Civitan Club honors Frederick clergy

FOR THE FREDERICK NEWS-POST

The Frederick Civitan Club honored the clergy of the Frederick area with their annual Clergy Appreciation program at Parkway Community Church on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Clergy Appreciation Week is a Civitan International service project that began in 1963. The annual week of celebration was inspired by an event from 20 years earlier, the story of the Four Chaplains. In 1943, four military chaplains, a Methodist minister, a Catholic priest, a Reformed minister, and a Jewish rabbi sacrificed their lives on the USS Dorchester by giving their life jackets to other soldiers on board the vessel.

Clubs around the world continue to celebrate Clergy Appreciation Week in a variety of ways.

Civitan Jeff Fishman was the official greeter for the event. Frederick Civitan President Jo Ann O’Toole welcomed the clergy and explained the Civitan tradition of Clergy Appreciation Week. Deana Weis, Clergy Appreciation Committee chairperson, introduced all the clergy from the Frederick area who attended. Pastor Howard Ruley offered remarks and prayer followed by a short video of the Four Chaplains story. Civitan Bev Shaffer prepared and served refreshments.

The Frederick Civitan Club has been serving the Frederick Community for 76 years. The club provides services to many organizations in the Frederick community with a focus on serving people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

The Civitan Club meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Ledo’s Pizza, 490 Prospect Blvd., Frederick.

For more information, call 301 6060542. www.civitan.org.

Pictured, from left, are Civitan Clergy Appreciation Chairperson Deana Weis, Civitan President Jo Ann O’Toole, Pastor Robert Manthey, Pastor Howard Ruley, Pastor Kent Ramler, Pastor Robert Ramer and Pastor Marvin Morgan.

Courtesy photo