ROCKFORD—Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and a Girl Scout from across the diocese gathered Feb. 8 at the Cathedral of St. Peter for the annual Scout Sunday Mass. The event celebrates scouts and adult leaders who have earned various religious scouting awards throughout the year.
Bishop David Malloy presented the scouts with medals and patches that corresponded to their achievements. Since 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Ad Altare Dei award, scouts receiving this medal were also given an additional bar pin commemorating the anniversary.
Adult Boy Scout leader, Chris Walls from Pack 139 at Holy Family Parish, Rockford, was presented with the St. George Medal, which is the highest recognition conferred by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.
In his homily, Bishop Malloy compared the Sunday Gospel about being salt for the Earth and a light to the world with the ideals of scouting.
“Jesus said to His disciples, ‘You are the salt of the Earth and the light of the world.’ These are not merely aspirations but what God calls us to be,” Bishop Malloy said. “And if we think about it deeply, being salt and light is very much linked to scouting.”
“Salt gives of itself so that other good things may come, and light dispels the sin, confusion, error and anger that is so widespread in our culture and society,” he said. “Catholic scouting works with all of you to be that change, to be salt for the Earth and a light unto others.”
“The values associated with scouting: loyalty, truthfulness, patriotism, resourcefulness, foster our desire to be that salt and light for others,” Bishop Malloy said. “The Scout Sunday Mass reminds us that we have been called to something deeper. Learning and living the values of scouting is something you take with you throughout life. That is at the heart of what flows from scouting combined with faith.”
Bishop Malloy concluded his remarks by challenging the scouts to live their scouting values and follow the example of Jesus. “Salt and light spread. Salt moves throughout food, and light spreads throughout a room,” he said. “With your faith and with your scouting, be the salt and light that keep away the bad, protect the good, and show others the way to the Lord.”
Awards
There are various religious emblem programs available for Scouts to earn. For each emblem, a Scout follows a manual, with a goal of completing requirements over the course of several weeks.
It is important to understand that religious emblems are not merely awards for completing a set of requirements. Instead, they recognize a young person’s growth in faith and how they live out their Catholic faith. The goal of religious emblems is to provide a structure where Scouts can grow in faith and apply what they learn to their everyday lives.
This award information was provided by Scout leadership.
AD ALTARE DEI –– Designed for a young person who is Catholic and who is registered in a BSA Troop, Venturing Crew or Sea Scout Ship.
BARRINGTON—St. Anne: Carl Colletti
CARY—SS. Peter and Paul: Johnny Anchor, Cale Etter, Ryan Milobowski
CRYSTAL LAKE—St. Thomas the Apostle: Alexander Walsh, Tanner Zopp, Lucas Meinhold, Alex Murillo
HUNTLEY—St. Mary: Samuel Slater, Natalie Gudeth, Andrew Gudeth
LOVES PARK—St. Bridget: Sadie Owens, Keegan Owens
MARENGO—Sacred Heart: Liam Fricke, Zachery Leitzen, Hannah Kagan
ROCKFORD—Holy Family: Alexander Woodard
St. Rita: Caelan Frank
WEST DUNDEE—St. Catherine of Siena: Henry Bourbon, Frankie Lorenz, Joshua Bourbon, Trace Moldenhaur
GOD AND MY COUNTRY — Designed for American Heritage Girl Explorers, ages 9-12, to teach them about various saints representing the United States of America, and foster the desire to serve Jesus Christ. It is divided into three segments for each year of the age level.
AURORA—Holy Angels: Elliot Abel, Penelope Hofmann
GOD AND MY FAMILY — Designed for American Heritage Girl Tenderhearts, ages 6-9, to guide them through an awareness of who they are as children of God in the family of the Catholic Church. It is divided into three segments for each year of the age level.
AURORA—Holy Angels: (Segment 1) Emmy Hofmann, Colleen Islas, Gianna Polizzi, (Segment 2) Camila Bustamante, Thalia Bustamante, Ruby Calderon, Camila Dominguez, Eleanor Ewig, Emmy Hofmann, Raffalea Maratea, Julia Martin, Claire Martinez, Aria Wiesner
BATAVIA—Holy Cross: (Full award) Rose Knapp
YORKVILLE—St. Patrick: (Full award) Francesca Bredemeyer
INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS RECOGNITION — The International Catholic Conference of Scouting’s award contributes to the complete education of young people through Scouting from the perspective of the Catholic faith.
BARRINGTON—St. Anne: Carl Colletti
CARY—SS. Peter and Paul: Johnny Anchor, Cale Etter, Ryan Milobowski
CRYSTAL LAKE—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Gabriel Garcia, Ricardo Briones
St. Thomas the Apostle: Alexander Walsh, Tanner Zopp, Lucas Meinhold, Alex Murillo, Jacob Winnecke, Trevor Zopp
LOVES PARK—St. Bridget: Sadie Owens, Keegan Owens
ROCKFORD—Holy Family: Alexander Woodard
St. Rita: Caelan Frank
LIGHT OF CHRIST AWARD — Designed for 6- to 7-year-old Cub Scouts.
BATAVIA—Holy Cross: Otis Meeks
HUNTLEY—St. Mary: Timothy Slater
PARVULI DEI — Designed for 8- to 10-year old Cub Scouts to discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their families and parishes.
BATAVIA—Holy Cross: Max Meeks
MARENGO—Sacred Heart: Julia Frick
ROCKFORD—Holy Family: Elijah Woodard, Haeley Martin
PILLARS OF FAITH — Pillars of Faith provides a special recognition to those youth in Scouting who have earned all four of the traditional Catholic Religious Awards.
BATAVIA—Holy Cross: Sam Stetter
CRYSTAL LAKE—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Ricardo Briones
POPE PIUX XII — Designed for any young person 15 years of age or older who is registered in a BSA Troop, Venturing Crew or Sea Scout Ship.
BATAVIA—Holy Cross: Sam Stetter, Patrick Zwaska
CRYSTAL LAKE—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Gabriel Garcia, Ricardo Briones
St. Thomas the Apostle: Jacob Winnecke, Trevor Zopp
SPIRIT ALIVE — Designed for Catholic youth in high school (grades 9-12) who are in the senior level of Girl Scouts or Horizon Club members of Camp Fire Boys and Girls to assist them in discovering how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives, calling them to greater participation in the Church’s ministry.
DURAND—St. Mary: Lily Nestler
St. GEORGE AWARD
ROCKFORD—Holy Family: Christopher Walls
