Donna DeGregorio Presented Cheverus Award

By Stephen W. Fielding

Donna DeGregorio, long-time Religious Faith Formation director at St. Mary of the Assumption Church that is part of Blessed Mother of the Morning Star parish, stood in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Sunday, October 2, 2022 and received the Bishop Jean-Louis Lefevre Cheverus Award. This prestigious acknowledgement from Cardinal Sean O’Malley; for those dedicated to the church who bear witness and serve through faith and actions in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, was a moment Donna never dreamed about when she began working at St. Mary’s eighteen years ago.

Donna was nominated by Fr. John Sheridan, pastor, and Linda DeCristoforo, pastoral associate. She was extremely flattered and humbled by this. “At the Cathedral, during the ceremony, I was overwhelmed and felt so fortunate. I have a supporting husband and children, and I love what I do.”

This was especially true during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021when the religious education program went totally virtual, having individual teachers and students participating in classroom zoom meetings. The enormous task of coordinating this and managing the program on a weekly basis was, to say the least, particularly arduous. Donna explained, “I knew nothing about zoom but learned quickly. The Archdiocese had strict guidelines and protocol and required two teachers present during each zoom class. Monitoring the attendees and teaching in this setting was difficult. It was very encouraging to see how the teachers, parents, and children responded during the two years. It turned out much better than I expected. We had one-hundred thirty children participate, including thirty children preparing for First Communion.” Fr. John Sheridan, pastor, expressed that during this particular period, “Donna took on an impossible situation with grace, class, and a deep sense of mission. She not only did it well but excelled and led by her heart, mind, and soul. This is why she was nominated.”

Donna has spearheaded many activities to entice families and children to become more involved in the parish. Over the years she has organized family movie nights, family bingo, painting events, arts & crafts projects, the Fall and Spring Festivals, holiday-themed events such as the Children’s Christmas party, Adult Advent wreath-making, and this year – a children’s Christmas project titled “A Journey to Bethlehem.”

A West Revere resident for thirty-seven years, Donna and her husband Attilio, have two grown sons, Vincenzo and Emillio. The foreseeable future sees Donna continuing her special journey: bringing children and families together at St. Mary’s and providing a solid footing in their faith formation.

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