Bot receives Diocesan award

The Most Reverend John M. LeVoir, bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, presented the 2019 Diocesan Distinguished Service Award to Catholic leaders of the diocese following the annual Bishop Lucker Lecture held Monday, March 11, at the Church of St. Catherine in Redwood Falls.

This distinguished award recognizes individuals for their committed service and outstanding contributions to the Diocese of New Ulm’s mission and ministry. Deacon Bruce Bot of Minneota was named an award recipient.

Bot has served for six years as a representative on the diocesan Pastoral Council and one year as an executive committee member of the Christ Our Life Capital Campaign, the campaign that raised funds for the construction of the new diocesan Pastoral Center in New Ulm.

Bot also served as a parish committee head for the campaign. Bot was among the second class of permanent deacons to be ordained in the diocese in 2018.

As a deacon, he currently serves the Church of St. Edward in Minneota where he has been a member for 56 years.

In his parish, Bot played a role in helping to establish the parish endowment fund. Additional service to the parish includes 15 years of service on the parish administrative council, seven years as a religious education teacher, three years as an RCIA instructor, 30 years as a lector and choir member, 12 years as extraordinary minister of Communion, and six years as Communion minister to the homebound.

Bot is also a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus and Grand Knight and Faithful Navigator.

A farmer by trade, Bruce and his wife Juanita have been married for 30 years and have five grown children.