2026 Regina Matrum: Love Unconditionally

Joal Betz Kuebel, the 86-year-old mother of nine and grandmother of 14, learned at an early age the necessity of a family support system and how important it is to cherish time with family members. She, along with her late husband Omer Kuebel, Jr., passed this  devotion to her own family, and it is that devotion that has lead to her being named the 2026 Regina Matrum award recipient.

The Regina Matrum award is presented annually by the Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs (CCSCC) to recognize women who shine as models of Catholic motherhood.

Kuebel will be honored as the 80th Regina Matrum recipient with a Mass on May 11 at 6 p.m. at St. Pius X in New Orleans where she has been a parishioner for 67 years. The Mass, traditionally held the Monday after Mother’s Day in honor of the “Queen of All Mothers,” will be celebrated by Archbishop James Checchio with a reception to follow for family and friends.

“Joal exemplifies the values of our Catholic faith through consistent spiritual commitment, selfless service and outstanding personal character,” said Eileen Capritto, long-time friend and nominator. “She is so dear to me, always kind, cheerful, prayerful, sharing her Bible expertise and knowledge of Catholic parenting. Being a mother of quite a clan, she has a fantastic sense of humor. She leads by example - encouraging others to deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer, service and joyful witness.”

Born and raised in the Catholic faith by her mother’s Sicilian family, Kuebel said she didn’t realize at the time how blessed she was to have so many faithful women caring for her as she grew up and credits that time for shaping her into the mother she became over the years.

“Being a mother is a gift,” she said. “It’s a grace and a big responsibility when you realize you have all of these little souls relying on you to get them to heaven. All you can do is ask God to help you and rely on his guidance.”

“It can be a daunting task to have a large family sometimes,” she added. “I got involved with religious education because my children encountered children from other families that didn’t always have the same religious background and I wanted them to have a consistent message.”

From an early age, Kuebel has known the importance of prayer, and it has served as a guiding force throughout her life. She was raised in St. Francis Xavier parish in Metairie, attended Ursuline Academy and Holy Name of Jesus School and graduated from Loyola University with a degree in elementary education. She went on to teach religion at Holy Name of Jesus School and Mount Carmel Academy.

In addition to teaching religion, Kuebel is credited with being a part of many new beginnings and establishing new ministries in the local community. In 1971 she joined with others to establish Louisiana Right to Life and a Metairie Magnificat Chapter in 1980. In her home parish of St. Pius X, she is credited as a co-founder of the Thursday Morning Prayer Group in 1978 and founded the preschool of religion program in 1980. She also served as a member of St. Pius X St. Vincent DePaul Society from 1983-1992. 

In 1980, Kuebel was invited by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to participate in the White House Conference on Families.

Kuebel served as a CCSCC board member from 1984 to 1994, is a recipient of the Order of St. Louis Award and has taught a few classes at The Cenacle over the years.

“The most important thing in my life beside family has been religious education,” she said. 

"In 1960 I started with the archdiocese catechesis education program and became certified to teach religion in both high school and preschool CCD. I thought it was important to become certified because kids in school weren’t getting much of a religious education in the 70’s and I wanted to help bridge that gap in their religious education the best I could.”

Kuebel has always known the value of a Catholic education for herself and her children. All nine of her children were educated in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans leading her to refer to herself as the “Galloping Gourmet of Catholic schools” for her involvement with so many. In addition to the schools she attended, her children attended St. Pius X, St. Mary’s Dominican High School, Jesuit High School, Academy of the Sacred Heart and Ursuline Academy.

“My mother still educates herself and goes to religion classes,” said Caroline Fee, Kuebel’s daughter. “Religious education is a passion of hers, and she shares it with family and friends all the time. This is nothing she strived to achieve (the award), she was just being her authentic self and I couldn’t be prouder. It is a well-deserved honor.”

Kuebel says that it has been an honor and a privilege to watch her own children grow up and now raise families of their own. 

“You don’t choose the family you are in – God does,” she said. “My advice to new mothers is to love their families unconditionally from the beginning, warts and all, because failure to love is like a cancer that goes from one generation to the next. Love is so important in raising children, you must teach them to love themselves so they can love others.”

“Also, it is important to remember the Holy Spirit is a gift for everyone who wants it,” Kuebel said. “It keeps you going and moving, God has provided all this to us and our families, and we must tap into it.”