Maryellen and David Bailey, our 2025 St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation Awardees Every year, a tough decision is made by each pastor in the Archdiocese of Hartford: the priest must select from among all his parishioners one person or a married couple who are to   receive from Archbishop Christopher Coyne, the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation. We have a long tradition here at St. Catherine of Siena Parish of having an abundance of people who carry out the mission and ministries of our Church, they number in the legions. This year is like all the other years before, a difficult choice to be made for sure, but also the satisfaction that worthy   people are being recognized for their good works. 

I am honored to announce that Archbishop Coyne has approved my nomination of David and Maryellen Bailey to receive this Archdiocesan award for 2025.   Maryellen and David joined our parish in January 1, 2008 and have been involved in   various projects, activities and opportunities.

Maryellen leads our parish’s altar linen society,  ensuring that our parish has clean and properly prepared sacred linens for the celebration of our Masses and other liturgies. She has a trusted group of individuals who work together on this   important liturgical project. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please call the parish office at 860 658 1642. Maryellen is a daily Mass attendee and also leads our October Mary Garden outdoor rosary during the month that is dedicated to the sanctity of human life, and is also a member of the weekday rosary and prayer group that prays after the daily Mass. David is a master craftsman, and by avocation he created and designed and then hand-crated our new altar furniture (the altar, ambo—lectern—tabernacle altar, and credence table, including the marble tops). In designing and building them, working closely with me and Mike Grappone, David came up with liturgically correct and space-specific furniture for our new sanctuary. He did an amazing job and to call this a labor of love, is an understatement. I thank both David and Maryellen for their generosity of time, talent and resources for all their good works in His Holy Name.