The Pope John Paul II Award recipients from St. Colman’s College. Photo: Michael Donnelly

Students from south Mayo school honoured at Pope John Paul II Awards ceremony

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OVER 30 senior students from St. Colman’s College were honoured in St. Colman’s Church, Claremorris, as they received their Pope John Paul II Awards from Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam.

The students completed their awards through dedicated volunteering in their school, their parishes and their own local communities over the past two years.

They have been thanked for their involvement in many voluntary activities, from reading at Mass and helping with various liturgies, cleaning the churches and collecting baskets, coaching younger children in GAA and soccer clubs, visiting residents of local care homes, tutoring primary school pupils through the Peer4Peer Programme, helping with the ‘You Shall be my Witnesses’ Confirmation Programme and a whole host of other activities.

Ten students received the Papal Cross Award from Archbishop Duffy, most of whom walked part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain last summer. Many of these students also took part in the Volunteering at Knock Shrine Programme (VAKS) in the summer and during the Christmas season.

These young men are truly inspirational, living out their faith through service, leadership and generosity, a wonderful example of faith in action and the school has thanked them for their wonderful leadership in the college.

Ten Papal Cross Awards recipients from St. Colman’s College. At back: Ciarán Commons, Adam McNamara, Jack Comer, Sean Halleran, Ronan Murphy and Oisín Gaughan. Front row: Kevin Duffy, Nathan Gill, Cillian Gallagher and David Loughney. Also pictured are Archbishop Francis Duffy, Fr. Peter Gannon (P.P., Claremorris), Fr. Shane Costello (Castlebar), Fr. Sean Flynn (P.P., Kilvine), Tomás Kenny (Diocesan RE Director), Nicola Mitchell (Knock Youth Ministry Director), Mary Egan (St. Colman’s College) and Roy Hession (Principal, St. Colman’s College). Photo: Michael Donnelly

After the awards ceremony everyone enjoyed refreshments in the Dalton Hotel, which brought a lovely occasion to a fitting end.

Sincere thanks has been extended to Archbishop Francis Duffy, who officiated at the ceremony, to Tomás Kenny (Diocesan RE advisor), who organised the JPII Awards ceremony, and to Nicola Mitchell from Knock Youth Ministry who was special guest on the evening.

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