Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Heritage Girls and Trail Life members and leaders converged on the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist for the annual Diocesan Court of Honor Mass.
Bishop Martin Amos, retired bishop of Davenport, Iowa, celebrated the Sept. 25 liturgy. Concelebrants were Father John Pfeifer, scout chaplain and pastor of St. Patrick and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, and Father Frank Basa, who retired last year after serving as senior parochial vicar of St. Bernard Parish in Akron. Father Bob Stec, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Brunswick and chaplain for the diocesan girls’ religious programs, was unable to attend.
“Serve God, Serve All” was the theme for the scouting Mass.
(See photo gallery above.)
Bishop Amos, assisted by Father Pfeifer, distributed awards after the liturgy. Father Pfeifer himself was one of the recipients, receiving the St. George medal which recognizes clergy, religious and laity – scouters or not – who have made significant contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in the Boy Scout program. Father Pfeifer, a former Boy Scout, achieved the Eagle Scout rank.
The Cleveland Diocese was honored with the 2021 Quality Diocese Award, which recognizes dioceses that promote and achieve a quality Catholic scouting program. It provides an opportunity for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting to honor dioceses that deliver exceptional programs to youth members at all levels of Boy Scouts of America programs. The diocese is a repeat honoree.
Other awards presented included Ad Altare Dei, which helps Boy Scouts develop a fully Christian way of life in the faith community; Pope Pius XII program, which helps Boy Scouts explore the concept of vocation; Pillars of Faith, Boy Scouts who have earned all four religious emblems: Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII; and the Bronze Pelican, awarded on a diocesan level to adult Boy Scouters who have demonstrated outstanding character, given positive leadership and exemplified a Christian way of living. This year’s Bronze Pelican recipient was John Wrabel, Troop 810, Church of the Assumption Parish in Broadview Heights.
Several Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops and packs received the National Catholic Unit Excellence Award. Honorees were Pack and Troop 526 (gold), St. Albert the Great, North Royalton; Troop 225 (gold), St. Bernadette, Westlake; Pack 3177 (gold), Holy Family, Stow; Pack 228 (silver), St. Mary, Berea; Pack 225 (gold), St. Bernadette; Troop 215 and Troop 7215 (both gold), St. Francis de Sales, Parma; Troop 506, (gold), St. Francis Xavier, Medina; Pack 3334 and Troop 334 (both gold), Queen of Heaven, Green; and Pack 383, Troop 383 and Troop 222 (all silver), St. Bede the Venerable, Mentor.
Several members of St. Raphael Daisy Scout Troops 71245 and 70034 were recognized for participating in God is Love, a program that helps Daisies discover an appreciation that God created, cares for and loves all.
Several Brownies from Sacred Heart Troop 50490, St. Agnes Troop 50470, St. Vincent de Paul, Elyria, Troop 71245, and St. Raphael Troop 71245 participated in the Family of God program, which helps Brownies discover the presence of God in their lives as members of their family and parish.
Recognized for their participation in the Mary the First Disciple program for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts, were several members of St. John Newman Troop 71551, St. Adalbert, Troop 71551, St. Hilary Troops 91224, 91116 and 90289 and St. Bartholomew Troop 71551.
The Father James P. O’Donnell Medal was presented to Barbara Amador, Girl Scout Troop 71551, St. Bartholomew; Jennifer Ashforth, Girl Scout Troop 71551, St. Adalbert; Jennie Cottrell, Girl Scouts, St. John Vianney; Stacie DeBenedictis, Girl Scout Troop 90629, St. Barnabas; Benjamin Gorris, Girl Scouts, St. Anselm; Jennifer Feola, American Heritage Girls Troop OHO433, troop treasurer, St. Clare; Rebecca Guritza, American Heritage Girls Troop OHO433, Tenderheart unit leader, St. Clare; Julie Hill, Girl Scout Troop 70881, Assumption; Elise Nester, Girl Scout Troop 91116, St. Hilary; Jennifer Parabek, Girl Scout Troop 50470, St. Agnes, Elyria; and Megan Redle, Girl Scouts, St. Francis Xavier. The medal recognizes outstanding services to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in the Trail Life, American Heritage Girls and Girl Scout USA scouting programs.
The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal, created in 1980 by what now is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, recognizes the significant contributions of persons serving the spiritual needs of Catholic members in organizations serving girls. This year’s recipients are Joyce Bair, Girl Scouts, St. Francis Xavier; Amanda Croft, Troop u70881, Girl Scouts, Assumption; Christine Gonet, Girl Scouts, St. Albert the Great; Carmen Matz, American Heritage Girls, Troop OHO433, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Catholic troop vice coordinator; Tara Mosteller, Girl Scouts, St. Hilary; Barbara O’Brien, Girl Scouts, St. John Vianney; SueAnn Ochenas, Girl Scout Troop 71245, St. Raphael; Melanie Sejba, Troop 90289, Girl Scouts, St. Hilary; Sara Seybold, Troop 70034, Girl Scouts, St. Raphael; and Amy Tulenson, Girl Scouts, St. John Vianney.
Honored with the St. Anne Medal were Elizabeth Bartos, diocesan committee for girls’ religious programs – logistics, St. Ambrose; Colleen Pepin, Northeast Ohio American Heritage Girls troop coordinator, Troop OHO433, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, West; and Christie Raynor, American Heritage Girls Catholic troop shepherd, Troop OHO433, St. Clare.
In his homily, Bishop Amos connected the scouting programs to the Gospel, asking the congregation who is sitting outside their door that they don’t see? In the Gospel, an unnamed rich man did nothing wrong, but he didn’t help Lazarus, the poor man who begged outside his door. The poor man wanted just the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.
When they died, the rich man was in torment while Lazarus was rewarded.
“Some rich people are very poor,” the bishop said, explaining that they can hunger for friends and things other than food. Loving God above all things and loving your neighbor as yourself are the two commandments we all should follow, he said, noting that scouts subscribe to that belief. He mentioned portions of the Boy Scout and Girl Scout slogans, pointing out their adherence to those principles. “They are based on those two commandments,” he said.
In addition, many parishes and other organizations have meal and other outreach programs to assist those in need.
“Who is sitting at your gate that you don’t see?” the bishop asked. “It could be someone in your family, a neighbor, someone in your classroom. You don’t see their needs and reach out.”
He said Mother Theresa told us even if we can’t do the big things, “We can do the little things faithfully.” The bishop said Mother Theresa advocated for caring more about others and less for ourselves.
Reflecting on the rich man in the Gospel, “He didn’t do anything wrong, he just didn’t do the right thing,” Bishop Amos said.
For more information on the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, click here. Details on the Diocesan Committee for Girls’ Religious Programs is available here.
Credit: Source link
