Golden Rose Award promotes leadership, spirituality, and service to community
By Emily Booker
The Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women has introduced a new program in the diocese to recognize young women who display leadership, spirituality, and service in their parish and community.
The National Council of Catholic Women’s Golden Rose Award began in 2023 to recognize “young women between the ages of 14 and 21 who exemplify the mission of the NCCW through their spirituality, leadership ability, and acts of service.”
Parishes throughout the Diocese of Knoxville nominated their candidates for the deanery Golden Rose Award last fall. Three deaneries named a deanery Golden Rose winner; those three young ladies attended the opening dinner of the KDCCW convention at St. Mary Church in Johnson City on April 24.
Laura Thomas of the Five Rivers Deanery was named the inaugural Diocese of Knoxville Golden Rose Award winner.
Father Dustin Collins, pastor of St. Mary Church in Johnson City, is shown with Laura Thomas and her father, and Joe Thomas. (Photo Emily Booker)
Miss Thomas is a student at East Tennessee State University, where she studies accounting and performs in the university marching band and wind ensemble.
She has been highly involved in both the ETSU Catholic Center and St. Mary Parish in Johnson City. She volunteers with the parish youth group and chaperones retreats. She helps with parish clean-up days and decoration days for special liturgical events. She also gives rides to parishioners who need transportation to Mass.
In addition, she is the anchoress for the Seven Sisters Apostolate at St. Mary Parish. The apostolate ensures that a holy hour is prayed every day of the week for the sole intention of a specific priest or bishop, usually by a team of seven women taking one day a week.
When asked how it felt to be named the winner of the inaugural Golden Rose Award, she replied, “I’m shocked. I’m surprised because the other two finalists were really good.”
Mary Wilson, KDCCW education commission chair, who oversaw establishment of the Golden Rose Award in the Diocese of Knoxville, believes Miss Thomas is a great role model for young people of someone with a strong faith in her college years.
“A lot of students fall away from the Church when they go to college, so she’s a great example,” Mrs. Wilson said.
“It was so special that Laura was honored at her home parish of St. Mary with her family present during the evening ceremony,” said convention co-chair Pam Morgan. “Laura’s gentle spirit and humble presence was extra endearing as she accepted the award.”
As part of the award, Miss Thomas received $500 from the KDCCW, a symbolic “Golden Rose,” and a gift certificate for six months of professional life coaching courtesy of Floyd Consulting. She will go on to represent the Diocese of Knoxville in the National Council of Catholic Women Golden Rose competition, where the winner will be announced at the NCCW convention in Orlando, Fla., in August.
“We celebrate Laura not only as a remarkable young woman of our council but as a beacon of hope and promise for the future of our organization. Let us keep her in our prayers as she now moves forward as a candidate for the national NCCW Golden Rose Award,” Ms. Morgan said.
Several members of the KDCCW board acknowledged that it was a tough decision to name the Golden Rose Award winner, as all the finalists displayed a strong faith and admirable acts of service.
“We are lucky to have such an amazing group of young women. It was very difficult for us to choose someone,” KDCCW president Michelle Peckham said.
Karen Amayo Castro was the Smoky Mountain Deanery Golden Rose winner. A member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, Miss Amayo has been involved in the youth group, given talks to the middle-school confirmation class, and served as a Spanish-language lector.
In school, she participates in track, soccer, and model United Nations.
She said she is driven to help other young people put God in every aspect of their busy lives.
“I love just getting to share my faith with anybody and everybody,” she said.
She also recently spoke in front of tens of thousands of people at the National Catholic Youth Conference.
“It was truly extraordinary, but I really just feel grateful that I’ve been given these amazing opportunities to be able to share my faith,” she said.
She said she was honored to be the first Smoky Mountain Deanery Golden Rose Award recipient.
“It really makes me want to do more for the Church,” she shared.
Beth Ohmes was the Cumberland Mountain Deanery Golden Rose winner. A member of All Saints Parish in Knoxville, Miss Ohmes works in the All Saints nursery.
“I love helping children,” she said. “I love reading with them, playing with them, and comforting them when they need it the most.”
She also is involved at All Saints as a lector and extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.
In school, Miss Ohmes has maintained a perfect GPA while participating in seven school clubs and clocking more than 300 service hours. She has participated in Catholic Heart Work Camp, and her Girl Scout Gold Award included a diaper drive, bringing in more than 12,000 diapers to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center.
“My faith is at the center of everything I do,” she said. “I believe that faith calls us to serve and to lead. And when teenagers step up to help others, it shows the world our potential.”
For parishes interested in nominating a young woman for the second annual KDCCW Golden Rose Award: a nominee must be between the age of 14-21, have a recommendation letter from her pastor, and be nominated by a parish affiliated with the KDCCW.
“If you have someone who is in an unaffiliated parish, you can propose their name to an affiliated parish,” Mrs. Wilson explained.
Parish nominees are presented to their deanery; each deanery winner then goes on as a finalist for the KDCCW award.
“The student should be active in the community and in parish work, and exemplify the tenets of spirituality, service, and leadership—someone who goes above and beyond and stands out,” Mrs. Wilson said.
Full application information can be found on the KDCCW website, kdccw.org.
