Bishop recognizes Fall River area teens with Youth Award

FALL RIVER —Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will present the Pope Saint Pius X Youth Award to 44 young persons from parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese in the context of a prayer service at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

The annual award, named for the pontiff who created the Fall River Diocese in 1904 and presented for the first time in 2001, recognizes teens who serve their parish community with selflessness, commitment, and dedication.

The Pope St. Pius X Youth Awards Ceremony will be livestreamed on the Fall River diocesan Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fallriverdiocese.

Nominated for the honor by their pastor, recipients support their parishes and the wider community through a variety of ministries and activities. Some are lectors, Eucharistic ministers, religious ed teachers, and youth group leaders; others have volunteered in local food pantries and tutored non-English-speaking persons. One has led a yearly initiative to collect and distribute school supplies for students in need.

This year several recipients are being recognized for service in response to the pandemic: for organizing a fundraiser to support first responders; operating video technology to livestream parish Masses; assisting with drive-by distribution of religious education materials, and cleaning and sanitizing the church.

Pope St. Pius X Youth Award recipients must have already received the Sacrament of Confirmation, be at least a sophomore in high school and not older than 19.

The award itself is a medal bearing the image of St. Pius X along with his motto, “Receive all things in Christ.”

Those honored with the 2021 Pope St. Pius X Youth Award and their parishes are listed below by deanery.

Attleboro Deanery

Savannah P. Blanchard, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Attleboro; Daniel T. Currier, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish, Attleboro; Angela M. DeTrolio, St. Mary Parish, Mansfield; Emily M. Fasteson, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Seekonk; Victoria C. Kopij, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Attleboro; Clare Lowre, St. Mary Parish, Norton; and Amy M. Parkinson, Transfiguration of the Lord Parish, North Attleboro.

Cape Cod Deanery

Ben Barney, St. Patrick Parish, Falmouth; Owen D. Beals, St. Margaret Parish, Buzzards Bay; Madison R. Crapo, St. Anthony Parish, East Falmouth; John O. DellaMorte, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Sarah Doucette, Our Lady of the Cape Parish, Brewster; Daniel A. Journet, St. Pius X Parish, South Yarmouth; Claire Komar, Our Lady of Victory Parish, Centerville; Lucille Komar, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Osterville; Quinn MacDonald, Our Lady of the Cape Parish, Brewster; Aidan A. Melton, Holy Trinity Parish, West Harwich; Ross Mikulskis, St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, North Falmouth; and Alvin F. Torres De Leon, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis.

Fall River Deanery

Naomy M. Alvarez, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral Parish, Fall River; Alexander D. Camara, St. John of God Parish, Somerset; Jacob A. Chaunt, St. Dominic Parish, Swansea; Alexandra P. Coelho, Santo Christo Parish, Fall River; Jacob P. Do Rego, St. Michael Parish, Fall River; Nathaniel R. Frois, St. George Parish, Westport; Rylee M. Klein, St. Joseph Parish, Fall River; Isabella Moniz, Holy Name Parish, Fall River; Jacob M. Nelson, Good Shepherd Parish, Fall River; John Olivier, St. John the Baptist Parish, Westport; Jacob Torres, St. Stanislaus Parish, Fall River; and David M. Viveiros, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Westport.

New Bedford Deanery

Bridget A. Clavell, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Acushnet; Emily Jones, St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, New Bedford; Alexis Luiz, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New Bedford; Molleigh E. O’Neil-O’Connell, St. Joseph Parish, Fairhaven; Sara Ann B. Pereira, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, New Bedford; Emilia Pinhancos, St. John Neumann Parish, East Freetown; Natalie R. Portal, St. Mary Parish, Fairhaven; and Jason Sicaj, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford.

Taunton Deanery

Angelina Cabral, St. Nicholas of Myra Parish, North Dighton; Jackson A. Franzoni, Holy Cross Parish, South Easton; Lily C. Gustafson, St. Ann Parish, Raynham; Lauren K. Iolli, Holy Family Parish, East Taunton; and Joshua Knief, St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Taunton.