FALL RIVER - Bishop George Coleman will award Marian Medals to 83 laypersons from parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second St., Fall River

First presented in 1968, the annual award recognizes members of diocesan parishes for their dedicated service to the church. Recipients are nominated for the award by their pastor. Made of sterling silver, the Marian Medal is embossed with a Miraculous Medal on one side and the Fall River Diocesan coat-of-arms on the other.

The Marian Medal recipients for 2008 in The Sun Chronicle area include:

Attleboro Deanery

John F. Birch, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Attleboro; George Henri Brousseau, St. Joseph Parish, Attleboro; Colleen Buckley, St. Mary Parish, North Attleboro; John Craveiro, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Seekonk; Robert Desrosiers, St. Stephen Parish, Attleboro; Shelah A. Gaudet, St. Mary Parish, Seekonk; Charlotte Goulet, Sacred Heart Parish, North Attleboro; Kevan Higgins, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish, Attleboro; Mary Leddy, St. Mark Parish, Attleboro Falls; Patricia Phillips, St. Mary Parish, Mansfield; and Mary Elizabeth Yelle, St. Mary Parish, Norton. Taunton Deanery

Jose Correia, St. Anthony Parish, Taunton; Merle T. Coughlin, Holy Family Parish, East Taunton; Fran Frias, St. Mary Parish, Taunton; Norbert Graca, St. Nicholas of Myra Parish, North Dighton; Roy Owens, Holy Cross Parish, South Easton; Stephanie Slapik, Holy Rosary Parish, Taunton; Maria Carmen Sousa, Annunciation of the Lord Parish, Taunton; Donald L. Switzer, Immaculate Conception Parish, North Easton; and Arthur T. Whittemore, St. Ann Parish, Raynham.