SEA ISLE CITY – Each year, to honor individuals who perform good work in the community, the Knights of Columbus Madonna Maria Council #3560, of Saint Joseph Catholic Church, distribute “Community Awards” to local students, first responders, senior citizens and others they feel are stand-outs in their fields.
This year, the Knights distributed their awards on June 23 during a ceremony inside the Saint Joseph Parish Auditorium.
The Madonna Maria Council’s 2022 “Shield” award went to Sea Isle City Police Patrolman Tully O’Clisham, who is an Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop 76 and a former U.S. Marine, who served in Iraq during the War on Terror. Known as an individual who cares greatly for the safety of children, Patrolman O’Clisham is the only Certified Car Seat Safety Technician in Cape May County, and he is developing a program that will help parents better understand the Mobile Apps that their children are using on their smart phones.
This year’s Educator of the Year is Kathryn Ratchford, a long-time teacher at Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School, who is noted for being compassionate and positive – and for being involved in many aspects of school life.
The Knights’ 2022 Female Student of the Year is Margaret “Maggie” Halbruner, a member of Ocean City High School’s Class of 2022, who is a National Honor Society student and a member of OCHS’s Latin Club, Peer-to-Peer Club and Track & Field Team. Margaret is also a dance instructor; and she will attend Penn State University in the fall.
The Male Student of the Year award went to Shane Klemick, a member of Wildwood Catholic High School’s Class of 2022, where he was the President of Student Council, a National Honor Society student, and a member of WCHS’s Baseball and Golf teams. An Altar Server at Saint Joseph Church for the past six years, Shane will attend Villanova University in the fall.
The Ramirez family, of Sea Isle City, was chosen to receive this year’s Family of the Year award. Parents Mario and Ari, along with their children Dana, 14, Dillon, 9 and Baby Diego joined Saint Joseph Church in 2017, and ever since then have been involved in various parish ministries and volunteer efforts. They are well-loved by their fellow parishioners and are known to be greatly devoted to their faith.
The 2022 Senior Citizen of the Year award went to Anne “Chick” Flora, who has served on numerous parish planning committees and ad-hoc groups over the years. Mrs. Flora is also a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the parish’s Environment / Decorating Committee, and a past Regent for the Catholic Daughters. Known for her kindness and generosity, she is also a familiar face at charitable organizations in the surrounding community.
The 2022 Citizen of the Year award was presented to Marie Peltier, who is the current Parish Council President at Saint Joseph Church, as well as a Catholic Daughter, a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Environment / Decorating Committee, a Lector at weekend masses, and Chairperson of the Altar Servers ministry. Mrs. Peltier is also a member of several civic organizations in Sea Isle City, including the Historical Society, Italian-American Club, and Beachcomber Tour Guides.
Each year, the Madonna Maria Council also chooses one of their own to be honored. The 2022 Knight of the Year award went to Deacon Joseph Murphy, a retired Philadelphia Police Detective who has been a member of Saint Joseph’s parish staff for over 11 years. According to Grand Knight Ed McFadden, Deacon Murphy deserves this award because of his “tireless work and dedication to the parish.”
“We distribute Community Awards because we want to recognized people who have contributed to the betterment of our community and our church during the past year,” said the Grand Knight. “We have been doing this for many years, because we feel that it is important to give credit where credit is due and to acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond for others.”
To learn more about the Knights of Columbus of Saint Joseph Church, email mcfaddene1@comcast.net or go to www.stjosephsic.org.
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