Fashions, Honors and Faith

St. Elizabeth’s Guild hosted its 41st annual Volunteer Activist Awards Luncheon on September 27. Approximately 550 guests gathered to demonstrate their support for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and its programs, which include Café Hope, Independent Living Skills Program, Padua Pediatrics and St. John the Baptist Community Head Start Program.

Local celebrities and guild members modeled the latest trends in a fashion show presented by Dillard’s, with guild member Joan Ingram as emcee. Special guests included 2011 “American Idol” Finalist Jovany Barreto, who provided entertainment, and motivational speaker Jonathan Kernion, who is also a former resident of Madonna Manor, which is operated by Catholic Charities.

Attendees dined on fresh salad and chicken picatta with lemon caper butter sauce and capped off their meals with rich white chocolate bread pudding smothered in caramel and butter pecan anglaise. In addition to a flavorful meal, guests also had the opportunity to indulge in auction items such as a freshwater pearl necklace with 14 karat gold earrings, a Black Saga mink vest and a reworked giclée original, “Uptown Bound,” by artist Terrance Osborne.

The most honored guests of the evening were the two Hall of Fame honorees, Betty L. Bagert and Fran Gable Villere, and the 10 community activists selected by the guild for their exceptional volunteerism and community involvement. This year’s honorees were Ralph Cox, Cindy C. Enright, Jeri Nims, Pat Paternosto, Sally-Ann Roberts, Eleanor Straub, Lizetter M. Terral, Susie C. Veters, Barbara Turner Windhorst and Margie Loud Zeno.

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