The honoured youth are “very, very involved in school, parish and (other movements),” said Ted Hurley, director of youth ministry for the archdiocese of Ottawa, who organized the event with youth and staff at the St. Elias Centre, where the event was held. “(They are) real examples of youth ministry.”

The awards given out were all named after saints, who, said Hurley, “lived their lives passionately.”

The recipients (and their awards) were: Matthew Bisson (St. Peter “Rock of Youth Ministry” Award), Nicolas Church (St. Bernadette “Witness Through Service” Award), Megan Crowe (Pope John Paul II “Reaching Out to Youth” Award), Dior Krolak (St. Mary “Love of Christ” Award), Josh Lanthier (St. Cecilia “Evangelizing Youth Through Music” Award), Nick Liko (St. Thomas Aquinas “Teaching our Faith” Award”) and Amanda Walsh (St. Elizabeth “Joy in Youth Ministry” Award).

The eighth award, “Heart of Youth Ministry,” which honoured St. Don Bosco, was given to Fr. Stephen Amesse. Amesse received the award for his outstanding service to youth in Ottawa as a pastor, Challenge Movement spiritual director and a high school spiritual counsellor.

Amesse said, “It is important for those giving to the community (to be recognized), as well as those behind the scenes. I wouldn’t be receiving an award today had it not been for my parish, pastoral office and financial office that have allowed me to do my work in schools. In that way, it is their award.”

The gala was named after St. Don Bosco, who was canonized as the “Father and Teacher of Youth” and is commonly known as the patron saint of youth ministry. Don Bosco’s feast was commemorated the Sunday following the gala.

Bisson said he responds to his call every day. An active member of his parish, Holy Redeemer in Kanata, Bisson is a youth lector and a leader of the junior and senior youth group.

Bisson says he joined the youth group initially because it provided a safe haven while he was in high school. In addition to practical leadership opportunities, he said being involved with ministry provides an opportunity to give back to the Lord.

“When we give back to the Lord, we are able to build new relationship that we wouldn’t be able to build otherwise. Youth ministry encourages a certain type of lifestyle with the Lord.”

André Regnier, co-founder of the Catholic Christian Outreach, gave a keynote speech on “Living with Passion” and what it means to lead a life full of passion for Christ.

“Remember the importance of passion. It comes very easily for us within the church because we have had the life of Christ breathed into us by God at Baptism. We have the life of God within us, and so we are challenged to live in His way,” said Regnier. “We should be looking to the passion of Christ as a role model to our lives.”

(Lewis, 18, is a journalism student at Carleton University in Ottawa.)