Rockville Centre residents Elissa and Joe Metz were honored with the 2013 Mary M. Lai Model of Faith Award at a mass and dinner on April 6, hosted by the LIU Post Catholic Campus Parish.
The award is given to individuals who represent what it means to be Catholic in their professional life and to be a model for student Catholics on campus. The award is named for Mary M. Lai, Long Island University's vice president emerita for finance and treasurer and a devout Catholic.
Married for 48 years with four children and three grandchildren, the Metzes, who met as graduate students at Catholic University of America, say their lives center around their family, their parish of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and bringing sick pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. They have made 40 visits to the Sanctuary in living memory to their son, Joe Jr., who was tragically killed by a speeding driver.
Former co-chairs and captains, and currently the registrars of the annual pilgrimage with the Order of Malta, Elissa serves as the co-hospitaller of the Long Island area and Joe is regent of the Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The Metzes are Eucharistic ministers, lectors and RCIA team leaders at St. Agnes Church in Rockville Centre.
Elissa has served as a member and president of the Parish Council, board member and teacher of CCD and, with Joe, co-chair of the Diocesan Annual Appeal. In 2009, they were given the St. Agnes Medal for service and the Caritas Award for their work in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Elissa, a former speech and hearing teacher, was a member of the board of directors and past president of the Regina Assemblies and a member of the board of trustees of the Good Shepherd Hospice of Catholic Health Services. She is certified as a Spiritual Caregiver for CHS.
Joe, a former professor at LIU Post, was the executive director of the Permanent Commission on Public Employee Pension and Retirement Systems of the State of New York. A graduate of Fordham Law School, he was a partner and director for a national pension and investment consulting company. He is an adjunct associate professor of business ethics at Molloy College.
The Model of Faith Award Dinner is also the campus Catholic parish's major fundraiser. Tickets to the dinner were $150 per person. The event began with a special mass at the LIU Post Interfaith Center, officiated by Father Ted Brown, at 5 p.m., and was followed by a dinner and award ceremony in the Interfaith Center Chapel's lounge at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony included performances and speeches by students.
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