Each year the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC) recognizes individuals for their unique and extraordinary witness to Christian stewardship as a way of life by honoring them with the Christian Stewardship Award.
The 2013 Christian Stewardship Award is presented to: Mercy Sister Lalamant Pelikan, Diocese of Lubbock Texas
Mercy Sister Lalemant “Lale” Pelikan is this year’s recipient of the 2013 Catholic Stewardship Award. A lifelong teacher, Sister Lalemant has spent the past 16 years as coordinator of catechetics and lay ecclesial ministry instructor for the Diocese of Lubbock, Texas.
Each year, Sister Lale drives thousands of miles across the 23,400 square mile diocese to offer Lent and Advent programs, train lay ecclesial ministers, conduct scripture studies, assist parish catechetical leaders and RCIA teams, and support the various potlucks, Jamaicas, festivals and celebrations that are the lifeblood of the colorful and diverse Catholics who worship in her diocese’s 62 West Texas parishes.
Born in Missouri, Sister Lale entered religious life after graduating from Mercy High School in 1955. She came to Texas in 1962 where she fell in love with the vibrancy of the Hispanic Catholic Culture. After participating in the Mexican American Cultural Center’s Intensive Spanish language program, West Texas has been her home for close to 40 years.
Sister Lale has worked in the Diocese of Amarillo where she served as director of a catechetical center for three parishes and later as the pastoral minister for two parishes. In 1984, she became part of the Red River Valley Catholic Mission Team, serving four counties in the Amarillo diocese. She began her work in the Diocese of Lubbock in 1994, and continued her parish mission work until 1997, when she began her present work for the diocese.
Sister Lale is known for her commitment to stewardship. When the diocese hosted the West Texas and Eastern New Mexico stewardship conference in 1999, and the Region X stewardship conference in 2008, Sister Lale was integral in preparing materials and presenting sessions. She continues to provide resources for the diocesan stewardship education effort. Never one to allow an idle moment, she can be seen at meetings or during her lunch hour doing needlework projects to donate to fundraising events. Sister Lale has provided a life-long example of committed stewardship.