May crowning honoree celebrated for generosity

By Dana Kampa
| 7:12 p.m. May 10, 2026

Bonnie Schneider, a longtime member of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, bestows a flower crown upon the statue of Mary as this year's honoree for the Mother's Day ceremony.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

It takes a generous spirit to step up and donate an organ to a loved one in need of a transplant. But it takes an extra helping of selflessness for someone to hear that a friend needs a kidney, elect to get tested immediately and happily volunteer to donate.

That act of kindness is just one example of the ways Longboat Key resident Bonnie Schneider has given back to her community, and fellow members of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church recognized those acts by naming her this year's honoree of its May crowning ceremony.

Following the morning service on Mother's Day, about 60 friends and neighbors joined in the annual tradition of placing a flower crown atop the statue of Mary outside the church.

But before heading outside, members took time to extoll Schneider's contributions to the church and wider community.

Barbara Sikora, president of the Women's Guild at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, sings Bonnie Schneider's praises as this year's May crowning honoree.

Barbara Sikora, the new president of the Women's Guild, lauded the honoree for her lifelong devotion to her faith.

Schneider was born and raised in Kentucky and married her husband, Philip, before they moved to Longboat Key in retirement, more than 20 years ago.

"She quickly became an active member," Sikora said.

Many neighbors know her "for her generosity and for sharing her time, talent and treasure so freely."

Attendees of the May crowning ceremony on Mother's Day at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, close out the morning service with a song.

Bonnie Schneider and Father Robert Dziedziak

Asked what she has appreciated about this church over the years, Schneider said she was grateful for the congregation's support after her husband died in 2020.

She has returned that support tenfold, from taking a leading role in coordinating the popular Royal Rummage Sale to welcoming new members. Sikora credited her friend with being the backbone of any project she takes on.

"With her wonderful sense of humor, she is often the life of the party," Sikora added during the service. "Humble by nature, she has also been a quiet mentor to many newer parishioners, encouraging involvement in church ministries with warmth and grace."

Under sunny skies, the group went outside to witness Schneider place the circlet of purple blooms on the statue's brow before going to Father Pick Hall for a reception.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.