Three individuals and one group will receive pro-life awards at the St. John Paul II Champions for Life award luncheon Oct. 13.
Hannah Hoekman of Epiphany in Coon Rapids, Viviana Sotro of St. Stephen in Minneapolis and Agnes Dynes of Holy Childhood in St. Paul will all receive individual category awards. The Youth Social Ministry Team from St. Pius X in White Bear Lake won the Catholic affiliated group category.
Hoekman, the youth/young adult category winner, dedicates time to many pro-life endeavors through parish groups and the public school setting. Despite obstacles, she started a pro-life group at Anoka High School in addition to highlighting pro-life issues for her senior project. She also began a youth pro-life group at Epiphany and has worked with the parish’s adult pro-life group to pray in front of Planned Parenthood.
Sotro, a staff member at St. Stephen, works to build a culture of life in her parish and inner city Minneapolis. The pro-life professional category winner counsels young women to help them choose life, advises married couples in support groups and teaches chastity among her other ministry endeavors.
Dynes, the adult volunteer category winner, has dedicated many years to pro-life work. When not serving as the pro-life chair for the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Dynes serves in the community. That includes organizing an annual prayer service in Como Park for the unborn and participating in the pro-life rally at the Capitol on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
St. Pius X’s Youth Social Ministry team has nine members dedicated to works of mercy, which include helping orphans, hosting a prayer service for the deceased and making fleece blankets for the poor. They also educated their parish about the works of mercy with a booklet they made during the Year of Mercy.
The luncheon honoring winners will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at St. Peter in Mendota. Bishop Andrew Cozzens will deliver the keynote speech and present the awards. For more information and to register, visit www.archspm.org/c4l. Or, contact 651-291-4488 or MFL@archspm.org.
