News from Cenacle Retreat House

Three Distinguished Awards

Berthe Amoss

Outstanding Alumna - Newcomb Alumni Association

At the H. Sophie Newcomb College Institute "Under the Oaks 2010" ceremony held on May 14th, Berthe Amoss was recognized for her outstanding accomplishments since her graduation in 1946 with a Bachelor's degree in English and in 1986 with a Master's degree also in English and art from Tulane University. She is the author and illustrator of 24 children's books, four young adult novels, and three how-to books, which she co-authored with Eric Suben the former editor-in-chief of Golden Books. Her book The Cajun Gingerbread Boy won a Children's Choice Award, and The Chalk Cross was runner-up for an Edgar Allen Poe Award in the juvenile mystery category. She taught children's literature at Tulane from 1980 to 1992 and wrote a column "Reading, Writing, and Children" for The Times-Picayune. There is a Berthe Amoss Collection of Children's Literature at Tulane's Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. In addition to writing, she is the president of Cocodrie Press, was a product developer for More Than A Card, Inc. and designed advent calendars for the National Gallery of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been married to W. James "Jimmy" Amoss, Jr., for over 60 years, has 6 sons, 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. The Amoss family lived in Germany and Belgium for 10 years, while Jimmy worked for Lykes Brothers Steamship Company. During the Korean war, he was called back into the Navy and the family lived in Hawaii during that time. Throughout her life, Berthe has been a perennial art student, having studied art at Tulane and in Hawaii, Germany, Belguim, and every other country they have lived in. Today, she takes classes twice a week at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. Berthe is a Cenacle Affiliate Emeritus, conducted a Cenacle workshop titled Pencil Prayer, and is a long-time retreatant.
www.bertheamoss.com

Dolores "Dee" Levy

The Regina Matrum Award - Council of Catholic School Co-Operative Clubs

On May 10th, Dee Levy, who has been attending retreats at the Cenacle since it opened in 1958, received the Regina Matrum Award because of her exemplary life as a mother, homemaker, and caregiver, and because of her cumulative contributions to the spiritual life of her family, her parish, and her community. She was married for over 60 years to Dr. Ed Levy to whom she was a loving and caring wife. They raised their six children in the Catholic faith. Each Good Friday, they went as a group to nine churches and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus every Christmas Eve. All her children went to Catholic schools where she and her husband helped at fairs and fund raisers. They opened their home to nuns and priests for meals. Dee's devoted husband passed away in 2005, and two months later Hurricane Katrina hit, washing away her home. Despite these tragedies, she has continued her activities in cheerfulness, faith, and love, and so was chosen to receive this award, which honors an outstanding and representative Catholic mother of the Archciocese of New Orleans.

Mary Ann Valentino

Adjutor Hominim Award - Loyola Alumni Association

A 1941 graduate of Loyola University's College of Music, Mary Ann received this award at a Jazz Brunch on May 9th. It is presented to an outstanding Loyola alumna or alumni whose life exemplifies the characteristics that Loyola seeks to instill in its graduates: moral character, service to humanity, and unquestionable integrity. Mary Ann is a member of the College of Music and Fine Arts Visiting Committee, is a founding member of Loyola's Alumni Scholarship Gala Committee, and a member of Loyola's Heritage Society. In 2009, she received a Doctorate degree in humanities from Holy Cross College. She is a supporter of such civic and cultural organizations as St. Michael's Guild, the Sophie Gumbel Guild, New Orleans Opera Association, Louisiana Philharmonic Symphony, Heart Ambassadors, and the Louisiana Arts Council. Because of her support of Catholic organizations, she has received papal honors at St. Louis Cathedral, the St. Louis Medal, the St. Elizabeth's Guild Volunteer Activist Award, Jesuit High School Alma Mater Award, and the Most Outstanding Alumna Award from Ursuline Academy. She was named one of Ten Outstanding People by the International Institute for Human Understanding, and Woman of the Year by Heart Ambassadors. She has served on the boards of the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic, the Catholic Foundation, and supports Strive, Inc. and WLAE. She has served on the Advisory Board at the Cenacle Retreat House, has been a member of the Cenacle Gala Committee, a Cenacle Captain, and has attended retreats at the Cenacle for many years.

The Cenacle Sisters and Staff congratulate these ladies on their devotion to the Cenacle and on being the recipients of these well-deserved awards.