Thursday, October 1, 2026
It was standing room only at Lynbrook Village Hall on Monday evening as residents packed the Village Board’s monthly meeting to recognize and celebrate the recipients of this year’s Man of the Year and Woman of the Year awards. It was an unusual ceremony this year since four individuals received the two awards.
Vincent Colonna, a retiree who now devotes much of his time volunteering at Our Lady of Peace parish and around the village, as well as Sisters Mary Dowden, Mary Grace Monroe and Barbara Faber of Our Lady of Peace parish and grammar school were named the Man and Women of the Year for 2015, respectively. Mayor Bill Hendrick said the village was lucky to have individuals like these living in its boundaries.
“All of them are absolutely tremendous people,” Hendrick said after introducing each of the award winners to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. “They are the pillars of the community around Our Lady of Peace, and I think they’ve shown how much they really care about our village.”
Dowden, principal of the Our Lady of Peace School, Monroe, the parish’s religious education director, and Faber, the head of the parish’s social ministry program, serve as part of the leadership of the more than 70-year-old parish. They are members of the religious order known as the Sisters of Mercy.
Carol Burak, who nominated the award recipients, introduced the sisters, saying that it would have been “nearly impossible” for her to single one of the women out over the other two.
“For more than 40 years, these women have provided services to children, adults, people with limited incomes and those who most need compassion and care,” Burak said. “The sisters of Our Lady of Peace Parish ... collectively have accomplished more in their 40 years of service than most of us can hope to accomplish in our lifetimes.”
