Cardinal DiNardo named 'Irishman of the Year'
El Campo couples attend St. Patrick's Emerald Ball

Contributed Photo Meeting The Cardinal Denise Couey (right), was a guest of Mary Jo Faykus (left) at St. Patrick's Emerald Ball where Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, center, was named Irishman of the Year. Couey said she was delighted to have met the Cardinal at the event in which he was honored. Couey was accompanied by her husband Blair. Faykus served on the committee that organized the event.

As His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo was announced Irishman of the Year for 2008, several Catholics from El Campo were there to honor him.

Cardinal DiNardo is archbishop of the Galveston-Houston Diocese. He was honored at St. Patrick's Emerald Ball Friday, March 7 at The Houston Club, 811 Rusk at Milam.

Blair and Denise Couey of El Campo were the guests of Mary Jo and Preston Faykus of El Campo and were seated at the "Table of the Villa" with the Sisters of Charity.

"Blair and I were most grateful to have received the invitation from Mary Jo and Preston Faykus for The Emerald Ball honoring Daniel Cardinal DiNardo as Irishman of The Year for 2008," Denise said. "What an honor it was for us to meet the first Cardinal from Texas, and what a delightful, humble and holy man he is, as well as an eloquent speaker."

The event included a reception, dinner and dance, as well as entertainment by the McTeggart Irish Dancers.

"Daniel Cardinal DiNardo's mother is Irish and his father is Italian," Denise Couey said. "I felt most honored to have this opportunity to meet His Eminence. He was very personable and a good listener. While speaking with the Cardinal he mentioned that he knew where El Campo was. He had passed through on his way to Victoria to meet with Bishop Fellhauer. I felt most comfortable in his company."

DiNardo is the metropolitan archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston- Houston. He was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Galveston- Houston on Jan. 16, 2004. On Feb. 28, 2006 he succeeded Joseph Fiorenza as archbishop upon Pope Benedict XVI's acceptance of Fiorenza's resignation.

On Oct. 17, 2007, the Pope announced that he would make DiNardo a Cardinal. DiNardo was elevated to the College of Cardinals in the consistory at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Nov. 24, 2007. He is the first Cardinal in the Southern United States.

A silent auction was also held to benefit the Project of St. Brendan.

"Blair and I were able to contribute to the silent auction by purchasing a Irish Celtic cross," Denise said.

The mission of St. Brendan's is "to assist the Bishops of Texas in the recruitment and enrollment of Irishmen in seminarian studies for the benefit of the Catholic Diocese of Texas and to provide financial assistance to Irish persons currently enrolled in religious studies for the purpose of joining a Texas Diocese or religious order during the course of work with the State of Texas."

The occasion also commemorated the life of St. Patrick, a Christian missionary who was named the patron saint of Ireland.

"May God continue to bless and guide the Irish Community as it follows the testimony of Saint Patrick, endowing culture with faith, alive and vibrant," Cardinal DiNardo said.

Patrick was born in Roman Britain. When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary.

To mark the occasion, a plaque and natural green long stem rose were presented to Cardinal DiNardo.

"His smile, the joy that illuminates from his eyes and the fact that I could feel the presence of the Lord shining from within him was an awesome experience," she said.

Co-chairs for the event were Dorothy Davitt and Jeannie Kearns of Houston. Mary Jo Faykus was one of the seven persons serving on the committee. She is a former native of Ireland.

Also, Mary Jo Faykus, Denise Couey and Irene Flores of El Campo attended the Mass celebrated by Cardinal DiNardo at 10 a.m., Friday March 14 at St. Basil's Chapel at The University of St. Thomas in Houston and the Cardinal's brunch after the Mass.