Pope awards for Seamount pupils

FIVE pupils from Seamount College in Kinvara joined a select group of young people when they were among the first recipients of the Pope John Paul II Awards in the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh.
At a special celebration night in the NUIG chapel for young people in Galway Diocese, attended by Bishop Martin Drennan, pupils were acknowledged for their work in their school and community and with a project in Ghana.
Rachel Feeney, Rosemary Walsh, Caoimhe Munnelly, Lucy O’Donoghue and Claire McHugh were awarded certificates and medals for their achievements, which consisted of preparing liturgies, a school retreat, visiting the local nursing home in Ballinderreen, being involved in church choirs and going on a trip to Ghana, West Africa.
The awards scheme was created to commemorate the late John Paul II, who was committed to young people and had such belief and confidence in them.
The presentation ceremony was organised by Siobhain Bradley, youth ministry co-ordinator and along with Bishop Drennan, the attendance included a number of priests, religious, school principals and teachers.
Fr Diarmuid Hogan, chaplin of NUIG, welcomed everybody and the awards were presented by footballer Gerard Brennan, a member of the Dublin All-Ireland championship-winning team. He shared his experiences of his own faith with the young people and encouraged them to pray and trust in God and be involved in their communities.
Three of the Kinvara pupils had the opportunity to visit Ghana last summer, accompanied by their principal, Bean Mhic Dhomhnaill and teacher, Eileen Fitzgerald.
The girls attended classes in Notre Dame School, partook fully in the life of the school, visited projects sponsored by Aidlink and entertained the teachers and pupils in the school with their Irish music and dancing. They also visited the local chief in his palace.
The girls were delighted to take part in the awards and enjoyed the challenge of being involved in their school, community and Ghana projects.
They said they feel young people are the future of the Church. One of the girls commented, “Unless we all do our bit, we could very easily lose interest in it altogether”.
The girls enjoyed sharing their time with the elderly in the local nursing home. While the elderly people told them their stories, the girls entertained them with singing, music and dancing.