Raymond Church Receives Youth Ministry Scholarship

The following information was provided by Barnstable Academy in Oakland:

Raymond Church, a senior at Barnstable Academy High School in Oakland, will be one of the 2012 recipients of a $250 Our Lady of Consolation Youth Ministry Scholarship and the 2012 Our Lady of Consolation Peer Ministry Service Awards.

Church is recognized for his dynamic leadership and willingness to give of his time and talent freely in the Youth Ministry Program throughout his high school years. Church began attending the Our Lady of Consolation Youth Ministry Program when he was in 7th Grade, where he started making a significant contribution to the Our Lady of Consolation Church community. With is unbound energy, Church was a confident leader rising to the challenge of stepping out and getting involved.

Throughout his involvement at Our Lady of Consolation, Church participated in Youth Group and became a Peer Ministry Leader. He completed a two year Confirmation Program, attended many retreats, became a retreat team leader, and also directed several Youth Retreats. Church helped organize youth activities and service projects, participated in countless service projects and benefits and attended many workshops, Youth Festivals, and Rallies. Last summer, Church even worked s a landscaper on the parish grounds.

Church represented Our Lady of Consolation, the diocese, state of New Jersey, and the United States as he journeyed with a million Catholic teens from around the globe on a World Youth Pilgrimage to Madrid, Spain, hosted by Pope Benedict.  He also represented OLC, the diocese, and New Jersey as a delegate at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. Church returned to speak about his faith-filled experience in front of hundreds of parishioners.

Church plans to attend Landmark College in Vermont.

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