Father Jack Scholarship recipient Olivia Turner displays her “Mega Check”. Shown to the right are recipients Dianne “DeeDee” Rodier and Kiala DeCarvalho. To her rear, Father Paul Flammia.
Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus, Manchester-by-the-Sea awarded thirteen $500 scholarships to 2021 graduating seniors of area high schools. This year’s awards bring to 78 the total number of scholarships presented by Council 1232 in the past 21 years.
For the past six years, the Council’s scholarship program for graduating seniors has been designated the Father Jack Gentleman Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Father Jack Gentleman the late pastor of Sacred Heart, Manchester by the Sea and St John the Baptist, Essex.
The scholarships are annually funded by local donations and the proceeds of a fundraising raffle.
From MERHS; Abigail Conway, Joseph Daly, Kaila DeCarvalho, Tess Eichenberger, Ashley Flood, Emma Francoeur, Nicole LaPointe, Jennifer O’Neill, DeeDee Rodier, Olivia Turner, Josef Vytopil and Franklin Wood. From HWRHS; Ryan Monahan.
The awards were presented by Rene St. Pierre and Chris Shea, representatives of the Knights of Columbus scholarship committee in the form of “Mega Checks” at a garden reception at Sacred Heart church on Corpus Christi Sunday.
Father Paul Flammia, pastor of Sacred Heart and St John’s, blessed the graduates at a Mass preceding the ceremony and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Grand Knight Bill Busta congratulated the scholarship recipients and noted the awards recognized the graduates’ achievements, perseverance, and community service. He said the awards also saluted their patience and forbearance in an exceptionally difficult pandemic year. He urged them, in the spirit of Father Jack, “to walk life’s journey loving one another, caring for each other, and treating others as you would wish to be treated.”
Busta also thanked everyone who supported the Father Jack Memorial Scholarship Fund financially in a difficult year. “You made these awards possible.” The outgoing Grand Knight also congratulated Father Paul Flammia who celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood the first week of June.
