Bishop presents religious awards at annual Scout Sunday Mass

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the annual Scout Sunday Mass to honor Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson on Feb. 3.

At the end of the Mass, the bishop presented Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in attendance with various religious awards designed to help inspire and strengthen their Catholic faith. Three Boy Scout adults also received leadership awards. Several Scouts participated in the Mass.

Concelebrating the Mass were Msgr. Geno Sylva, St. John’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects; Father Frank Agresti, pastor of Our Lady of Pompei Parish in Paterson and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting; Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee neighborhood of Vernon and chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Boy Scouting; and Father Benjamin Williams, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Oak Ridge/St. John Vianney Parish in Stockholm and chaplain of the Skylands District of the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council.
 

The Family of God Program is the official religious recognition program of the Catholic Church in the United States for children in Girl Scouting. The purpose of the Family of God Program is to help children discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their family and their parish.

• Arya Durgana, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Ciela Farnese, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Savannah Inglett, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Amelia Marcalus, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Roxanne Mellen, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Juliet Tamayne, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Zoe Terrero, Holy Spirit, Pequannock

The I Live My Faith Program is the official program of the Catholic Church in the United States for children in Girl Scouting. The I Live My Faith Program aims to help children learn to appreciate more deeply the place God and religion occupy in their everyday lives and stresses the importance of helping others.

• Courtney Albert, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pompton Plains
• Kaylee Gray, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pompton Plains

The God and My Community Program guides Catholic Pioneers to examine service in their community through sacred Scriptures and Church tradition. Girls learn the importance of preparing to serve through prayer and learning about people who exemplify service. Pioneers put what they have learned into practice by serving others and reflecting on the impact of their service.

• Evangeline Pride, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton

The purpose of the Light of Christ emblem program is to help the Cub Scout develop a personal relationship with Jesus. With the parents' active assistance and participation in this program, the Cub will come to see Jesus as a real person and friend. The Light of Christ is awarded to Cub Scouts in first or second grade.

• Joseph Bonaccorso, St. Bonaventure, Paterson
• Luke Butler, St. Vincent de Paul, Stirling
• Alexander Caldwell, St. Philip, Clifton
• Xavier Edwards, St. Philip, Clifton
• Mason Klingert, St. Cecelia, Rockaway
• Kyle Paternostro, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Noah Wylie, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Jeremiah Wylie, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Wade Brummer, St. Jude, Budd Lake

The Pillars of Faith award is given to scouts who have completed all four Religious Emblems in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts — Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Ad Altare Dei, and Pope Pius XII.

• Aidan Reilly, St. Andrew, Clifton

The purpose of the Parvuli Dei (Children of God) emblem program is to help Cub Scouts explore a wide range of activities to discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their families and parishes and also to develop a good, positive self-image through the contributions they can make to their family, pack, and community. The Parvuli Dei is awarded to Cub Scouts in third, fourth, or fifth grade.

• Anthony Brost, St. Bonaventure, Paterson
• Cameron Desch, Our Lady of the Valley, Wayne
• Dru Diao, St. Vincent Martyr, Madison
• Dylan Fusco, St. Vincent Martyr, Madison
• Richard Hoff, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton
• Robert LoGiudice, St. Peter the Apostle, Parsippany
• Reese Molinet, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton
• Michael Paternostro, Holy Spirit, Pequannock
• Theodore Schlitt, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton
• Soren Song, St. Philip, Clifton
• Grayson Valedon-Anderson, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton
• Grant Weir, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Boonton
• William Bubniak, St. John Vianney, Stockholm
• Walter Brummer, St. Jude, Budd Lake

Ad Altare Dei emblem (To The Altar of God) is given to Catholic Scouts who have been registered in Boy Scouts for at least six months, completed sixth grade, and fulfilled the requirements in the workbook based on the seven Sacraments. The most important aspect of the program is that the scout grows in his spiritual experience of his relationship with God and the Church.

• Brendan Dilling, St. Luke, Long Valley
• Steve Malizia, St. Anthony, Hawthorne
• Gavin Tripicchio, St. Anthony, Hawthorne
• Juliana Vince-Cruz, Good Shepherd, Andover
• Aiden Armiger, St. Jude, Budd Lake
• Conrad Furness, St. Joseph, Mendham
• Natalia Arpino, Our Lady of the Magnificat, Kinnelon
• Nicholas Panas, Our Lady of the Lake, Sparta
• Angelo Cicero, St. Philip the Apostle, Clifton
• Sebastian Aponte, St. Andrew, Clifton
• Graham Valles, St. Andrew, Clifton
• Colin Reilly, St. Andrew, Clifton

Pius XII is Catholic Scouting's Church-related ministries and vocation program. The program deals with different life choices (single, married, religious, and ordained), occupations, and ministries in the Church as called by God.

• Aidan Reilly, St. Andrew, Clifton