By Rose O’Connor | Correspondent

“We’re very proud of her, she has worked hard since day one,” Alfred Tancredi said of his granddaughter, Rachel Nicole Kaniper, this year’s Msgr. Crean Memorial Scholarhsip recipient.

Kaniper, 18, is a member of St. Ann Parish and a senior in Notre Dame High School, both in Lawrenceville. She plans to attend High Point University in North Carolina where she will study physical therapy in a seven-year doctoral program. Tancredi is a member of the Holy Name Society in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton.

The scholarship was presented by the Mercer County Federation of Holy Name Societies during the 58th Msgr. Crean Memorial Scholarship Breakfast held March 16 in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton. Each year the federation gathers annually to present an academic scholarship to a deserving senior from either Notre Dame High School or Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, who plans to continue his or her education.  The scholarship is named in honor of Msgr. Richard T. Crean who served as the spiritual director of the Mercer County Federation of Holy Name Societies from 1940 until his March 14, 1956, death. The federation has since held an annual Mass near the date of the anniversary of his death. Msgr. Crean died in the fire that devastated St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral and rectory in Trenton. In addition to Msgr. Crean, two housekeepers also perished in the fire.

Prior to the breakfast, those in attendance, including Kaniper and her family as well as members of the Holy Name Societies, gather for the 7:30 a.m. Mass celebrated in St. Raphael Church. Keynote speaker at the breakfast was Msgr. John Dermond, who serves as the current moderator of the Federation of Holy Name Societies.

“University and college students take courses that require students to come face to face with the meaning and purpose of life,” Msgr. Dermond said as he referenced the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis where the Holy Father stated, “In our time humanity is experiencing a turning-point in its history, as we can see from the advances being made in so many fields.”

Thanking the federation for the scholarship, Kaniper said: “It’s an honor to receive [the scholarship] and [it] will help me to attain my personal and academic goals, allowing me to grow into the profession to whom I aspire.”

Echoing Msgr. Dermond’s sentiments, Kaniper added that “Every day I am faced with choices on how to live my life, what to make of myself and decisions on how to achieve my hopes and dreams,” she said.

“Choosing to do things with my life that I can be proud of is important to me,” she shared. “Being able to help others and giving back to the community has always been a part of who I am.”