Teen ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ regaled at St. Timothy Award ceremony

Just one month after the start of this Jubilee Year, the Diocese of Metuchen was proud and grateful to gather a group of young Catholics who were local examples of what Pope Francis called “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Bishop James F. Checchio addressed the 56 teens seated before him in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Jan. 25 for the annual St. Timothy and St. Teresa Awards ceremony sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. With admiration for their lengthy spiritual resumes and generosity of heart, he told the high school students, “You have been faithful witnesses to our Lord. You are in service to neighbor in proclamation to the Gospel [and] give us a model of Christian discipleship.”

The teens had been nominated for the awards by their pastors, principals, catechetical leaders and youth ministers for the ways they exhibited Christian leadership in their parish, school or community settings. Further, according to the office’s website, the teens were recognized for “living as disciples of Christ; setting a positive example for other youth; witnessing to their faith by exhibiting Catholic morals and integrity, and demonstrating Gospel values through service to others.”

During his homily, Bishop Checchio reflected upon the Gospel of Luke where Jesus charged 72 disciples to proclaim his Word, noting, “The harvest is abundant, but laborers are few.”

“It is challenging to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength,” the Bishop admitted, “but Jesus did something beautiful for us, [saying] ‘Whatever you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you did for me.’

“Thank you for all you do,” he said. “Thank you for your example you give to your younger brothers and sisters. We are fulfilling God’s will.”

Jay Donofrio, director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, dubbed the award winners “the heartbeat of the Church,” and explained the motivation behind the public declaration of gratitude for the teens’ faith-filled accomplishments.

“The service and good works that these youth perform… is very rare today,” Donofrio said. “Standing up for their faith in such a turbulent time is one reason they deserve to be highlighted. They need to know they are making a difference.”

He concluded, “These selfless teens are the future that will continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and every act of charity or kindness that they perform is a positive ripple in the ocean.”

Six of the St. Timothy award winners were bestowed with an additional honor: the St. Teresa of Calcutta Award. Those high school seniors had been selected for adhering to the saint’s example as witness to the faith and demonstration of Christian charity in service to the poor, lonely, sick and homeless. Bishop Checchio shared warm recollections of meetings with the future saint while he studied in Rome, calling her ”encouraging and uplifting.”

The 2025 St. Teresa of Calcutta Award winners are Katherine Byrne, Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung; Maxwell Corry, Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield; Owen Crum, St. Joseph High School, Metuchen; Joshua Gryzb, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Martinsville; Natalie Phelan, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Three Bridges, and Jocelyn Senkowski, Immaculate Conception Parish, Annandale.

The Bishop had further advice for the seniors in the congregation who would be leaving home to continue their education at colleges and universities. “Stay close to Jesus as you go forth,” he recommended. “Be smart, find the campus ministry and chapel.”

Echoing the instruction of Jesus to the 72 disciples who were about to go out and spread the Good News, Bishop Checchio implored them, “Pray first before you do anything else.”



Pastors, teachers and youth ministers praise their award winners:

Jocelyn Senkowski, Immaculate Conception:
“She has a tremendous heart for service, which she does with great love. She excels at working with children with disabilities, and as an aide, and eventually a catechist, she has often been the face of Christ to these children who feel so loved by her, that their disabilities are all but forgotten as instead, they are focused on having fun learning about, and growing in relationship, with Jesus.”

Katherine Byrne, Mount Saint Mary Academy:
“Katie has shown a tireless commitment to guiding young people in their faith in her many roles: as a peer minister at Mount Saint Mary Academy, as an assistant director at Vacation Bible School, and as a youth volunteer at her parish’s Adaptive Family Faith formation group. Additionally, through the Girl Scouts, she has contributed to service projects that help veterans, mothers struggling with addiction, the homeless and the homebound.”  

Adam Cagno, St. John Neumann, Califon:
“Rarely do I see a teen demonstrating such a strong commitment to his faith.  Adam’s actions show his dedication to God as well as his passion to inspire other teens to expand their faith and deepen their connections with God.”

Nicholas Berardi, St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish, Flemington:
Nicholas Berardi has exemplified reverence and care for our parish by giving his time and talent to serve at Mass for the past 7 years.  He has exhibited leadership skills and patience when helping and guiding new servers. Outside of his serving at St. Magdalen Church, Nicholas offers his time and talent in a Unified Basketball league, is an Honor Roll student at Hunterdon Central High School,  plays with PDA soccer (Players Development Academy) in Somerset.  Nicholas was accepted and will attend United States Military Academy West Point.  

Kevin Miller, St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish, Flemington:
Kevin Miller is an active member of our parish community, giving his time and talent to serve at Mass for the past 7 years, including mentoring and training new altar servers. Outside of his serving at St. Magdalen Church, Kevin offers his time and talent in a Unified Basketball league, he participates in varsity Soccer and Tennis, and is an Honor Roll student at Hunterdon Central High School.

 Justin Soria, St. Joseph Parish, Carteret:
As pastor I chose Justin Soria as nominee for St. Timothy award because his exceptional generosity in availability for service at the altar, volunteerism in moments of charity and dedicated loyalty to his fellow teens in the parish youth group. As well, his humble yet dignified demeanor is a wonderful compliment to a youth who seeks to live his faith.

Rooney Rodriguez, St. Joseph Parish, Carteret:
As pastor I chose Rooney Rodriguez as nominee for St. Timothy award because he exhibits a most sincere piety and is truly proud of his family's faith and commitment. He portrayed Jesus in the Good Friday street procession and is most faithful in serving at mass and volunteering at our parish food pantry, I see him as most deserving of this award.

Nicholas Emery, St. James Parish, Woodbridge:
Nicholas Emery is a model of his Catholic faith by his willingness to serve at the altar, as an assistant with the religious ed program, as well as his commitment to family values while constantly presenting himself respectfully and always with a smile.  Nicholas is a St. James Catholic School graduate and remains faithful to his school and parish while attending high school in the public sector.

Annie Johnson, Immaculata High School, Somerville:
Annie Johnson has been active in her faith throughout all of high school and regularly speaks to others about how much she loves living her faith through service to others and diving deeper into her relationship with God.  She possesses an authentic joy in living Truth and truly attracts others to know the reason for that joy, which is God.  Beyond her own love to seek out opportunities to know God more personally, Annie is always inviting others to join her and to “see for themselves”.

Arianna Sviderskis-Carroll, Immaculata High School, Somerville:
Arianna Sviderskis-Carroll is the quintessential example of servant leadership.  She has been traveling down to Appalachia twice a year since she began at Immaculata HS.  She has inspired her friends to go and has worked throughout the year to fundraise for this trip so it does not put a financial strain on her parents, who have chosen Catholic education for four children.  She has proven that her faith radiates into all areas of her life by having leadership positions outside our office and always encourages other clubs to be rooted in serving others, her service to her parish community and town, and her ability to be on our Campus Ministry Leadership Board.  Arianna is a reflection of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s quote, “What we need is to love without getting tired” as demonstrated in her completion of 900 service hours (and counting) in her time at Immaculata