2023 Saints in the City
Youth Disciples!
The Saints in the City Celebration is an opportunity for leaders in the Diocese of San José to honor our High School teens who have carried the torch of discipleship with fearless faith, enduring hope, and bountiful charity.
Saints in the City Sponsorship Opportunities below:
- $1,000 Friends of Kecharitomene
- $500 Friends of Young Disciples
- $250 Friends of Saints in the City
- $ Other – recognition as appropriate
“The community has a vital role in the accompaniment of young people; it should feel collectively responsible for accepting, motivating, encouraging, and challenging them” (CV 243). Look throughout your parish/high school community to identify these young disciples of Christ and review your candidates with your parish/school team. We encourage you to make the discernment process a collective effort. Your discernment team may include: pastor, youth/campus minister, parish catechetical leaders, pastoral team, teachers, and other leaders who have built relationships with your teens. The Nomination Application Preparation Guide will provide descriptions of award categories as well as assist your parish/school in selecting a teen to nominate and honor.
2022 Saints in the City Awardees
Kecharitomene Award
Anjali Vieira
St. Francis of Assisi Awardees
Alex Amend, Avery Mah, Betzy Sanchez, Bryan Hernandez Cruz, Diane Lue, Francis Nguyen, Grace Cargill, James Peal, Joshua Joseph, Julia Derse, Julian Montiel, Lara Ramirez, Michael Coffey, Nicolas Alvarez, Ricardo Barron, Sofia Peralta, Teddy Nguyen, Thi Nguyen
St. Maria Goretti Awardees
Camille Wurtz , Diana Nguyen, Heaven Meneses, Joseph Vazhaeparampil, Juneer Delacruz, Naomi Lahner, Sarai Belen Castaneda
Saint Thomas Aquinas Awardees
Angel Aldaco, Christian Josue Manzanares, Clare Taylor, Jacqueline Cordero, Konrad Wrebiak, Melissa Alexandra Monroy Reyes
Santa Teresa Awardees
Lavinia Greborio, Nathaniel Shaw
Award Descriptions
Saint Francis of Assisi Award
(Pastoral)
Honoree demonstrates strong evangelization charisms; unafraid and willing, the honoree possesses the spirit of evangelical outreach and expresses his/her faith freely, totally, fruitfully, and faithfully. He/she shepherds others to follow the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ and inspires peers to witness to a broken world; the honoree leads by example and longs to make Christ known everywhere h e/she goes.
Saint Maria Goretti Award
(Human)
Honoree exemplifies the love of Christ through his/her character and living out the virtues of faith, hope and charity. He/she is determined to reach the unreached and serve the lost, the least and the last of his/her community; the honoree is particularly sensitive to the needs of his/her brothers and sisters in seasons of trial and hopelessness; he/she gives freely without expecting anything in return simply to share God’s good love to the world.
Saint Thomas Aquinas Award
(Intellectual)
Honoree possesses a deep understanding of the Catholic faith; he/she spends time learning the truths of the faith by means of the Holy Bible, Catechism and classic Catholic literature. At the core, the honoree is a defender of the faith; his/her knowledge of the faith inspires others to learn the beauty and richness of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
Santa Teresa Award
(Spiritual)
Honoree demonstrates maturity in Catholic spirituality; understands the beauty of the interior life and longs to attain the greatest heights of holiness; well versed in the ways of interior prayer, vocal prayer and contemplative prayer; lives every single day as an oblation to God’s good providence and is resolved to find God’s perfect will in every situation; he/she longs to fulfill the vocation God has plan for him/her