Hundreds of scouts from archdiocese
receive religious awards

By Sean Gallagher

More than 500 Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies, Cub Scouts, Webelos and Scouting leaders were honored for their dedication to the Catholic faith on Feb. 27 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis.

After those present praised God in song, listened to Scripture readings proclaimed and a homily delivered by Father Thomas Schliessmann, archdiocesan chaplain of Scouts, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein blessed the religious emblems awarded and presented them to the hundreds of Scouts and Scout leaders present for the occasion.

The event was especially meaningful for Archbishop Buechlein, who told the Scouts it was the 50th anniversary of his earning his Eagle Scout award. Assisting the archbishop at the ceremony was Deacon Shaun P. Whittington, a member of St. Michael Parish in Brookville, who also was an Eagle Scout. Deacon Whittington will be ordained a priest for the archdiocese later this year.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank that a member of the Boy Scouts can earn.

In comments after the event, Archbishop Buechlein spoke about the role that his involvement in Scouting had on his vocational discernment.

“A lot of the Scouts in Jasper at the time were seminarians,” he said. “They made a great impression on me. Plus, it was an opportunity to get some leadership experience and also learn how to compete fairly and get along well with other folks, other kids.”

Deacon Whittington described experiences in Scouting similar to those of Archbishop Buechlein.

“Well, there was certainly the element of leadership, but also just spending time camping and being outdoors really led me to a deeper understanding of God’s presence in the world,” Deacon Whittington said. “Certainly it was a time of a lot of deep prayer and being in the cathedral of nature, as some have called it. That certainly led me to have a much deeper relationship with God early on.”

Archbishop Buechlein and Deacon Whittington are two men for whom Scouting has had a significant impact.

Nathaniel Soller, a fourth-grader at St. Susanna School in Plainfield, who received the Parvuli Dei religious emblem on Sunday, is just in the beginning stages of his involvement in Boy Scouts, but is already seeing how it can lead him closer to God and his neighbor.

“I learned some more Gospel readings,” he said. “I learned more things about God. I learned that I have to do a good turn every day to somebody.” †