The first of two Shining Star Award dinners was held Oct. 4 at Gargiulo’s Restaurant, Coney Island, honoring the contributions of immigrants to the diocese. Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto and Msgr. Ronald Marino, vicar for migrant and ethnic apostolates, presided.

Honored were Sister Irene Ama Sewaah Nkromah, Ghana; Mae O’Driscoll, Ireland; Gamal Abdelmesih, Egypt; Sir Anthony Okeke, Nigeria; Eliete Lopes de Oliveiro Jeronimo, Brazil; Helen Ha Huynh, Vietnam; Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, Mexico; Cheryl Charles, Caribbean; George Joseph, Vicariate for Black Catholic Concerns; Irma Rose Laguerre Alexis, Haiti; Deacon Jaime Varela, Puerto Rico; Virginia Vargas, Dominican Republic; Rodrigo Mendes, Colombia; Josefa Castro, Ecuador; and Alejandro and Elba Pacheco, Guatemala.

Msgr. Kieran Harrington, vicar for communications, presented a check for $100,000 from the DeSales Media Group to Father Patrick Keating, CEO of Catholic Migration Services.