"your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father." - Matthew 5:16
The Diocese of Providence will recognize more than 300 Boy-, Girl- and Cub- Scouts this Sunday for earning their Catholic awards and medals.
The Catholic Church, internationally, has been involved in Scouting for more than 90 years, and Catholic Scouting has been present in the Diocese of Providence since the late 1930s. Scout Sunday celebrates the achievements of the Scouts and the volunteers who help youths understand and earn their religious emblems and medals.
Scout Leader Ken Andrade, 54, of Warwick, has been active in Scouting since he was 11 years old. "Our troop, Troop 7 Buttonwoods (Warwick), is part of Sts. Rose & Clement Church," he explained. We are very unique in that we are a multi-faith troop. When the boys were working on their Catholic religious awards, it inspired the other boys to work on their own faith awards, which are Protestant and Jewish."
Andrade said, "Scout Sunday brings it all together ¬ for everything we do. Our troop has a strong Catholic identity, but also a strong respect for the other faiths within our troop. Everyone has an excellent rapport, and we all come together to celebrate on Scout Sunday."
Andrade noted that Sts. Rose & Clement will hold its own Scout Sunday Mass March 11.
The Scouting program in the diocese is more than just learning about the outdoors and fitness. Scouting provides fun, fellowship, spirituality and training. It emphasizes honesty, self-reliance, respect and good citizenship. Through these specially designed religious emblem programs for Scouts, adults are able to assist them in learning the Gospel message and the basic teachings of the church.
Michele Smith, 47, of Albion, has been involved in Scouting for about 18 years. Most recently, she's become a Girl Scout volunteer counselor for "I Live My Faith" and "Marian Medal" for Girl Scouts in the Cumberland area.
"It's the sharing of faith and honor for Mary that I enjoy most about the program," Smith said. "Hearing the girls' point of view about their faith, and sharing my experiences strengthens my faith, too. I hope to instill in them a love for Our Lady and knowledge that she and her Son are here for them."
Smith sees the Sunday ceremonies as "a culmination of the work the girls have done to earn their religious emblems. By receiving their award from the bishop at the special Scout Sunday Mass, the girls sense the importance of the awards and the honor of receiving them."
Richard Forcino, 43, assistant Scoutmaster and Religious Emblems Coordinator for Boy Scout Troop 6, sponsored by St. Ann's Church, Cranston, agrees. The father of three sons, Forcino said, "We are a Scouting family and a religious family. My sons Ricky, Nicholas and Joseph are all Scouts, and my wife is a volunteer mom."
Scout Sunday Mass will be held March 4 at 1 p.m. in the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul, Providence, with Bishop Thomas J. Tobin as the main celebrant and homilist. Awards will be presented by the bishop following the Mass. All Scouts will be in uniform and will be fully involved. Youth members will process into the Cathedral together to "America the Beautiful." They will be the readers, the altar servers, present the gifts, and more.
For more information on Catholic Scouting, please call the Office of Youth Ministry at 278-4626.
(This article originally published in The Providence Visitor)
