Catholic Boy and Girl Scouts from around the diocese were recognized for their accomplishments in faithful Scouting at the annual Court of Honor Awards Mass March 6 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

About 70 young men and women and their adult Scouting leaders were presented with awards by Msgr. John K. Dermond, rector of the cathedral, and Father Michael A. Santangelo, diocesan Scouting chaplain and parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood.

The religious awards program, instituted by the National Catholic Committees on Scouting over three decades ago, is designed to acknowledge the efforts of boys and girls ages six and up to increase their knowledge of their Catholic faith and implement it in their daily lives. Individual and troop projects that serve the Church and the community allow the Scouts to earn both national and diocesan level awards.

Father Santangelo blessed and conferred the emblems, medals and badges at the Court of Honor ceremony. The event is particularly meaningful to Father Santangelo, who has has been involved in Scouting for over 35 years, first as an eight-year-old Cub Scout, rising through the levels to the Eagle Scout ranking, and serving as diocesan Scout chaplain since 1996.

“One of the fundamental aspects of the Scouting program is recognition of a duty to God,” he said in an interview after the awards ceremony. “I believe that a Scout doesn’t gain all the benefits from the program unless [that] is involved.”

He noted the Boy Scout Law requires members to be active in their own faith tradition and respectful of others in theirs. “[The] Catholic Committee on Scouting tries to help both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts see the connection between being faithful Catholics and good Scouts,” he asserted.

Uniformed scouts stepped forward to receive awards such as the “I Live My Faith” and “Marian Medal” for girls, or “Ad Altare Dei” and “Christ the King” emblems for those involved in Boy Scouting. Adult leaders in both programs were also recognized with awards for their spiritual guidance and faith development.

Members of the Feery family of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, are proponents of the Catholic Scouting program in the Ocean county parish. Mother Michelle Feery assists with an overnight retreat for those aspiring to the St. Tarcisius award. Children and adults participate in a scavenger hunt for religious articles, play a Jeopardy-style quiz game which tests their Scouting knowledge, and enjoy religious Bingo.

Daughter Rachel, 14, recently earned the Girl Scout’s Divine Mercy Award, originated by the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, and son Kyle, 13, was one of the “Ad Altar Dei” emblem recipients at the diocesan ceremony.

“Religion is the basis for Scouting,” asserted Michelle Feery. “It all comes full circle: the community projects and the things you do in church… it’s part of a bigger picture. I see a difference in [the children] when they receive Catholic Scouting awards.”

Unique to the Diocese of Trenton is the Helping Hands Service Project Award. Boy or Girl Scouts and their adult leaders involved in Scouting within the four counties of the diocese can earn this distinction, which recognizes service projects for a church or church organization. Sample service projects include assistance at a soup kitchen, Vacation Bible School, or CCD program; entertaining at a nursing home, cleaning up after a parish event, or creating something for the ill. The Helping Hands awards are distributed through individual parish ceremonies.

The Diocese of Trenton Catholic Committee on Scouting covers the Central New Jersey, Jersey Shore, Burlington County and Monmouth County Boy Scouts of America Councils; and the Delaware-Raritan, Monmouth, South Jersey Pines and Ocean County Girl Scout Councils. The diocesan committee has also held an annual Boy Scout/Girl Scout retreat for the past 55 years, with the next event slated for Nov. 4-6 at the Citta Scout Reservation, Brookville.