Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, and Deacon Martin Ricart, the diocese’s Scouting chaplain, distribute Holy Communion during Mass to conclude the annual Catholic Camporee March 20 at Camp Grimes. (Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald)NEBO — Nearly 300 Scouts and adults attended the annual Catholic Camporee March 18-20, which celebrated the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary theme “Faith More Precious Than Gold.”
Catholic Scouts of all ages enjoyed a weekend of fun Scouting activities, religious education, food and fellowship at Camp Grimes, the Mecklenburg Scout Reservation in the South Mountains owned by the Boy Scouts of America’s Mecklenburg County Council. The Camporee ended with Mass and a ceremony to award religious emblems to Scouts and leaders who exemplify the Catholic ideals of Scouting.
The closing Mass was offered by Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, who was assisted by Deacon Martin Ricart, the diocese’s Scouting chaplain. St. Joseph College Seminary students who are former Scouts served the Mass.
In his homily, Monsignor Winslow focused on the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Lent, in which Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree that produced no fruit.
In the story, the owner tells the gardener to cut it down, but the gardener asks for one more year to cultivate it.
The parable is about the “precious gift of time,” Monsignor Winslow explained, and the second chances time affords us.
“We don’t always think about how important time is, especially when we’re younger,” he said, but he encouraged the Scouts to remember their motto – “Be Prepared” – and value the time God has given them.
Monsignor Winslow then told a story of a young man he helped through confirmation at a New York parish where he was assigned as a seminarian. A few years after ordination, he returned to serve as a priest at the parish. The young man, now grown, was home from college but not attending Mass. Instead, he was sleeping late every Sunday morning, Monsignor Winslow said, and no amount of cajoling from him or the parents was working.
So then-Father Winslow went over to the family’s house and, with the help of the mother, woke up the young man and surprised him. The young man gave lots of excuses about not attending Mass and said he had plenty of time to return to church later.
But Father Winslow insisted, encouraging him to come back to his faith. The young man returned to Mass and went to confession. “It was good to see him” back at church, Monsignor Winslow recalled.
“What I didn’t expect was a phone call in the middle of the night from his mom,” he continued. “I had to go over to the hospital – he had been in a fatal car accident.
His time was a lot shorter than anyone ever anticipated.”
“You don’t know how much time you’ll have,” Monsignor Winslow said. “You think you have a ton of time, but God only knows.
“Time is a gift. It’s a gift when your parents give it to you. It’s a gift when you give it in return. It’s a gift, especially, when God gives us time. For all of us, this gift of time is something we should never take for granted.
“Because every single moment, every single second we’re given – just like the fig tree – is an opportunity to begin again. It’s a second chance. It’s hope.”
“As Scouts, you are prepared,” he noted. “I just ask you to think about the use of the time that you have. It is the one commodity that you have no control over, ultimately. But you have it, so make sure it’s used well.
“Judging by your attendance here this morning, and by those who are mentoring you, I think you’re on a good path.”
After Mass, religious emblems exemplifying the Catholic ideals of Scouting were awarded to Scouts who earned the achievement in either 2020, 2021 or early 2022, since the Camporee was canceled the last two years due to the pandemic.
Mike Nielsen, chair of the Charlotte Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting, which organizes the annual camporee, noted these religious awards are a sign of the importance of spiritual development for diocesan youth involved in a Scouting program, either a Cub Scout pack or a Scouts BSA troop.
“The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law,” Nielsen said. “Through Scouting, Catholics have another avenue through which Catholic principles of ethics and morals can be shared and reinforced with youth.”
More than 100 young people from 24 packs and troops were recognized as having received the Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Ad Altare Dei or Pope Pius XII awards in 2020, 2021 or early 2022.
The highest national adult recognition in Catholic Scouting, the St. George Emblem, was awarded to Jerry Smith and Scott Kennedy, both from St. Matthew Troop 8 in Charlotte.
“Scott is a strong advocate for the spiritual and leadership development of all Scouts and models that through his behavior at all meetings and activities of Troop 8, the largest Catholic Scout troop in the Diocese of Charlotte,” Nielsen noted.
“Jerry has been a leader for Catholic Scouting youth religious emblems programs at Troop 8, and his deep faith and understanding of the Catholic religion were seen and heard by Scouts and adults alike,” he said.
