Alumni of the Year
Each spring semester, the Nominating Committee of the Alumni Association accepts nominations for Bishop McGuinness Alumnus/Alumnae of the Year Award. Begun in 1999, this honor is bestowed on one of more graduates or McGuinness who has demonstrated a commitment to serving their school, family and community. Independent nominations may be forwarded to the Development Office at BMCHS.
Alumnus/Alumnae of the Year Nomination Form
2012 Fr. Joe Uhen
The Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Alumni Association is proud to announce its 2012 Alumnus of the Year is Father Joe Uhen of the Santisimo Sacramento Parish of Piura, Peru. The award will be presented at the graduation ceremonies on May 15th.
A native of Milwaukee, Father Uhen grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from Bishop McGuiness Catholic High School in 1976. He attended the University of Notre Dame graduating in 1980 with a BA in psychology. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Spirituality from the University of San Francisco.
Most of Father Uhen’s adult life has been dedicated to serving the less fortunate in South America. He is the pastor and only priest of a parish that is home to 40,000 people and 28 chapels. With help from two retired priests, he performs 14 or 15 Masses each weekend, but his influence does not stop there. Father Uhen utilizes his grade school, high school and university ties to involve people in the United States with the work among the poor in Peru. Since he started an outreach program in 1996, dozens of high school youth groups, medical missions, parish mission groups, university volunteers, and families have traveled to Piura to poor. Under Father Joe’s supervision, they have built homes, kitchens, classrooms and chapels in the area, and they help have made life better for thousands of Peruvians.
Father Uhen also established a program called Family to Family which involves the adoption of a needy family in Peru by a more fortunate family in another country, mostly in the United States. To date, more than 1400 families have been adopted in this manner. Each month, through a simple donation, each adopting family provides rice, lentils and blankets. Letters are exchanged, photos are sent and a relationship is established.
The dedication and leadership of Father Uhen has enhanced the lives of countless Peruvians. He gives generous and willing individuals a venue by which to make a difference.
Recipients of the Alumni of the Year Award
1999 Fr. William Eichoff '56, Larry Shaw '55
2000 Linda Cavanaugh Clark '70
2001 Greg Burns '65
2002 Dr. Louis Lepak, Jr. '61, Dr. William H. Bernauer '65
2003 William R. Cathey '76
2004 Judy McCarthy Love '55
2005 Michael J. Milligan '73
2006 Jerry Kelley '69
2007 Tom Ward '65
2008 Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic, USN Ret. '67
2009 Dr. J. Peter Kierl '72
2010 Jim Connelly, Jr. '73, Jack O'Meara '66
2011 Lil Ross
2012 Fr. Joe Uhen
