BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present 116 Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons and religious during a 3 p.m. Vespers service on Nov. 23, the Feast of Christ the King, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's South End.

First presented in 2008 at the celebration to mark the conclusion of the archdiocese's bicentennial year, the annual award recognizes Catholics for their dedicated service to the Church. The medal is named for the archdiocese's first bishop, Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, who led the diocese from 1808 until his return to France in 1824. Bishop Cheverus died in 1836 as the Archbishop of Bordeaux.

The oval-shaped medal is made of sterling silver and bears a likeness of Bishop Cheverus based on the Gilbert Stuart portrait. On the reverse side is Bishop Cheverus' coat of arms.

The medal recipients are chosen for their service to the Church and God's people. Most recipients are nominated by their pastor, forwarded by their area vicar and approved by their regional bishop and Cardinal O'Malley. Some recipients are personally selected by Cardinal O'Malley.

Each year, one-third of the parishes of the archdiocese are asked to nominate a parishioner. The criteria given to pastors is that the nominee should be a lay person who has served the parish well over an extended period of time and has done so in a quiet, unassuming and, perhaps, unrecognized fashion.

Also, each of the regional bishops is asked to nominate a religious and a deacon from his region with similar qualifications. The Central Ministries of the archdiocese also make nominations from among religious, deacons and lay persons who serve on archdiocesan committees or lead important ministries.

With this year's group of recipients the total number of individuals and couples who have been named Cheverus medalists stands at 726. There were 93 recipients in 2013, 121 in 2012, 97 in 2011, 98 in 2010 and 133 in 2009. There were 68 awardees in 2008.

Friends and family members of the honorees are welcome to attend the service at the cathedral. The presence of the pastor and a delegation of parishioners is also encouraged to help underscore the parish's appreciation for the service of the honoree.

Cheverus Award recipients 2014

Ms. Tete Adeleke, Sacred Hearts, Malden

Ms. Ana Gladys Amaya, Hispanic Community/Sacred Heart, Roslindale

Ms. Rosemary Angeramo, St. Adelaide, Peabody

Mrs. Dona Bacco, St. Rose of Lima, Topsfield

Mr. Alfred Belanger, St. Mary, Plymouth

Mr. Robert Berlo, St. Mary, Quincy

Mrs. Mary Blasi, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Plymouth

Mrs. Jolyne Boyle St. Mary Star of the Sea, Beverly

Sister Patricia Boyle, CSJ, Pastoral Center Ministries

Mrs. Patricia Buckjune, Our Lady of Grace, Pepperell

Mr. Joseph Burke, St. Bernadette, Randolph

Mrs. Mary Caruso, St. Benedict Parish, Somerville

Mrs. Patricia Chevalier, St. John the Evangelist, N. Chelmsford

Mr. David (Dung) Chi Ngo, Vietnamese Community/Sacred Hearts, Malden

Sister Elizabeth Clarke, SHCJ, North Region

Brother David K. Coakley, OSB, South Region

Sister Mary Pedro Conway, SMSM, Archdiocese of Boston

Mrs. Florence Cranshaw, St. Theresa of Lisieux, Sherborn

Mr. Paul Francis Creegan Sr., St. Margaret of Scotland, Lowell

Ms. Helen Cross, Patronage of St. Joseph, Somerville

Ms. Kathleen E. Crozier, Our Lady of Victories, Boston

Sister Ellen Dabrieo, Brazilian Community/St. John the Baptist, Peabody

Mrs. Kelly Damon, St. Thecla, Pembroke

Mrs. Audanette David, Haitian Community/St. Matthew, Dorchester

Mr. James Davidson, Holy Ghost Parish, Whitman

Mr. Victor DeLeon, St. Mary of the Assumption, Lawrence

Mrs. Maria Della Porta, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, (Sacred Heart Church)

Ms. Claire Detora, Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Nellio DiTullio, St. Joseph, Quincy

Ms. Doris DiTullio, St. Anthony of Padua, Everett

Mrs. Joan Donnelly, St. Marguerite D'Youville, Dracut

Mr. Timothy Donovan, St. Jerome, Weymouth

Mrs. Concetta Donovan, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Marblehead

Ms. Marie Aurore Dorcely, Haitian Community/St. Anne, Somerville

Mr. Daniel Falvey, Blessed Sacrament, Walpole

Ms. Janet A. Farrell, St. Cecilia, Ashland

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Lynne Feeney, St. Raphael, Medford

Ms. Donna Felzani, St. Anthony Padua, Revere

Ms. Joan Ferguson, St. Bridget, Maynard

Mr. Fernando Fernandez-Arellano, Our Lady of the Assumption, East Boston

Deacon Marcio O. Fonseca, Central Region/St. Mark, Dorchester

Mr. James Fowkes, St. Bridgid, South Boston

Dr. David Gabriel, St. Thomas the Apostle, Salem/Peabody (Posthumous)

