from the ECW Honored Women Board

The Rt. Rev James B. Brown, IX Bishop of Louisiana

The 2nd Presentation of Honored Person of the Year by the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Louisiana. Recognized for his “Continuing Ministry and Service in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ”

The Right Reverend James Barrow Brown
Acknowledged at the 130th ECW Annual Gathering Evening Prayer
June 2, 2017
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church,  Metairie, Louisiana.

Bishop James B. Brown, IX Bishop of Louisiana, retired as diocesan in 1998 but his devotion, care and service to the people of the Diocese of Louisiana and the greater church has continued without interruption for the nearly 20 years since.

The Episcopal Church Women are especially appreciative of Bishop Brown’s ongoing presence among us as a visiting bishop, supply priest, fellow communicant and friend.

Bishop Brown was instrumental in guiding Louisiana Episcopalians through the creation of the Diocese of Western Louisiana, and in assisting the Episcopal Church Women in establishing the by-laws that have ordered their mission and ministry since 1980. Bishop Brown was always a welcome and guiding presence at the ECW’s Annual Gatherings, board meetings and yearly Orientations.

The crown jewel in Bishop Brown’s miter is the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center, built under his tenure as diocesan and at his direction. The conference center has served the diocese well for over two decades. The ECW has gathered at the conference center’s tranquil property for many years to worship, enjoy fellowship, plan activities and simply to walk quietly with the Lord in contemplation and prayer. The conference center has been a great gift to us all.

We are grateful to God that he has blessed Bishop Brown with a loving family, with wisdom, eloquence, administrative and parliamentary skills, humor, graciousness, forbearance and an abundance of years to dwell among his lively Louisiana flock.

Mary Hughes

The 21st Presentation of Honored Women by the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Louisiana.  Recognized for her ministry and service in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

MARY HUGHES
Acknowledged at the 130th ECW Annual Gathering
June 3, 2017
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
Metairie, Louisiana

Mary Hughes has been an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Morgan City, for more than 50 years. She has been a faithful member of the choir for many years and is chair of the church’s Altar Guild.

Mary is the church treasurer at Trinity. She prepares the budget, records the pledges and balances the books. She also has served many times on the church vestry in various positions.

Faithful in her commitments, she is usually the first parishioner at church on Sunday mornings to unlock doors, turn on lights, check the temperature for comfort, and greet each person with a welcoming smile.

Whenever anyone is unable to fulfill assigned church duties, Mary steps in and completes the task. She has been and continues to be an important part of Trinity Episcopal Church in all its ministries.

Mary is truly a devoted Christian as she strives to labor for the Lord by serving with love and compassion in her many church ministries.

 

Val Jeanne Phillips

The 21st Presentation of Honored Women by the Episcopal Church Women In the Diocese of Louisiana
Recognized for her ministry and service in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

VAL JEANNE PHILLIPS, DMA
Acknowledged at the 130th ECW Annual Gathering
June 3, 2017
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
Metairie, Louisiana

Val Jeanne Phillips, is the Organist at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Central, Louisiana. For over 50 years, she has served as organist and choirmaster in many churches, first in the Midwestern United States then in the Baton Rouge area. She has been a faithful organist for St. Augustine’s, Central, since 2004.

Dr. Val received her Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance from LSU. She has organized and directed six annual Advent Choral Evensong services at St. Alban’s Chapel, LSU, and assisted the director of the Denham Springs High School A Cappella Choir.

In service to her community, she also supplied music for St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, and was assistant Organist at Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church, Baton Rouge.

For many years, Dr. Val has arranged and directed special seasonal music using professional musicians and vocalists from within the Baton Rouge community, inviting other faith congregations to join in the Episcopal worship services.

St. Augustine’s Church, Central, is blessed with Dr. Val’s faithful, loyal and tireless service in the music ministry that she provides in glorifying the Lord.

Beulah Rodrigue

The 21st Presentation of Honored Women by the Episcopal Church Women In the Diocese of Louisiana
Recognized for her ministry and service in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

BEULAH MAE RODRIGUE
Acknowledged at the 130th ECW Annual Gathering
June 3, 2017
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
Metairie, Louisiana

Beulah Rodrigue was received into St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Houma, Louisiana, on December 1, 1948, and she has remained an active member ever since. All of her children were also raised in the church.

Beulah has served on the vestry many times, is a Eucharistic Minister, Visiting Eucharistic Minister, Lay Reader, Usher and Coordinator for the acolytes. Beulah coordinated the Bride-D-Jour fundraiser, and Barbecue Chicken Dinners To-Go, a fundraiser after the church’s devastating fire. Additionally, she cooked meals for the workers who were rebuilding the church.

After the church fire, Beulah repaired and sewed vestments for the parish priest, Father Craig Dalferes, and made all the new acolyte robes.

Beulah also was active on the Trinity Church Rebuilding Committee. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Women would not have their wonderful kitchen without her leadership. Moreover, she is always willing to conduct tours of the new church.

Her faithfulness, kindness, generosity of time and leadership in working for the Lord cannot be measured in the church congregation.

At 87 years of age, she remains active and ready to help when called upon.

 

Joy Benoit Roques

The 21st Presentation of Honored Women by the Episcopal Church Women In the Diocese of Louisiana
Recognized for her ministry and service in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

JOY BENOIT ROQUES
Acknowledged at the 130th ECW Annual Gathering
June 3, 2017
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
Metairie, Louisiana

Since 1972, Joy Benoit Roques has been a faithful communicant of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, Metairie, and a dedicated member of her parish Episcopal Church Women.

Joy has served several terms as ECW president, co-president and recording secretary. Her decades of service continue as she leads and serves on ECW committees for annual events: Bishop’s Reception, Spring Luncheon, Rummage Sale and Christmas Tea.

By profession, Joy was a elementary school teacher from 1965 to 1998. Following a brief retirement, she became director of St. Augustine’s Preschool where she served until 2007 then retired again.

Joy has been a Sunday school teacher, led Communion classes, served on the Christian Education and Stewardship Committees and hosted Stewardship dinners and brunches. She served for many years as a Vacation Bible School teacher at St. Augustine’s until Hurricane Katrina. In 2009 at the rector’s request, she resurrected and revitalized the VBS ministry and served as its director for three years.

Joy was a vestry member and served as senior warden. She was parish treasurer from 2013-2016. She is a co-manager and volunteer for St. Augustine’s Bookstore and Welcome Center.

Her years of devoted, dedicated and loyal service to parish ministries demonstrate her total commitment to God’s work.