Photo Caption: Bishop Jenky leads the applause for the adults involved in Scouting who were recognized with awards at the Diocesan Scout Mass on Feb. 14.

By: By Jennifer Willems

Surprises are quickly becoming a tradition at the Diocesan Scout Mass.

After distributing 124 religious emblems to Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts from around central Illinois and eight awards to their adult leaders last Sunday, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, received one of his own — the Quality Diocese Award. The presentation was made by Dr. Doug Loberg, chairman of the Diocese of Peoria Catholic Committee on Scouting.

To earn the award, the diocesan committee had to meet six basic requirements and at least four of the eight optional requirements mandated by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. “It means we’re probably doing our job,” Dr. Loberg said before Bishop Jenky lifted the framed certificate so everyone could see it and St. Mary’s Cathedral filled with applause.

Last year’s surprise came when the diocesan committee presented the Bronze Pelican Award to Bishop Jenky and Msgr. Stanley Deptula, director of the diocesan Office of Divine Worship and the bishop’s master of ceremonies.

What isn’t a surprise is how well Scouting prepares youth to be people who serve others, Bishop Jenky said.

The secret to happiness
Coming to the front of the sanctuary steps to give his homily, the bishop talked to the Scouts about the four beatitudes mentioned in Luke’s Gospel and said they hold the key to happiness.

“When you’re nice to your grandma, when you’re nice to the new kid in school, when you help somebody you might think you’re making them happy, but isn’t it true that the greatest human happiness we know is to do something for somebody else?

“Beatitude means happiness,” Bishop Jenky said. “The secret to following Jesus Christ is to do good for one another.”

He told them one of the most admirable things about Scouting is that it trains them to be there for other people, to work together and to make the world better, not worse.

“Please know that along with your troop leaders, your parents, your parishes and the priests who are here that your bishop is very proud of you,” Bishop Jenky said. “I hope what you’re learning in Scouting you’ll do every day of your lives.”

That’s why the Diocese of Peoria Catholic Committee on Scouting has made a concentrated effort to train counselors and invite the Scouts to participate in the religious emblem programs, Dr. Loberg told The Catholic Post.

“Our first job is to promote the religious emblems,” he said. “If we’re doing that, then everything else is frosting on the cake.”

Message received
If the number of awards given is any indication, the young people are getting the message.

There were 12 recipients of the Ad Altare Dei (To the Altar of God) emblem this year, for example, and Dr. Loberg said, “We almost never have that many. It takes six to eight months to complete that program.”

Bishop Jenky also presented the Light of Christ emblem to 35 Cub Scouts, the Parvuli Dei (Children of God) emblem to 28 Cub Scouts, and the Pope Pius XII emblem to three Boy Scouts.

In addition, the Family of God emblem was presented to 36 Brownies, the I Live My Faith emblem went to five Junior Girl Scouts and five young women received the Marian Medal (Mary, First Disciple).

The Jerusalem Cross, given to those who complete a mission project that benefits the Catholic youth of their community, was awarded to Chuck Flagg and his son, Nicholas, who is deceased. The Flaggs are involved in Scouting at St. Edward’s Parish in Chillicothe.

“A Christian example”
The Bronze Pelican and St. George Medal, which are adult recognitions, cannot be earned. Scout leaders must be nominated for these honors.
Dr. Loberg said the St. George Medal, which was presented to Ed Hoekstra of St. Luke’s Parish in Eureka, is a significant honor.

“You must be a practicing Catholic who has made significant contributions not only inside but outside the parish,” he said, noting that Hoekstra had been active at St. Luke’s for nearly 30 years.

“Our committee is not going to award one just because someone thinks a person should have one,” Dr. Loberg said. “This means that by your life you’re a Christian example.”

This is the eighth time Scouts have filled St. Mary’s Cathedral for the Diocesan Scout Mass, which is celebrated each February. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Scouting in the United States.

Following is a listing of the awards bestowed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, at the 2010 Diocesan Scout Mass last Sunday, Feb. 14, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria.

Family of God
Bridget Elward, Allison Harrmann, Claire Julia Selvey, Olivia Remmert, Lissi Laktas, Maggie Starr, Sara Lagacy, Ellie Sinclair, Makenna Baughman, Anna Kieffer, and Megan Rae Andrews of Troop 4445, Blessed Sacrament, Morton; and Isabelle Ament, Lexie Balkema, Viviana Bukowski, Lauren Couri, Maggie Coyle, Megan Cusack, Audrey Daniels, Kaitlyn Dries, Mary Dyke, Natalie Giovani, Erin Hanley, Addie Hishon, Rachel Kocher, Maddie Lawless, Parker Marshall, Molly Moon, Erin Mulcahey, Caroline O’Donnell, Caitlin Reid, Isabela Sader, Spencer Sanders, Maggie Sundstrom, Elizabeth Sutter, Grace Sutter and Jennifer Thomas of Troop 4354, St. Vincent de Paul, Peoria.

