Wisdom: Joyce Carroll Greenwell

St. Peter Parish, Waverly, KY,

Sophia Award Winner 2001

Interview by Ginny Knight-Simon

I was very honored and appreciative to be chosen for the 2001 Sophia Award from St. Peter’s. I think it would be very hard to select one person, because there are so many deserving of it. It was a wonderful celebration for our entire family. I had never won a trophy before and I was very proud that our children and grandchildren were there to see that I had accomplished something very worthwhile in my life. I keep the trophy setting out and the grand children will still ask me about it and what it means.

I stayed home most of the time and raised our children and really didn’t have time to do a lot more. As the children got older I was able to do more at church. My husband, Billy Don, and I have been married 45 years and we have 8 children and 19 grand children. He is "retired" from farming, but farms everyday, and I love my volunteer work a St. Peter’s.

I do a communion prayer service on Tuesdays for inactive Catholics and on Fridays for the sick. Since we aren’t able to have Mass every day this is helpful to people who like to go everyday. Fr. Tony Zeigler started the prayer services and it is a very good thing for the parish. Our parish has had a hard time with the loss of so many of our pastors. Also, during Lent, I lead the Stations of the Cross on Tuesdays. I started it for my Renew Group and have continued it. I also have a small group meeting during Lent. I am a member of the Liturgy Committee and enjoy decorating the church for all of the different seasons. I also make the Sunday appointments for Eucharistic Minister, Cross bearers, and the like. I enjoy the church and my extended family I have there. Good friends mean a lot especially during this time in life.

Some of the things I’m grateful for, other than my husband and family,...I am appreciative for my Catholic school education. I think the nuns instilled in me my faith. Also, I’m grateful that our diocese has a Bishop that is interested in the individual parishes and the people in them. God has really blessed my family, and I am very grateful.