Veronica Novotny
Editor-in-Chief
A newly revived household dedicated to St. Joseph won both Coordinator of the Year and the Steel Cross Awards during the last Household Life Mass of the year at 4:45 p.m. Friday in Finnegan Fieldhouse.
Apprentices of St. Joseph (ASJ) started the academic year with three brothers on campus, one in Austria and a fifth taking a gap year. Gabe Salamida, coordinator of household life, said that sophomore Michael Ferraro, coordinator, “ran with it” in order to grow his household and its devotion to St. Joseph.
Ferraro was recognized with the men’s Coordinator of the Year Award, and the whole household won the Steel Cross Award, which is awarded for being a pillar of faith and leadership on campus.
Previously little known, ASJ saw a boom in intents this year, which increased their visibility. Additionally, they reached out to do joint commitments with several large households such as AMDG, Stella Mariae and Carae Domini. ASJ also hosted the Damascus Worship team for a time of praise and worship Thursday, April 21, from 8:30-10:30 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel in lieu of their typical holy hour commitment.
Servants of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and Corpus Christi won the St. Clare and St. Francis Awards respectively for embracing and promoting the Franciscan charisms of ongoing conversion and missionary zeal.
“I don’t know if you know this, but (Servants) has 28 sisters,” Salamida said. “They’re just a super solid household without having to draw attention to themselves.”
Similarly to ASJ, Corpus started the year with two active members, which would usually have made it an inactive household. However, the members asked Salamida for the chance to recruit that semester, Salamida said. Two men intented in the fall and three in the spring, bumping them up to seven members.
Senior Tessa Crider of Stella Mariae won female Coordinator of the Year, and Totus Tuus Maria won the women’s Steel Cross Award.
The Rev. Rufino Corona, TOR, was awarded “TOR Tuff Guy Award” but was given a dodgeball instead of the usual trophy. The Rev. Don Frinsko, TOR, who won the award in 2021, did not return the trophy to the Office of Evangelization before the award ceremony, Salamida said.