Recipients of this year’s Communities of Salt and Light Awards, bestowed by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg, are “folks who have really lived the mission of Catholic Charities, the diocese and the Catholic Church itself,” said Bishop Larry Kulick.
Presented for the 23rd year, the awards recognize individuals and organizations who give of their time, talents and resources to benefit the welfare of residents of Westmoreland, Fayette, Indiana and Armstrong counties.
Two individuals and one group were honored during a dinner Thursday attended by 650 people at Stratigos Banquet Center in North Huntingdon.
“Through their philanthropy, through their volunteerism, through their example, they really embody the values we try to represent and that reflect those of the church,” Kulick said.
Lifetime award
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Monsignor Raymond E. Riffle, vicar general of the Diocese of Greensburg and rector of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.
Riffle served as director of Catholic Charities from 1995 until 2020, when he was appointed vicar general by Bishop Larry J. Kulick.
Riffle began serving on the board of Catholic Charities in 1984, and was asked in 1992 to become director. In preparation, he returned to school and earned dual master’s degrees in social work and public administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995.
As director, Riffle oversaw two major changes at Catholic Charities — the move of the offices from downtown Greensburg to the Pastoral Center campus on East Pittsburgh Street and the development and growth of the agency’s Information and Referral Services.
Riffle has been not just a spiritual leader, but also a close friend to her family for 35 years, said Holly Uccellini, president of the Catholic Charities board.
“My children call him their favorite uncle,” she said. “He’s had an unbelievable influence not just on their faith, but on their attitude toward service. It’s such an important part of the Catholic faith and how you get by in the world.”
Epitome of service
The Communities of Salt and Light Humanitarian Award was presented to Gerald “Jerry” Wilcox of Greensburg.
As a volunteer for the Food for Kids Program, Wilcox helps pack weekend lunches for school children who might otherwise go without.
Wilcox said he remembers a time when all he had to eat in a day was one bowl of soup.
He also volunteers with the Senior Care Ministry at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensburg, where he and his wife, Aggie, are parishioners. He visits with two people, one who shares his love of reading and the other who likes to talk about sports.
“I have a difficult time accepting this award as an individual, because what I do is so small compared to what the needs are in the community,” Wilcox said. “I really feel that it should be a recognition of all the people who contribute so much to our community.”
While many people have good intentions of doing service work, Wilcox just quietly goes about doing it, Uccellini said.
“He is the epitome of what we think of as people of service,” she said, noting that he also volunteer with a number of secular organizations, including Meals on Wheels.
The Kindness Closet at St. Edward Parish in Herminie was honored as Outstanding Human Service Organization. The free clothing distribution program was started by parishioners Kate McKinley and Natalie Jurcevich, who wanted to find a way to give the clothes their children outgrew to families who could use them.
During the pandemic, they gathered with a small group of parishioners and the idea for the Kindness Closet grew out of their discussions.
Clothes are collected in a donation box at the parish, then sorted by volunteers and moved to the Kindness Closet shop in the former convent building at the parish. People in need can visit the shop to obtain clothing free of charge.
“The Kindness Closet is relatively new, and it was supposed to be just a little thing, but it has just snowballed,” Uccellini said. “That’s the kind of organization we need when there are so many who need so much.”
Over the last 23 years, the Communities of Salt and Light Awards Dinner has raised $1.6 million, which Catholic Charities uses to aid the poor and needy in the diocese’s four-county area.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg was established in 1954 as the primary social service arm of the Catholic Church.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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