Shields honored with Diocesan Medal of Honor

Mrs. Mary Ann Shields, of Carrabelle, was honored with the presentation of the Diocesan Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement by Bishop John Riccard at a Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 Mass celebrated at the San Luis Mission Church in Tallahassee.

The Diocesan Medal of Honor is given to those outstanding parishioners who, over an extended period of time, have demonstrated outstanding zeal for their Catholic faith by their unselfish and untiring service to the Church in their parish and in the diocese. During two ceremonies, 41 parishioners in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee received this Medal of Honor.

Part of Mary Ann’s recognition was based on the following commentary from her pastor, Father Joseph-B. Ssemakula, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Lanark Village:

“Mary Ann has been this exceptional soft-spoken woman who, for close to 15 years, quietly volunteered to do the bookkeeping of our parish without any compensation. We noticed in her sacrificial self-giving to the Church how many important things in the day-to-day running of the material needs of the church can be done while keeping a low profile. It is like that silent foundation on which every church stands, which is often ignored, but without which no church can be. Mary Ann was like that silent church foundation for our parish for many years.”

In the almost 20 years that Mary Ann has lived in Franklin County after moving here with her husband Tom from Pittsburgh, she has dedicated her life as an untiring volunteer. She has worked with Carrabelle’s Parks and Recreation committee, with organizations assisting abused women and children, and with programs for the needy. She was a long-time member of the Sea Oats Garden Club, a pioneer since 1999 in the preservation of the Crooked River Lighthouse, building chair for the construction of the Carrabelle library and member of the library advisory board.

Mary Ann also makes time for art, the love of her life. She is an avid exerciser, and loves to read, sew, garden and fish. And she loves this area so much and considers it a blessed place.

In response to a personal question of where she finds inspiration to enliven her spirit, she said her spiritual strength has always rested in the security and blessing found in her church. She has long been a devotee of the Blessed Mother.

A recent widow, Mary Ann continues to demonstrate the strength she relies on and in the process will be an inspiration to her friends.