By David Karas | Correspondent

To some, the Corporal Works of Mercy might serve merely as a set of guidelines, or models to follow. But for the students at Red Bank Catholic High School, they are a way of life.

From sewing clothes for toddlers to raising money for medical equipment in Cambodia, assisting locals displaced by a serious fire to helping to rebuild homes in New Orleans, students take a global approach to serving others.

And this dedication to service – which is not by any means an institutional requirement – has yielded the young adults a prestigious honor on a national stage.

The school has been selected among entries from all across the country as one of the five honorees for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’s Charity and Social Service Award, which will be presented during the noon Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 15, in Washington, D.C.

“We are accepting this on behalf of all schools – it is the ministry of Catholic education,” said Red Bank Catholic High School principal Robert Abatemarco. “These kids really get a sense of others – it is a ‘we,’ not a ‘me’.”

Students in the school’s Maryknoll Mission Club produced a video entry to the national committee, comprised of bishops who voted among the many applications received from schools, individuals and organizations.

Complete with the Red Bank High School choir singing hymns in the background, the video highlights how students address each of the Corporal Works of Mercy through showcasing photographs and including voiceovers with details on the various service projects students spearhead at the high school each and every day.

Mary Logan, senior religion teacher and moderator of the mission club, said that it was a remarkable honor to be named among the five honorees in such a widespread contest. The school first received the nomination from Bishop David O’Connell, she said.

“It is awesome,” she said, almost at a loss for words. She expressed her pride in being able to work with students who are so passionate about serving the community – whether it is across the street or across an ocean.

Senior Sarah Perry, who was part of the team that put the video together, said that a service mindset permeates Red Bank Catholic, despite the fact that performing service to others is not a requirement. “It is just something we do,” she said.

Devon McCarthy, also a senior, said that the many service projects led by RBC students made it easy to put the video together.

Logan said that the video project allowed students to think more critically about the service they perform, as well as the meanings behind the Corporal Works of Mercy.

She said that one powerful lesson and understanding that students arrived at concerned the general definition of incapacitation. It is not just prison bars – but also poverty, illness and disability – that can imprison others.

The mission club encompasses a variety of initiatives, member Ashley Dauphin says. From hosting fundraisers and clothing drives to forging pen pal relationships with children in Kenya, the reach is more global than local.

“When you are part of this…you get to touch lives,” Dauphin said.

For senior Alex Caputo, participating in service to a global community provides fodder for discussions during the Sunday school classes she teaches.

Other students participate in the LIFE (Living in Faith Effectively) club, which hosts 13 projects each year ranging from food drives to nursing home visits. Along with the National Honor Society, membership is contingent on volunteerism.

But the culture of service is not limited to certain sectors of the school’s population, students say. Take the dance team, and performing arts department for instance.

Each year, students lead a Craft for Hope event, and create household and clothing items for those in need. They also host a special “Trick or Sweet” day, in which the students, decorate rooms for Halloween and help children who – for physical or other reasons – cannot go trick or treating.

Another student organization at Red Bank, the Casey Volunteers, provides students with the opportunity to spend Holy Week rebuilding homes in New Orleans that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed.

Senior Ryan Fox said he is looking forward to the trip this March, as well as the chance to see other parts of the country while making a difference in the lives of those who need it the most.

Students attending the trip each fundraised $1,000 through in-school and outside programs and efforts.

Members of the basketball team and other groups found inspiration in visiting a school for developmentally disabled children.

“It was very moving,” said senior Andrew Lamura, who said the experience inspired him to consider a career in special education. “It really felt great to go and do that.”

Senior Maria Capalbo could barely contain her excitement for the team’s video project and the service performed by RBC students.

After speaking about the project, she had just one thing to add: “Go RBC!”