The Mercer County Federation of Holy Name Societies held its 63rd annual Monsignor Crean Memorial Scholarship Breakfast March 17 in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton. Members of the Holy Name societies and their families celebrated Mass together in St. Raphael Church.
The Federation of Holy Name Societies gathers annually to present an academic scholarship to a high school senior in a Catholic high school who plans to continue his or her education. This year’s recipients were Notre Dame, Lawrenceville, seniors Jason Merendino and Nicholas Schiarappa.
The federation also gathers to pray in unity on this day during the Mass offered for the repose of the soul of Monsignor Richard T. Crean, who among holding many other titles, served as the federation’s spiritual director from 1940 until his death in 1956. Msgr. Crean died on March 14, 1956, in a fire that devastated the St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral rectory, Trenton. He ran through the rectory building in the early hours of that fateful morning alerting and awaking the others who were sleeping.
Among the federation members present for the Mass were Robert Zotta, scholarship awards committee chairman, and Msgr. John K. Dermond, federation moderator, who served as this year’s speaker.