The National Catholic Committee on Scouting will celebrate 90 years of awarding religious emblems to cub and boy scouts with a Mass on May 15 at 3:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
The scouting pins are earned after the boys and young men demonstrate a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church. The Pope Pius XII emblem, for example, is earned once scouts learn about the various vocations, occupations and ministries in the Catholic Church. The scouts also conduct research and present discussions on current issues facing the Church and society as part of the emblem-earning process.
Archbishop José H. Gomez will preside at the Mass, which will be attended by scouts, adult leaders and church officials. Hundreds of local scouts who have earned the Ad Altare Dei, Pope Pius XII and Chi Rho religious emblems will be honored at the event. In past years, up to 300 scouts have participate in the event.
Founded in the Los Angeles Archdiocese by Msgr. James E. Dolan, the first award was presented in 1926 to recognize scouts who had become altar servers. Since its introduction, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has become a national scouting program devoted to the spiritual development of youth.
For more information, please visit ccsala.org.