Mr. Edio Galvez, Hispanic Community/St. Columbkille, Brighton

Mr. and Mrs. David and Kathleen Gannon, St. Richard of Chichester, Danvers

Ms. Phyllis Giordano, Society of St. James/St. Stephen, Boston

Mrs. Francis H. Girard, St. Theresa of Lisieux, Sherborn

Mr. Mel Gouthro, St. Mary, Wrentham

Ms. Ann Grady, St. Mary of the Angels, Roxbury

Brother Robert Green, CFX, North Region

Deacon James Greer, Pastoral Center Ministries

Ms. Doreen Gulledge, St. Peter, Cambridge

Mr. Richard Howard, St. Agnes, Reading

Ms. Jean Hunt, St. Ann, Dorchester (Neponset)

Brother John R. Jaskowiak, OFM , Central Region

Mr. Robert D. Keefe, St. Anthony Shrine, Boston

Ms. Ann J. Kleponis, St. Peter (Lithuanian Parish), South Boston

Mr. William L. Lajuenesse, St. Matthias, Marlborough

Mr. Richard LaPorte, Archdiocese of Boston

Ms. Margaret LaRoche, Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton

Ms. Pilar Latorre, Archdiocese of Boston

Mr. Robert J. Lavoie, St. John the Evangelist, Hopkington

Mr. William Lawless, St. John the Baptist, Quincy

Mr. Derryl Lawrence, St. Peter, Plymouth

Sister Mary Joan Lofgren, CSJ, South Region

Dr. Francis Lombardo, St. Eulalia, Winchester

Ms. Anne M. Lynch, Our Lady of Lourdes, Jamaica Plain

Mr. William MacDonald, St. Mary, Georgetown

Ms. Mary Magner, St. Thomas Aquinas, Nahant

Mrs. Ellie Martin, St. Dorothy, Wilmington

Ms. Mary Mc Ginn, St. John the Evangelist, Swampscott

Mr. John McClellan, St. James, Stoughton

Sister Maureen McDonough, OCarm/F, West Region

Mr. William "Skip" Miller, St. Vincent de Paul, South Boston

Sister Virginia Mulhern, SDNdeN, Central Region

Mr. Hung Nguyen, St. Mary, Randolph

Ms. Mary O'Rourke, St. Brendan, Dorchester

Mrs. Maribelle Ortiz, Hispanic Community/St. Patrick, Brockton

Mr. Remo Palomba, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jamaica Plain

Mrs. Anne Paradis, St. Augustine, Andover

Deacon John W. Pepi, St. Bridget, Maynard

Mrs. Jane B. Piacentini, St. George, Framingham

Mr. Wayne Pickles, Corpus Christi, Lawrence

Mr. Lee Pimentel, St. Francis of Assisi, Dracut

Mr. Joseph Puleo, St. Florence, Wakefield

Deacon Luis Rivera, North Region

Ms. Suzanne Robotham, St. Joseph, Belmont

Mr. Paul Roche, St. Bonaventure, Manomet

Ms. Susan Rudolph, St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge

Mrs. Carolyn N. Ryan, Sacred Heart, Weymouth

Deacon Kenneth N. Ryan, South Region

Mrs. Rose Shea, Cheverus Centennial School, Malden

Mr. Joseph Shubster, Holy Name, West Roxbury

Mrs. Katia Silva, Immaculate Conception, Stoughton

Ms. Angela Siraco, Our Lady of the Assumption

Mr. Don Soule, St. Martha, Plainville

Mrs. Patricia Souza, Brazilian Community/St. Anthony, Somerville

Ms. Patricia Strumm, Gate of Heaven, South Boston

Mr. John K. Sullivan, St. Gregory, Dorchester

Sister Margaret L. Sullivan, CSJ, Pastoral Center Ministries

Mr. Kam Sylvestre, Our Lady of Grace, Chelsea/Everett

Mr. Walter Symolon, St. Francis Xavier, Weymouth

Ms. Ida Toro, St. Patrick, Watertown

Mr. Paul Tousignant, St. Rita, Lowell

Ms. Mary Ellen Valeri, St. Pius V, Lynn

Ms. Mercedes Vazquez, St. Christopher, Dorchester

Mrs. Josephine Vendetti, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cambridge

Dr. Miriam Vincent, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Boston

Ms. Rachel Voiland, St. Lucy, Methuen

Mr. Lloyd Wajda, Archdiocese of Boston

Sister Agnes Wan, St. Joseph, Boston

Mr. Donald Wark, St. Anne, Salem

Mr. Arthur Whittemore, Department of Youth Services

Mr. John Wilhelm, St. Paul, Hamilton/Wenham

Mr. Benjamin A. Williams, St. Ann, West Bridgewater

Mr. Stephen Zrike Sr., St. Jude, Norfolk