This year’s Catholic Faith Network Award of Excellence luncheon event, to be held at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City will honor recipients of the 2025 CFN Award of Excellence in three categories: Religious Leader, Media Leader, and Business Leader.
Receiving the awards will be Bishop Edmund J. Whalen, Dion DiMucci, and Vincent and Patricia Massina.
Colleen McVey of Catholic Faith Network will serve as master of ceremonies. Frank and Lori DeLucia will act as co-chairs of the event.
According to Reverend Monsignor James C. Vlaun, CEO and president of Catholic Faith Network, “We are proud to present Bishop Edmund J. Whalen with the Religious Leader Award for his dedication to Catholic education, parish leadership, and priestly formation.”
A native of Staten Island, he attended Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston before completing his priestly formation at North American College in Rome. There, he earned an STB from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1983 and was ordained a deacon in St. Peter’s Basilica.
During this time, he also served in the Diocese of Kakamega, Kenya, where he gained a deep appreciation for the global expressions of the Catholic faith. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Whalen has been recognized as a dedicated teacher, mentor, and pastor.
He served for many years as a teacher and administrator at Monsignor Farrell High School and at St. Joseph’s Seminary, later becoming the principal of Monsignor Farrell High School.
Whalen also ministered as pastor of St. Joseph-St St. Thomas Parish on Staten Island and has served the Archdiocese in numerous leadership roles. In 2019, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York. Since then, Whalen has served as Vicar for Clergy, supporting the priests of the archdiocese, helping to strengthen the life of the Church in New York.
“We are equally proud to honor Dion DiMucci with the Media Leader Award” Vlaun said. “Dion is a Bronx-born music legend whose career spanned more than six decades. He was raised in a rich musical environment, where he absorbed a wide range of musical influences, from Italian opera to street-corner doo-wop. This early exposure helped shape the signature sound that would carry him to stardom.”
Dion first came to fame in the late 1950s as the lead singer of Dion and the Belmonts, with hits like “I Wonder Why,” “A Teenager in Love,” and “Where or When.” Their smooth harmonies and streetwise edge helped define the era’s doo-wop style. In the early 1960s Dion launched a solo career and quickly became a chart-topping sensation with enduring hits like “Runaround Sue” and the “The Wanderer.”
His charisma, vocals, and style made him stand out in the early days of rock and roll. In the late 1960s, Dion turned to more reflective music, and over the years, he explored gospel, folk, and especially blues, working with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Van Morrison. Dion was inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 1989 and continues to record and perform. His life story is marked by resilience, reinvention, and his deep love of music that cements his place as one of rock and roll’s most enduring voices.
“Last but certainly not least, we present Vincent and Patricia Massina with the Business Leaders Award,” Vlaun said. “Vincent “Vinny” and his wife, Patricia, “Trish”, reside in Westbury and are devoted parishioners of Saint Brigid’s Church. Together, they are the proud parents of two children, Vincent and Julianna. Vinny is President at H.M. Hughes and oversees all business operations. He is a dedicated board member of the Catholic Faith Network, where he shares his leadership and commitment to his family and community. Both Vinny and Trish are devoted to their faith, and CFN is honored to be able to present them with this award.”
