Lumen Gentium Award: Ela Varela

On June 25, 2013, Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin presented the 2013 Lumen Gentium Awards to persons nominated by the Pastors and Staffs of Diocese of Austin Parishes. This year, Father Pat nominated church organist Ela Varela for the award.

Choir members and staff traveled to the Mayborn Convention Center in Temple, TX to honor Ela as she was presented the Lumen Gentium (People of Light) award.

Ela, an accomplished pianist and organist, has faithfully accompanied the choirs and cantors for 30 years. She has provided the ritual music for funerals, weddings, high feast days, and ordinary time, week after week, liturgy after liturgy, always insuring that St. Catherine's parishioners fully engaged in their prayer through hymnody and choral singing accompaniment. Besides her extraordinary and consistent service to St. Catherine's, Mrs. Varela has taught and continues to teach piano to children and adults, as well as accompanying budding musicians at Clint Small and Bailey Middle Schools as well as Bowie and Austin High UIL competitions.