BOSTON -- When Kevin Roy received the letter telling him that he and his wife Jessica had won the Cheverus Award, he thought it was junk mail.

He threw it out with the rest, but instead of going in the bin, the letter fell on the floor.

"I picked it up, and I opened it, and I was shocked," he said.

He chalks it up to Divine Providence.

Since the archdiocese's 2008 bicentennial year, the awards have been presented to those who often quietly dedicate their lives in service to the church. It is named for the first Bishop of Boston, Bishop Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, and the silver medal given to recipients bears Bishop Cheverus' image on the obverse and his coat of arms on the reverse. Each year, one-third of the parishes in the archdiocese are asked to nominate a parishioner to receive the award. The regional bishops and episcopal vicars may also nominate a religious brother or sister and a deacon, while the Central Ministries of the archdiocese may nominate people who serve on archdiocesan committees or lead key ministries.

Kevin Roy is a lifelong parishioner at St. Matthew the Evangelist in Billerica. His first job was as a custodian there when he was 13. He was an altar server and helped his mom with the parish youth group. As an adult, he served on the pastoral council and the committee that restored St. Andrew Church. He is one of the volunteers who opens the church and sets up for Mass. He also helps out with fundraising. He married Jessica in the parish 26 years ago. She taught confirmation classes and religious education, cleaned the church, did secretary work, and served on the Events Committee.

"Like Kevin, I was shocked," she said. "It was very unexpected, an honor."

The Roys were among the 102 people who received their awards during a midafternoon prayer service presided over by Archbishop Richard G. Henning at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Nov. 23, the Solemnity of Christ the King. It was the first Cheverus Awards ceremony since Archbishop Henning became Boston's shepherd in 2024.

After Archbishop Henning placed the silver award medal around the neck of each award recipient, he posed for a photo with them.

"It's pretty inspiring," award recipient Carol Greeley of St. Camillus Parish in Arlington said about visiting the cathedral for the first time.

Greeley grew up in St. Agnes Parish, which is now in a collaborative with St. Camillus. She visits the Sancta Maria Nursing Facility in Cambridge and takes part in the collaborative women's ministry. She also helps out with the Boston Sock Exchange, which packs 100 lunches and a fresh pair of socks for distribution to soup kitchens each month. Greeley felt both "embarrassed and honored" to receive the award.

"I don't feel like I'm deserving more than anybody else," she said.

Archbishop Henning opened his homily with an unusual question: "Who loves you, baby?" the catchphrase of TV's Kojak.

"I'm going to ask us to think a little bit about that question today, on this feast of Christ the King," he said. "Who loves you?"

He said that throughout history and in the world today, leaders have too often abused their power for selfish interests. While Jesus may be called king, he rules with love and not with fear. He came to Earth in humility and allowed himself to be tortured and sacrificed, forgiving his tormentors instead of using his power to destroy them.

"The whole of Jesus's life is not about getting others to bow before him, but rather for him to reach out and heal and care for them," the archbishop said.

He pointed out that, rather than saving himself from the cross, Jesus saved all of humanity. He put others before himself.

"The very people that we gather to honor today are those beloved children of God," he said. "The ones who are the friends of Jesus. His disciples, who know his commandments, who know his grace and his mercy, who are filled with gratitude for all the blessings he pours forth."

He said that by serving the church, the Cheverus Award winners are serving the Body of Christ and modeling faith for their families.

"We are so grateful to you, for you are exercising that povwer of God," he said. "You are imitating our king, the Lord Jesus, in your trusting gift of yourself, of your love for the Lord and his people."

At the end of his homily, he once again asked: "Who loves you, baby?"

"Jesus loves you fully, completely, with the totality of himself," he said.

Long Tran and his wife, Toree, parishioners at St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Dorchester, were among the awardees. They originally lived in New Orleans but moved to Boston after Hurricane Katrina.

"They welcomed us," Long said of the community at St. Teresa's. "They assisted us in finding a place to live."

He and his wife help out with the parish choir and tend the garden. Long also serves as a lector and eucharistic minister. Receiving the award came as a shock to him and his wife.

"Like everybody else, we just do what we do, and we didn't expect anything from it," Long said. "But we were very surprised and honored to receive it."