I Live My Faith
Katie Kiser of Troop 4156, St. Edward’s, Chillicothe; and Lindsay Balkema, Francesca Dyke, Katie Giovani, and Hannah Templin of Troop 4123, St. Vincent DePaul, Peoria.

Marian Medal
(Mary, First Disciple)
Faith Taylor, Holy Cross, Champaign; Amy Crull, St. Matthew’s, Champaign; Maria Aine Baker and Rachel Kristyne Baker, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Peoria; and Molly Smith, St. Patrick’s, Urbana.

Light of Christ
Graham Knoll, John Hall and Matthew Panopio of Pack 55, Holy Trinity, Bloomington; Paul Miller of Pack 42, Holy Trinity, Bloomington; Noah Quick and Robert Howell IV of Pack 104, St. Mary’s, Canton; Luke Stanek of Pack 3159, St. Edward’s, Chillicothe; Ethan Saucedo of Pack 100, St. Malachy, Geneseo; Matheu Eertmoed, Timothy Reynolds, Brandon McGee, Ian Quinn, John Lawless, Benjamin Scholl, Logan Quinn, Ryan Cafferty and Aidan Khoury of Pack 18, St. Philomena’s, Peoria; Nathan Beskid, Nathan Brose, Matthew Ferrell, Liam Flaherty, Thomas Jacob, Alex Kott, McKay LaHood, Leif Magner, Samuel Newton and Ian Weber of Pack 156, St. Vincent de Paul, Peoria; and Bennett Woolsey, John Kilian, Blaine Barisch, Jared Aviles, Emmett Bucklar, Vincent Wong, Kellar Groff and Gus Temple of Pack 28, St. Thomas Peoria Heights.

Parvuli Dei
(Children of God)
Charles Goode, Jacob Croke, Jesse Herr, and Michael Henning of Pack 55, Holy Trinity, Bloomington; Phillip Murphy, Andrew Brodbeck, Nicholas Brodbeck and Devin DeFrain of Pack 104, St. Mary’s, Canton; Greg Kiser and Mark Stanek of Pack 3159, St. Edward’s Chillicothe; Shaun Garrity of Pack 100, St. Malachy’s, Geneseo; Parker Schmalshof, Michael Rohall, Benjamin Williams, Andrew Cody, Juame Timmons-Cabedo, Jeremy Bennett and Nicholas Torrance of Pack 332, St. Paul’s, Macomb; Jeremy Rapp of Pack 85, Blessed Sacrament, Morton; Sean Webb of Pack 488, St. Jude’s, Peoria; Michael Barnes, Eric Brose, Declan Flaherty, Parker Girard, Cian Magner, and Tyler Smith of Pack 156, St. Vincent de Paul, Peoria; and Alex Bender and Nicholas Lees of Pack 28, St. Thomas, Peoria Heights.

Ad Altare Dei
(To the Altar of God)
Dennie Howell of Troop 131, St. Patrick’s, Colona; Jacob Weck, Luke Goleman, Austin Goleman, Seth Koll, and Chris Koll of Troop 352, St. Mary’s, Kickapoo; Casey DeWitt, Benjamin Graves, Erik Mickiewicz, and Casey Flack of Troop 109, Sacred Heart, Moline; and Kevin Rapp and Aaron Rapp of Troop 178, Blessed Sacrament, Morton.

Pope Pius XII
David Brown, Reese Decker, and Kevin Rudy of Troop 40, St. Jude’s, Peoria.

Jerusalem Cross
Chuck Flagg and Nicholas Flagg, St. Edward’s, Chillicothe.

ADULT AWARDS

Bronze Pelican
Father Thomas Mizeur of St. Mary’s, Henry; Stephen Haytcher, St. Edward’s Chillicothe; Jason March, St. Luke’s, Eureka; George Clay, St. Jude’s, Peoria; James Farrell, St. Mary of the Woods, Princeton; and Fred Wallace, Northwoods Community Church, Peoria.

St. George Emblem
Edward Hoekstra, St. Luke’s, Eureka.