Four East Shoreline Catholic Academy (ESCA) volunteers have received the St. John Neumann Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication.

The recipients were honored Sept. 25 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. They are Branford residents Andy Athan and Andy Perrone and Madison residents Marie and Tony Suppa, who all received the Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Evangelization, Education, and Catechesis' St. John Neumann Award from Archbishop Leonard Blair, Superintendent Michael Griffin, Ph.D., and Deputy Superintendent Maria Maynard.

These volunteers are models of the ESCA/Our Lady of Mercy (OLM)/St. Mary's School (SMS) community with their countless hours of service and dedication. This fall, ESCA, which is based in Branford, became the new combined academy serving the shoreline and former students of SMS and OLM. ESCA is supported by the three Catholic parishes of Guilford, Madison and Branford and is attended by students from those towns as well as East Haven.

The St. John Neumann Award is awarded to volunteers who are nominated by their schools for their unwavering commitment to their schools. Athan and Perrone have gone above and beyond helping SMS over the years, while Marie and Tony Suppa have gone above and beyond helping OLM.

St. John Neumann, Bishop of Philadelphia and the first man from the United States to become a saint, was a leader in Catholic Education and a spirited defender of the poor.

Photo 1　above, top row from left to right: 　Fr. Steven Sledesky, Pastor of St. George, Cheryl Panzo, Principal of ESCA, Andy Perrone (award recipient), Fr. Dan McLearen, Pastor of St. Margaret, Fr. Daniel Keefe, Pastor of St. John Bosco Parish, Zoey & Andy Athan (award recipient); bottom row from left to right: 　Sr. Lorrain Chaudron, Sr. Annette D'Antonio, Asst. Principal　of　ESCA, Ashlee Athan, Marie & Tony Suppa (award recipients)