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Papal honors for 46 involved in Pope Francis' visit to Philly last year

    by For NITF Export (print version)
    Published 

A ceremony Thursday night at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul was to bestow papal honors on 46 people involved in organizing last year's World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia.

The recipients include Catholics and non-Catholice whose efforts, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said,  made the event "successful beyond expectation." Many of the names comprise a veritable Who's Who of Philadelphia's business community.

The honors and their recipients are:

Dame/Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great

 • Dorian and Carl Anderson. He is supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Dame/Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great

• Kathy and Robert Ciaruffoli. He is a retired CEO of Baker Tilly LLC and served as president and board chairman of WMOF-Philadelphia.

• Angela and Richard Clark. He is retired chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. and chairman of the board of the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia.

• Rhonda and David L. Cohen. He is  executive vice president of Comcast Corp.

• Ellen and H. Edward Hanway. He is retired chairman and CEO of Cigna Corp.

• Kathy and Ward Fitzgerald. He is CEO and managing principal of Exeter Property Group.

• Lucille and Jerry Francesco. He is chair of the board of trustees of the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia. She served with her husband as a member of the WMOF-Philadelphia 2015 Executive Leadership Cabinet.

• Joan and Daniel Hilferty. He is chairman and CEO of Independence Blue Cross.

• Frances and James Maguire. He is founder and chairman emeritus of Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp. She served as a member of the WMOF Executive Leadership Cabinet.

• Jeanette and Joseph Neubauer. He is retired chairman, president, and CEO of Aramark Corp.

• Aileen and Brian L. Roberts. He is CEO of Comcast Corp.

Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice

• Gerry Cuddy, president and CEO of Beneficial Bank.

• Nicholas DeBenedictis, chairman and CEO of Aqua America.

• Eric Foss, chairman, president, and CEO of Aramark Corp.

• Chris Gheysens, president and CEO of Wawa Corp.

• Denise Morrison,  president of CEO of Campbell Soup Co.

• John Stratton, executive vice president and president of operations of Verizon Corp.

• Brian P. Tierney,  CEO of Brian Communications.

• Eustace Wolfington,  president of Cabrini Asset Management.

Benemerenti Medal

• Donna Crilley Farrell, vice president of corporate communications for Independence Blue Cross.

• Varsovia Fernandez, senior vice president and Philadelphia market leader for Customers Bank.

• Kenneth A. Gavin, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

• Eileen and James Kaiser. He is a member of the Global Assurance Executive Leadership Team and chief methodology officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

• Margaret Kane, senior vice president at Brian Communications.

• Danielle Peyakovich McNichol,  general counsel for Neumann University.

• Anthony and Rosalie Mirenda. She is president of Neumann University.

• Susan and  Eustace Mita. He is CEO of Achristavest and chair of Mita Management.

• Jack O'Brien,  senior vice president-food and beverage for SMG.

• Timothy O'Shaughnessy, chief financial officer for the archdiocese.

• Christopher Roberts, co-founder of Martin Saints Classical High School.

• Mary Beth Yount,  chair of the theology department at Neumann University.