At St. Monica’s Church, Caroline Beaudoin helps prepare the altar for Mass, reads at Mass, distributes Holy Communion and is part of the Funeral Ministry.

Likewise at St. Lucy’s, Larry and Eileen Giordano are involved in many of the ministries of the church. Larry is a Eucharistic minister, a member of the Parish Council, the Candle Ministry and the Funeral Mass Ministry. His wife is also a Eucharistic minister, a lector, a member of the Sodality and the Funeral Ministry.

For all of that and more, Beaudoin and the Giordanos received the Cheverus Award from the Archdiocese of Boston at a ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Nov. 23. They were among 102 other lay people, men and women religious, and deacons from the Merrimack Valley and the archdiocese to receive the prestigious award. It is named after Jean-Louis Lefebvre Cheverus, the founding bishop of Boston.

Beaudoin and the Giordanos were nominated by Father Marcos Peña, pastor of Methuen Catholic, the collaborative of St. Monica and St. Lucy churches.

“It’s a blessing for the parish to have them,” Father Marcos said, noting Jesus called his disciples to love one another through serving others.

“The Giordanos and Caroline do that in an exceptional manner, always willing to lend a helping hand in whatever we need. They represent the community very well,” Father Marcos said.

Beaudoin said she likes to be under the radar, but humbly accepted the award.

“Once I got into the Cathedral, I was just so touched and grateful. I accepted it for all the people in the parish who do so much for the church,” said Beaudoin, who joined St. Monica in 2000, previously attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel which closed. Beaudoin worked at the IRS for 38 years and, after she retired, volunteered in the Spiritual Care Department at Holy Family Hospital.

The Giordanos are lifelong members of St. Lucy’s Church where they got married 57 years ago.

“We were surprised and of course humbled,” Eileen said. “St. Lucy is our home and a central part of our lives. We love putting our energy into service at our parish,” Eileen said.

Larry agreed, adding, “I thank God that I’ve recovered from severe health issues and I’m still able to continue these ministries.

“I just love working with all our parish friends who also give of themselves every day,” said Larry, a well-known karate instructor who founded Methuen Karate Association in the 1960s. He is a former Methuen city councilor and state representative. Eileen retired from Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, now known as AgeSpan.