Two Mount Students Receive Diocesan Awards

On the evening of Wednesday, January 26, 2022, two seniors from Mount Saint Mary Academy were honored during a ceremony held by the Diocese of Metuchen at St. Francis Cathedral in Metuchen with Bishop James F. Checchio.

 

Mei Chiang of Mountainside received the St. Timothy Award, and Bridget Mooney of Westfield garnered the St. Timothy Award and St. Teresa Award.

 

The St. Timothy Award recognizes high school-aged youth who live as disciples of Jesus Christ, demonstrate Gospel values, witness to their faith by exhibiting Catholic morals and integrity, and reflect Christian leadership in a variety of settings. The St. Teresa Award, named after St. Teresa of Calcutta, is bestowed to only four students in the diocese. These students bring the love of Christ through their good works to the poor, lonely, sick, and homeless.

 

A member of the God Squad at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Westfield, Bridget works with other peer ministers in her parish to organize and plan meetings for the youth. She also leads CYO meetings and retreats for middle and high school students. She is the President of Teens for Teens (TFT), a Westfield-based youth-run organization that supports local charities. She joined TFT as a sophomore and served as Vice President during her junior year.

 

In April, Bridget participated in a Covenant House Sleepout during which friends and family raise money to support the Covenant House mission. Participants sleep outside for the night in solidarity with those who find themselves homeless. Presentations are given at the beginning of the Sleepout by those who have lived in Covenant House. This experience caused Bridget to recognize the blessings she has been given in her life and urged her to share what God has given her with others.

 

Bridget said, “I am so honored to have received the St. Timothy and St. Teresa Awards. My Mercy education has taught me the importance of faith and giving back to my community through service. I am so blessed to have had wonderful teachers and experiences at the Mount that have encouraged me to grow in my faith and to share it with others through Peer Ministry and the Kairos Retreat. The Mercy Core Values (Compelled By Mercy, Educational Courage, Inspired by Faith, Principled Leadership, and A Voice for Dignity and Respect) have encouraged me to live out my faith in service to others.”

 

At Mount Saint Mary Academy, Mei Chiang is a member of the Mount’s Peer Ministry Leadership Team/Kairos Retreat leader, and Respect Life Club. She is also a part of a youth group run by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Newark where she is involved in sandwich-making, sorting food pantry donations and clothing, serving the homeless at the door, and participating in the live nativity plays for those less fortunate.

 

Mei has attended two youth conferences at Franciscan University of Steubenville. She participated in the Camp Veritas summer camp three times as well as three other retreats with the organization. She has attended a summer retreat in Ohio with the Apostolate for Family Concentration twice and two retreats in Ohio during the fall with Totus Tous. Occasionally, Mei helps make sandwiches for the Saint Joseph soup kitchen. She led a toiletry donation drive with the Girl Scouts for a mission trip to Haiti. She was a member of various youth church choirs from the second to eighth grade. At her parish, she served as a youth lector. She has also knitted hats for babies which were donated to local hospitals.

 

For her Sweet 16, she collected diapers and other baby items for the Mercy House in Newark. Her collection included over 1,800 diapers, 40 packs of baby wipes, a car seat, two activity centers, four highchairs, four blankets, 80 baby clothing items, and a donation of $1,300.

 

Mei said, “I am so thankful to have received the St. Timothy Award because it keeps me grounded in the idea that young people can make a difference. The faith-based actions of our youth are essential to building up the faith community because we are not just the future of the Church, we are the now of it.”