Five other Scout leaders received the Bronze Pelican emblem, the highest adult honor given locally in Catholic Scouting: Tom Gauch and Leslie Tesch of St. Gabriel Troop 174 in Charlotte, William Nichols and Wendell Roth of St. Matthew Troop 8, and Kathy MacMahon of St. Vincent de Paul Troop 288 in Charlotte.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, Editor
Camporee Awards 2020-21
Pack #3: Myers Park United Methodist
Light of Christ
Sarah Tenholder
Pack #8: St. Matthew Church in Charlotte
Light of Christ
Jacob Carson
Connor Santoro
Trey Sayegh
Beau Zyduck
Parish Ward
Gabriel Garvey
Brantley Nagle
Alex Hofberg
Sean Schofield
Benjamin Weber
Parvuli Dei
William Malheiro
Ethan Pereria
Sean Schofirld
Luke Lyberg
Sebastian Pisani
Brayden Dunlevy
Martin Sanchez
Colton Staski
Connor Santoro
Josh Kokatnow
Michael Schofield
Ad Altare Dei
Gino Martinelli
Alex Pezold
Brian Smith
Oliver Abbott
Robert Kennedy
Michael Schofield
William Roth
Andrew Bolling
Andrew Hobbs
Logan Nichols
Brady Roberts
Pope Pius XII
Will Kennedy
Pack #9: St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte
Light of Christ
Samuel Hughes
Ad altare Dei
Jackson Griffin
Stephen Guilfoyle III
Pack #16: Immaculate Heart of Mary in High Point
Parvuli Dei
Miles Gladstone
Unit 17
Ad Altare Dei
Trystan Barnhill
Joe Perkins
Troop 33
Ad Altare Dei
Andrew Phares
Johnathan Phares
Pack #84
Light of Christ
Amanda Beninata
Pack #97
Light of Christ
Jack Aiello
Joel Anderson
James Burcal
Gavin Hammock
Quinlan McCluskey
Caden Moore
Graham Sowell
Xavier Swakla / 2021
Parvuli Dei
Reid Anderson
Joshua Bellar
Thomas Eisert
Carter Gilbert
Tyler Gilbert
Ethan Hammock
Gavin Hammock
William McCluskey
James Samanta
Pack #104: Christ United Methodist
Light of Christ
Madelin Braden
Parvuli Dei
Evelyn Braden
Pack #144: St. Luke Church
Parvuli Dei
Joseph Mitchell
Pack #164 Providence Presbyterian Church
Light of Christ
Tyler Speece
Ad altare Dei
Ceolfrid Philomin, Augusine and Sebastian Robinson
Pack #166: First Presbyterian Church
Parvuli Dei
Roland Trimbach (2021)
Unit 174
Ad Altare Dei
Brendan Anderson
Daniel Charnley
Patrick Doyle
William Roper
Owen Tesch
Pack #214: Matthews United Methodist Church
Light of Christ
Dominic Femenella
Pack #244
Light of Christ
Andrew “Carter” Clifford
Grady Egan
Logan Moore
John Vorys
Pack #260
Light of Christ
Chandler J. Wilson
Parvuli Dei
Carson Wilson
Troop #288: St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte
Ad Altare Dei
John Bone
Diego Gutierrez
Henry Keane
James Keane
Matthew MacMahon
Nathan Peine
Troop #443: Sacred Heart
Pope Pius XII
James Bristol
Tom Bristol
Miles Lester
Matthew Licata
Pack #600: Oak Ridge Presbyterian
Light of Christ
Elizabeth Nelson-Cole
Pack #721: Our Lady of Mercy
Parvuli Dei
Julian Balwah
Danilo Jewell
Albert Kincaid
Joseph Pueschel
Maria Pueschel
Light of Christ
Alistair Balwah
Julian Balwah
Callum Bates
Isabella (Grace) Eklund
Duncan MacDonald
Sofia Mendoza
Theodore Smith
Albert Winifred
Connor Yunkin
Lucas Zuluaga
Troop #730: Holy Family Parish
Ad Altare Dei
Ethan Rapier
Unit #934: St. Leo the Great
Ad Altare Dei
Peter Brown
George Otteson- Holy Family
Patrick Waugh
Parvuli Dei
James Daniel (Danny) Smith
Unit #958
Ad Altare Dei
Alessio Jewell
Carson Morrissey
Frank Pueschel
Ryan Scargle- St. Leo
Ethan Gann
Noah Gann