Southern Dominicans to honor two at gala

By Clarion Herald Staff

The 2017 Southern Dominican Province Gala on Nov. 9 will honor lay Dominican Yvonne Alciatore Blount and Dominican Brother Roger Shondel for their lifetime of recognizing the spiritual needs of the New Orleans community.

The gala will start at 6 p.m. at Messina’s at the Terminal, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., at the Lakefront Airport.

Blount, a native of New Orleans, is the only child of Roy L. Alciatore and Mary P. Duggan Alciatore and a descendent of Antoine Alciatore, founder of Antoine’s Restaurant, the oldest family-run restaurant in the U.S. Blount is a fourth-generation restaurateur, and her son Rick is the current CEO.

A graduate of Ursuline Academy, Blount has seven children and seven grandchildren. She is a member of the 1776 Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, has been a member of St. Dominic Parish for more than 60 years and has served as a lay Dominican for more than 50 years.

She has served as a Girl Scout troop leader, president of St. Dominic Mothers’ Club, president of the Ursuline Academy Alumnae Association Board, class captain for the Serviam Annual Fund and as a lector and extraordinary minister of holy Communion.

Brother Roger, a native of Indiana, entered the Dominican Order in 1962 after graduating from high school. He professed his simple vows in 1964 and made his solemn profession of vows as a Dominican friar in 1970.

As a tailor, he made the Dominican habits that he is proud to wear. He received his master’s in education from Loyola University Chicago in 1976, and he is a National Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. As a Dominican friar, he has served in the field of education for nearly 50 years, counseling students in Illinois, Texas and Louisiana. For the last 35 years, he has served as a guidance counselor at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans.

For details and ticket information, call 837-2129, ext. 8; email [email protected]; go to https://501auctions.com/sdpgala/?si=U0a6Wj.