President's Medallion Awarded to Two for Outstanding Service to Felician College

Monsignor George M. Brembos 
Sister Mary Carmeline

Lodi and Rutherford, NJ-Sister Theresa Mary Martin, President of Felician College, recently honored two individuals for their outstanding service to the college by awarding them with the President's Medallion. The awards were presented to Monsignor George M. Brembos and Sister Mary Carmeline Kowalski on December 17 during Felician College's annual "Christmas at Felician" celebration.

Monsignor George M. Brembos received the President's Medallion for his contributions as a "scholar, a teacher, a visionary, a strong advocate of Catholic Education, an inspiring spiritual leader and a long-standing friend of Felician College." In 1984, Monsignor Brembos, then Vicar of Religious Education in the Diocese of Metuchen, helped boost Felician's enrollment, during a time when the college was still a commuter college for women, by entering into a collaboration with Felician College to develop a 24-credit off-campus certification program in Religious Studies. "He not only introduced the program, he guaranteed its success and longevity by offering student scholarships," says Sister Theresa. Through Monsignor Brembos' indefatigable efforts, 100 scholarships are offered each year for students. Graduates of the program have gone on to become directors of religious education, catechists, and Catholic school teachers. 

Sister Mary Carmeline Kowalski received the President's Medallion for her work as Director of the Teacher Education Resource Center at Felician College and the impact she has in that role on students, teachers and staff. "With teacher education majors increasing by 300% over the past decade, the contributions Sister Carmeline makes to the professional growth of Felician College's education majors becomes more demanding and critical each year," says Felician College President Sister Theresa Mary Martin. A Felician Sister for fifty years and Curriculum Librarian since 1972, Sister Carmeline "ranks among the stellar unsung heroes who quietly, persistently, and steadily enhance the quality of our lives, the integrity of our ministry, and the sanctity of our mission," says Sister Theresa. "She guides, counsels, and directs students with a competence and personal interest that is unmatched."

About Monsignor George M. Brembos... 

A graduate of St. Charles College, Monsignor Brembos earned a graduate degree in educational administration and supervision at Seton Hall University, and a doctorate in education and urban studies from Fordham University. He was ordained a priest by Bishop George Ahr in the Diocese of Trenton and served as Assistant Pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Edison, NJ. He is currently pastor of two parishes-St. Elizabeth in Far Hills, NJ, and St. Bridget's in Peapack, NJ-and is Vicar of Education in the Diocese of Metuchen. He is also responsible for the activities of The Office of Religious Education, Catholic Schools, Youth Ministry Programs, and the Diocesan Newspaper. "As a result," says Sister Theresa, "this Man of God influences the Catholic Education of over 60,000 students.

Over the years, Monsignor Brembos has taught seventh and eighth grade religion, coordinated the religious studies program at St. Mary's and served as Administrator of St. Mary's High School in South Amboy, NJ,--a role which included chairing the religious studies department and moderating the athletic program. Additionally, he was adjunct professor of statistics at St. John's University at the same time he was founding principal of St. Pius X High School in Metuchen, NJ, where he also taught junior and senior religion and freshman mathematics. Beyond his role in education, Monsignor Brembos also served as Pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Edison, NJ; as Dean of the Cathedral Deanery; and was named Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1986. 

About Sister Mary Carmeline Kowalski... 

A graduate of Seton Hall University, Sister Carmeline earned her Library Certification at Caldwell College. She began her career as an elementary teacher and taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade for 22 years in New Jersey and Delaware. She was also responsible for setting up a Spiritual Library at two different locations, acted as an advisor in establishing school libraries in two parochial schools, and organized an audio tape library for the Felician Sisters Community. 

Shortly after earning her library certification, Sister Carmeline came to Felician College in 1972 as Curriculum Librarian where she been a "resourceful agent for acquiring books and donations," says Felician College President Sister Theresa Mary Martin. In her efforts to build what she hopes will one day be the number one curriculum library in NJ, Sister Carmeline has traveled to the Library of Congress more than ten times over the years to gather books from a surplus supply, contacted U.S. congressmen to make a case for the college's needs, written to textbook publishing companies to receive donations, and has worked with various schools in New Jersey to acquire the textbooks they receive as samples for review. 

Building and rebuilding has been a theme that has permeated Sister Carmeline's career at Felician College. During her 28 1/2 years as Curriculum Librarian at Felician, Sister Carmeline has survived two floods. Her libraries haven't been so fortunate-in the flood of 1977, she lost 60 percent of the curriculum materials. In the flood of 1999, she lost 90 percent. "The resilience, courage, and strength which define this Felician Sister are incredible," says Sister Theresa who recounts Sister Carmeline's post-flood role in climbing ladders in the dark to retrieve books from shelves drenched in muddy water, to laying out rows and rows of damp rescued records on the concrete to dry in the sun, to endlessly retyping card catalogs. "She never gave up-her tenacity prevailed."

"This strong, humble Felician Sister has not only earned the love and respect of hundreds and hundreds of students," says Sister Theresa, "she is revered by the Teacher Education faculty, treasured by the members of her religious community, and certainly blessed beyond measure by the God for whom and through whom she lives."