✝ PARISH LIFE
Dennis and Carol Mauer, recipients from St. George Parish in George West.
Elda Olvera, recipient from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Alice was instrumental in the parish receiving a national award.
responding to the Body and Blood of the Lord,” Bishop Mulvey said in his homily at the Mass honoring the recipients. Dulak was Bishop Mulvey’s nominee for her work with parishes as a diocesan employee. “Thank you for the witness that you give in your parish as disciples of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Mulvey told her. “I feel very humbled. It’s a great honor,” Dulak said. “I believe in parish work; it should be done unceasingly as you pray unceasingly. The church parking lot should be full and the church should be full.” Dulak, a convert to the faith, came to work with the Diocese of Corpus Christi in January 2008 as the associate director of development. Her duties primarily involved assisting parishes with implementing
28 SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC | JULY 2015
stewardship ministries. During her time with the diocese she assisted some 31 parishes in some manner. “Pastors who were willing to let parishioners get involved in ministry were the successful parishes,” she said. Indeed a number of the recipients of the “Evangelii Gaudium” award were from parishes Dulak helped. Among them was Elda Olvera from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Alice. In 2013, Our Lady of Guadalupe received The International Catholic Stewardship Council’s Parish Stewardship Commitment Renewal award. “Her way of walking with us through the whole process made it easier to prepare parishioners to accept the notion of stewardship,” Father Julian Cabrera of Our Lady of Guadalupe said of Dulak. “She came across as living out the call to evangelize. It was not theory to her, it was living her faith.” Also recognized were Nick and Laly Cardenas from Our Lady of Victory in Beeville and Dennis and
Carol Mauer from St. George in George West, two other parishes that established successful stewardship programs with Dulak’s assistance. Father George Johnson, pastor at St. George said Dulak, “played a great role in forming our stewardship committee. She attended all its meetings, was always there when we needed her, she knew everyone on the committee by name.” “A true commitment to her faith showed in all her actions,” Father Johnson said. “In the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis talks about going out...I saw her do it...when she got sick she didn’t let up until her health kept her from going out,” said Cande De Leon, director of Parish Stewardship for the Diocese of Corpus Christi. “She hurt because she could not do it; she didn’t complain once. It was beautiful. She lived it.” Dulak was afflicted with cancer but remained engaged in her mission while undergoing therapy. “She was relentless, she was inspiring,” De Leon said. It was not uncommon