by thelewisaw1dev | Apr 23, 2021 | Excellence in Teaching, News
Congratulations to Tina Isenbarger, the 2019-2020 Recipient of the Monsignor Gerald Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Isenbarger teaches at St. Ann Catholic School, Fayetteville. She was notified of her selection on March 13, 2020, the Friday before schools were closed due to the pandemic. The long-awaited mass to honor Ms. Isenbarger was finally celebrated at St. Ann’s Church on April 21.
You can read more about this beautiful event, covered by Mandy Howard, writer for the NC Catholic, on the Diocese of Raleigh website:
https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/after-year-delay-lewis-award-mass-honors-tina-isenbarger (Linked with permission from NC Catholic editor Kate Watson.)
Keith Brown, Chair of the Lewis Award Committee
Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger
Anne Stahel, Founder of the Award, Monsignor Lewis and Tina Isenbarger
Tina Isenbarger, Recipient, and Rene Corders, Principal of St. Ann Catholic School
by thelewisaw1dev | Dec 29, 2020 | Excellence in Teaching, News
Expressing Our Gratitude
The purpose of the annual Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching is to recognize, promote and encourage teaching excellence in the Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Schools. Considering the uncertainties of the pandemic, the Award Process was paused for this year.
The Lewis Award Committee, however, recognizes the unprecedented challenges faced by the faculty in all schools. During this pandemic year, every teacher should be recognized for demonstrating a selfless commitment, both professional and personal, to excellence in Catholic education.
The Committee chose to honor and express our gratitude to the teachers with a special prayer, composed and blessed by Monsignor Lewis. The week before Christmas, the principals were presented a plaque with the prayer and logos of each elementary and high school as a reminder of the sacrifices the teachers have made and continue to make in the 2020–2021 school year. Please take the time to listen to the video from Keith Brown, Chair of the Committee, followed by a gallery of photos from presentations across the Diocese. May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly throughout this Christmas season and the coming year.
Sincerely,
The Lewis Award Committee:
- Keith Brown, Chair
- Lesley Ferguson
- Susan Goethals
- Cynthia Hanks
- Rosalie Innacelli
- Michelle Silva
Ex-Officio:
- Father John Forbes
- Monsignor Lewis
- Superintendent Lytia Reese
- John Ruocchio
- Anne Stahel
Video of presentation by Keith Brown, Committee Chair to Joyce Price, Principal of St. Mary’s in Wilmington.
Monsignor Lewis blessing the plaques and cards to be presented to each school.
The plaque with the prayer composed by Monsignor Lewis.
Bless Our Catholic School Teachers
Dear Lord, this has been a trying time for the dedicated teachers in our Catholic Schools caused by a virus that has infected our whole world. Loving Father, our teachers have continued to teach our children of your love and presence as well as the sciences of life amid great hardship. We beg your blessings on these dedicated teachers and upon those whom they teach. Let them know that your rainbow of love is over them and that their efforts will be rewarded by your protective love. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Great Teacher, in Union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2020/2021
Msgr. Gerald Lewis
Gallery
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by thelewisaw1dev | Aug 2, 2019 | Interesting Tidbits
The Award was initiated by Anne Stahel to give Monsignor Lewis a meaningful expression of her immeasurable gratitude for his unwavering pastoral support and friendship through times of family tragedy and multiple personal losses. As Anne very succinctly puts it “he was marrying, burying and being part of the Stahel and Williams families”, a friendship that spans over 50 years.
The expression of gratitude evolved into an idea for the Award endowment modeled on a class project of Anne’s late husband’s Princeton roommate, Ralph Nader, and his classmates. Identify an unaddressed need and move it forward. Anne embraced the idea, focused on the Diocese of Raleigh and through much discussion realized there was nothing in place to honor exceptional teachers in the Catholic Schools. So began the Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching. Since the first Award was presented on Monsignor’s 60th Birthday in 1992 there have been 28 outstanding educators who have been recipients as well as 9 Lifetime Achievement Awards presented for significant commitment and contribution to Catholic Schools.
