketball Association. The goal of BCBA is to encourage athletic skills and positive moral values both on and off the court. Terence was honored in 2014 as “Man of the Year” by the Francis Pope Memorial Foundation, which offers financial and moral support to families with children battling cancer. Terence is an outstanding embodiment of the ideals of Community Service.
Vincent Bocchino, president of the Bay Ridge Community Council, assisted by Alexander Conti and Dean Rasinya, Chairs of the Civic Affairs Committee of the Council, presented the Hidden Treasures of the Community Awards. Also present were James McHugh, Chairman of the Board of Saint Anselm Catholic Academy and Jim McKeon, principal of the Academy.
All the Best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee