The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was filled with smiling parents, teachers, mentors and high school students for the annual Christian Service Awards celebration April 18, honoring 59 graduating seniors for their volunteer service to the local and international community.

Hailing from the Catholic secondary schools within the archdiocese, the awardees have collectively participated in thousands of volunteer hours over the course of their high school career.

A sampling of the many projects benefiting from the students' volunteerism includes: AIDS Care Walk-a-Thon, Corazon house building in Mexico, Project Understanding: Helping Elderly and Homeless, Underwings After School Program, Villa Esperanza for Handicapable Children, Knights of Columbus service projects and youth/religious education/parish ministries.

Archdiocesan superintendent of secondary schools Nancy Coonis said in her welcoming remarks before the liturgy that the annual Christian service awards event represents "so well" the true mission of Catholic high schools.

"[The students'] achievements are remarkable as the many people whose lives have been touched by their service have experienced the love of God in a very tangible way," said Coonis. She acknowledged the influential role of parents, teachers and Christian service moderators in encouraging the students to follow Christ. "Without their support," she declared, "they may not have been inspired to make the sacrifices that we honor today."

In his homily, San Pedro Region Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar, who the day before had been present for Pope Benedict XVI's Mass in Washington, D.C., said one of the early titles given to the pope was to be the servant of the servants of God. "It isn't just the Holy Father who is called to be of service. As a matter of fact," said the bishop, "because of our baptism, the risen Lord has called us forth to become a new creation.

"In becoming a new creation, we are called to become more like Christ. Christ is the true servant of all," remarked Bishop Salazar. He noted that "one who does Christian service in some way puts together the Gospel with service and makes them one….

"As we encounter Jesus in those that we serve, we go beyond ourselves. We go and put the Gospel into practice, like St. Paul did when he went out to serve his brothers and sisters by bringing them the good news of our salvation…. The call to service is a universal one for all of us to practice."

Following the liturgy, five teachers received special recognition for their efforts in encouraging students to participate in Christian service: Jeanie Essa, Bellarmine-Jefferson (Burbank); Dianna Fowler, Holy Family (Glendale); Sister of the Holy Faith Nancy Hale, San Gabriel Mission (San Gabriel); Bridget Lander, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks); and Christian Brother Ricardo Palacio, Cathedral (Los Angeles).

"I think for the students, being involved and giving from their hearts makes them a full member of the community to understand the love that we, as Christians, are called to give and that we have to give to one another," said Essa.

"The past four years these young men and women both in their schools and local community chose to bring help, love and joy to thousands of those less fortunate in our cities, and they did this with love, with enthusiasm and with the hope of making a difference in their world," said Sister of the Holy Faith Angela Hallahan, archdiocesan Christian Service coordinator, before the students were called up to receive their awards.

Evan Kristiansen, a senior at Villanova Prep in Ojai, volunteered for a homeless shelter through his parish and also participated in service projects organized by a group of teens going to World Youth Day in Australia. He also says the daily morning prayers at Villanova over the intercom.

"I try to personalize [the prayers] toward a community that's not necessarily always completely Catholic. We're 41 percent Catholic at my school. I try to include humanitarian messages and things that apply to the Catholic Church but not exclusively to Catholics in my prayers," said Kristiansen, whose sister received a Christian Service award two years ago.

La Reina senior Caroline Elizabeth Dunbar earned her service award volunteering in several ways: working as a catechist teacher's aide, serving as a camp counselor at a Catholic girls' camp, and participating as a docent at the Reagan Library. "It's been really rewarding working with a lot of different people of different ages," said Dunbar. "I love being able to make other people happy and to be able to know I'm helping someone else actively instead of working in an office. It's an amazing experience when you go home and reflect on it."

Her mother, Tracy, said she's seen much spiritual growth in her daughter. "I think the transforming moment in her life spiritually was when she went to World Youth Day in Cologne to see Pope Benedict. Since then, we've seen an amazing spiritual transformation in her. She was always very prayerful, but [recently] action went behind the prayer," said Mrs. Dunbar.

St. Francis senior Sam Pontrelli estimates he will have served 2,200 hours of Christian service for the campus ministry life team and parish youth ministry, among other projects, during his high school career, breaking previous records. "When I think about service, I guess you could say, it's doing something for somebody else," said Pontrelli. "But I kind of like doing it just because I get more out of it than I put in. All of my friends I get from doing service hours."

Bishop Amat senior Kristen Bathan did local community service at Lanterman Developmental Center and international volunteerism in South Africa, where she served at a day care center, and Costa Rica, where she painted a mural on the wall of a children's center.

"I'm really so proud of my daughter," said her mother, Aida. "I was surprised she was getting an award, but then I wasn't surprised because she is so humanitarian [oriented]. Her passion is leadership in service to other people."

The 2008 Christian Service awardees:
Natalina Cristina Capra, Alverno; Kyrsten Melissa Mas, Bellarmine-Jefferson; Kristal Marie Brown and Alexandra C. Martinez, Bishop Alemany; Kristen Briones Bathan and Raphael Bracamontes, Bishop Amat; Yei Seul Hwang, Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto; Sara Cassano, Bishop Garcia Diego; Miranda McOsker and Melissa Perez, Bishop Montgomery; Esau Leyva Jr., Bishop Mora Salesian; Randall Avila, Cantwell-Sacred Heart; Ixtli Sanchez, Cathedral; Malous Kossarian and Niminde Perera, Chaminade; Kyle Patrick Cerniglia, Crespi; Thomas Belna and Daniel Pertusati, Damien; and Steven Vizcarra, Daniel Murphy.

Remo Bangayan, Don Bosco Tech; Nicolina Salvo, Flintridge-Sacred Heart Academy; Andrea Aquino, Holy Family; Charisse Calalang, Immaculate Heart; Pedro Montenegro, Junipero Serra; Caroline Elizabeth Dunbar, La Reina; Grant Blankenship, La Salle; Geena Haney, Louisville; Frank Romo Jr. and Peter Murphy Furnish, Loyola; Julian Marasigan, Mary Star of the Sea; Christina M. Rettig, Marymount; Amanda Castillo, Mayfield Senior; Stephanie Atienza, Notre Dame Academy; Lauren Ballesteros and Brian Sears, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks); Katie Patrizio, Paraclete; Lianne Marie Herold, Pomona Catholic; and Eric Volfango, Providence.

Christina Pimentel, Ramona Convent Secondary; Julie Moreno, Sacred Heart; Brittany Lauren La Rosa, San Gabriel Mission; Bridget Van Hoven, Santa Clara; Kathryn Hernandez, St. Anthony; Sherlyn Colley, St. Bernard; Tatiana Katterine Lewis, St. Bonaventure; Sam Pontrelli, St. Francis; Justin Sabino, St. Genevieve; Ronnie Valencia and Daniel Joseph Beck, St. John Bosco; Vanessa Yanez, St. Joseph (Lakewood); Amanda Veatch, St. Joseph (Santa Maria); Ashley Lancaster, St. Lucy's Priory; Leondria Brown, St. Mary's Academy; Vanessa Carlos, St. Matthias; Hilary Beringhele, St. Monica; Virginia Boles, St. Monica Academy; Katie Rubly, St. Paul; Jesse Jovel, Verbum Dei; and Evan Breaux Kristiansen, Villanova Prep.