Click here to read the full moving story of the Genesis of the Lewis Award
Consider nominating an exceptional teacher who has touched your lives or the lives of your children. The nomination period for the 2019-2020 Lewis Award will begin September 1 and end September 30. Forms will be available on this website.
by thelewisaw1dev | Aug 1, 2017 | News
Colleen O’Connor Grochowski, PhD
This past year the Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching was celebrated for 25 years of recognizing the excellent teachers in the Diocese of Raleigh Catholic Schools. Anne Stahel, the founder of the Award and Chair of the Committee since it’s inception in 1992, has decided to “pass the gavel” but will continue her extraordinary commitment to the Award as Chair Emeritus and invaluable mentor.
Anne and the Committee are delighted that Dr. Colleen O’Connor Grochowski (pronounced ‘Grow-husky’) has accepted the position of Chairperson. Colleen has served on the Lewis Award Committee since 2005, and as vice-chair from 2010. Her ‘day job’ is associate dean for Curricular Affairs, Duke University School of Medicine. She and her husband, Chris reside in Durham, have two adult sons, and recently became grandparents for the first time. Colleen shared her thoughts and experience with the Lewis Award.
“First, let me tell you that I have a deep appreciation for Catholic education. I am a product of Catholic education. Our children went to Catholic schools. Our younger son is a Catholic high school teacher. It is such a joy for me to have the opportunity to be “involved” in Catholic education through my work with the Lewis Award. I should also tell you that I’m an educator, but my focus is on adult learning. The Lewis Award has allowed me the opportunity to go back to primary and secondary schools to witness the wonder of children learning.
The Lewis Award allows us to acknowledge and celebrate Catholic school educators. I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be allowed into teachers’ classrooms to observe them. I’m touched by their commitment to their students, their energy, and their creativity. Their love for their students is palpable. These educators are in it for the love of our children and our God. We formally celebrate them once a year through the selection of the Recipient of the Lewis Award, but we on the Lewis Award Committee are ever grateful for all these educators do for our children and their commitment to our children’s future.”
Monsignor Lewis, Anne, and Colleen
by thelewisaw1dev | Sep 1, 2015 | Interesting Tidbits
As we look forward to the 25th Anniversary of the Award in 2016-2017, each month the website will highlight past recipients.
Betty Pat Goddard
1992-1993 Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching
Then & Now:
When she received the Award Mrs. Goddard was teaching Second Grade at Annunciation Catholic School in Havelock. She now resides in Oklahoma.
Mrs. Goddard reflects on teaching in a Catholic School.
“Teaching is a profession of hope. Every day is a clean slate. I like beginnings and teaching is one hundred seventy nine beginnings and one ending.”
“I believe the mission of Catholic schools is to teach as Jesus did. ‘Within such communities of faith, teachers and pupils experience together what it means to live a life of prayer, personal responsibility and freedom reflective of Gospel values. Their fellowship helps them to grow in their commitment to service of God, one another, the church, and the general community.’ Teach as Jesus Did.”
Sister Lisa Ann Golden, I.H.M.
1993-1994 Monsignor Gerald Lawrence Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching
Then & Now:
When she received the Award Sister Lisa was teaching Second Grade at Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Raleigh. She is currently the principal of St. James Catholic School in Savannah, Georgia.
“What makes… an outstanding teacher… is the balance… of being firm and loving, challenging and supportive. My hope for each child… is that they know God’s deep love for them and that they maintain a self-confidence to always try their best.
The mission of Catholic Schools is to build strong Christian leaders, law-abiding citizens and service oriented people. Through a structured curriculum, the Catholic School System seeks to educate a responsible and resourceful person who is loyal to both Church and community, a person who is comfortable in spreading the Gospel message through their words and actions to all whom they meet in everyday life.”
Anne Stahel and Sister Lisa (2012)
Interesting Tidbit
Monsignor Gerald Lewis grew up Methodist in Biloxi, Mississippi. He had many Catholic friends and he converted to Catholicism as a young adult.
Msgr. Lewis was a corpsman in the U.S. Navy serving on the USS Deuel. He knew he was getting out of the navy soon and prayed that the Lord would tell him what his next mission in life should be. He made a pilgrimage to Lourdes with his chaplain. While there Msgr. Lewis prayed that the Blessed Mother would help him decide what to do. When he arrived back at the ship, mail was waiting for him. In his mail was a pamphlet titled Caring To Be A Priest. Young Jerry Lewis read the pamphlet thoroughly and the rest is history!
