April 25, 2007 - Saint Louis University
About the Archbishop John L. May Service Awards
 The Archbishop John L. May Service Awards are presented each year to one senior from each of the 29 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The awards, named after the late Archbishop May and recognizing his dedication to service, honor the students’ outstanding commitment to serving others. The awards were founded in 1994 by Monsignor Ted Wojcicki, the former Associate Superintendent of Secondary Education for the Catholic Education Office, and current President of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. "I have great admiration for the young people in our schools who imitate the selfless life of Jesus in this spirit of service,” Monsignor Wojcicki said. “I applaud our students for learning at a young age that 'it is in giving that we receive'. These young people who are so generous with their time and talents strengthen my hope in the future."
Recipients of the Archbishop May Service Awards consider service a part of their everyday lives. Many students are involved in their school, parish, and community, dedicating countless hours to serving others and giving back. This year’s 2007 award recipients volunteered at a variety of local organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, St. Patrick’s Center, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, the Red Cross, and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Others marched for life in Washington, D.C. and traveled to the Gulf Coast, helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some students even participated in international mission trips, giving their time and talent in places such as Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad, and Nicaragua.
Award FestivitiesDay of Recognition – March 1, 2007
On March 1, the recipients gathered together for a Day of Recognition. The day offered the students an opportunity to meet each other, pray together, and reflect on volunteering and service. The students met at Rosati-Kain High School and began their day with a prayer service at the Cathedral Basilica, led by Archbishop Raymond Burke. The students then traveled to De La Salle Middle School and Loyola Academy to share their service experiences with the grade school students. A talk and lunch was enjoyed at Washington University, where the recipients met with Newman Center students and learned about their recent service trip to Malawi, Africa. A trip was taken to Operation Food Search, where the recipients helped out with various service projects. The day concluded with a final prayer service at the Cathedral Basilica.
Archbishop May Service Awards – April 25, 2007
On April 25, the recipients attended the 14th Annual Service Awards, where each was presented with their award for service. The event was held at the Busch Student Center at Saint Louis University. Reverend Mitchell Doyen, Associate Superintendent of Secondary Education for the Catholic Education Office, welcomed the students and their guests. “I believe the Archbishop John L. May Service Award is the single most significant event which expresses the wonderful mission of Catholic secondary education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis,” Father Doyen said. “It truly is what we are all about; the faith and dedication of our young people points us all toward our deepest desire to become disciples of Christ.”
 Micah House, the campus ministry team at Saint Louis University, gave the invocation, showing a beautiful slideshow presentation that highlighted each recipient and their prayer for service. The theme of the presentation was “Go Light the World.” The keynote address was given by Craig Nicoletti, a 2003 Service Award recipient from CBC High School. Craig stressed the value and importance of continuing service into college and beyond. Archbishop Burke presented each student with their award, gave congratulatory remarks, and gave a final blessing at the end of the evening. Afterwards, all recipients and guests enjoyed a light meal.
The Mission Office attended the Service Awards for the first time this year. Mission Office staff member Colleen Coughlin said, “I was so happy to get the opportunity to attend the Service Awards this year. It was so inspiring to learn about each student’s experiences and to see how they integrate service into their everyday lives.”
Honoring Archbishop John L. May  As a priest, bishop and archbishop, John Lawrence May dedicated his life to serving God and the Church, living as an example of Christian service and as an instrument of social justice.
Following his ordination in 1947 in the Chicago Archdiocese, the 25-year-old Fr. May served his first appointment as pastor of St. Gregory Parish for nine years and taught religion at St. Gregory High School. He was then appointed chaplain of Chicago’s Mercy Hospital for three years. Fr. May was also active in the U.S. Church’s Extension Society, a Chicago-based organization devoted to home missions. In 1950, he was named general secretary of the Society and served as president from 1967-70.
Fr. John May began his career as bishop in 1967, when he was named one of three new auxiliary bishops to the Chicago Archdiocese. Two years later, he was appointed Bishop of Mobile, Alabama, and served there for 11 years.
In 1980, Bishop May was installed as the sixth archbishop of St. Louis. During his tenure, the archbishop served in a number of positions for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference, including the Administrative Board. He was elected vice president for the 1983-86 term and president from 1986-89, when he did much to strengthen bonds between the Vatican and the U.S. Church. In the fall of 1987, he led the delegation of U.S. bishops attending the world Synod of Bishops on the role of the laity in the Church and the world.
Archbishop May also revitalized the archdiocesan pastoral council and reorganized the Catholic Charities agencies to better address the needs of the people in our area. Intensely proud of the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, he authorized steps to complete the enormous mosaics that cover the interior of the Cathedral. He was furthermore a leader among the ecumenical community in the area, especially as the local churches organized efforts to reach out to those with AIDS.
 The archbishop used his weekly column in the St. Louis Review to address many topics, including anti-abortion protests, desegregation in public education, the sale and distribution of Church property, Holy Communion under both species and a bilateral freeze on nuclear weapons. He wrote against the sale of McDonnell-Douglas fighter planes to Saudi Arabia and promoted stronger efforts to convert armaments production to peacetime use.
In July 1992, the archbishop was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The following December, he felt he was no longer able to adequately serve his people in St. Louis and resigned from his 12-year post. Archbishop May died on March 24, 1994.
In honor of Archbishop May’s dedicated Christian service, the Archbishop John L. May Service Awards are conferred each year, recognizing the outstanding leadership and community service of young people in the St. Louis area.
Director of the Archdiocesan Mission Office I extend my congratulations to all the recipients of these awards! Your dedication is an inspiration to everyone in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis! I was in San Francisco for the national meeting of all diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies during the awards ceremony.
I do wish to draw particular attention to those recipients who gave service overseas in a mission setting. The experience overseas may be a hint of things to come. Could it be that Our Lord is calling you to give a portion of your life to missionary service in mission lands? While each baptized Catholic is called to be missionary, some members of the Church live their missionary calling in foreign lands. In its documents that relate to missionary work, the Church calls these missionaries ad gentes. Ad gentes is Latin and means “to the nations.” We remember Jesus’ words to the Apostles before His ascension into heaven: “You will be my witnesses, even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
May our high school graduates continue their outstanding service in the spirit of Archbishop May! My prayer is that some of you will also be called to missionary service “even to the ends of the earth!”
Monsignor Francis X. Blood
Director, Pontifical Mission Societies
Archdiocese of Saint Louis
A Commitment to ServiceVarious recipients of the 2007 Archbishop John L. May Service Awards performed their service abroad in different locations around the world! Read below to learn more about one student's experience!
 Kelly Bouquet
Visitation Academy
Kelly has performed service on medical mission trips to Honduras, blending her passions of service, medicine, and Spanish.
Learn more about Kelly's service...
Special Thanks
The Mission Office thanks the following people for their help in putting this story together!
Monsignor Ted Wojcicki
Founder, Archbishop John L. May Service Awards
President, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Reverend Mitchell Doyen
Associate Superintendent of Secondary Education, Catholic Education Office
Mrs. Carol Coughlin
Administrative Assistant in Secondary Education, Catholic Education Office
Kelly Bouquet
Award Recipient, Visitation Academy
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