Mount Saint Mary's Presents Founder's Day Award to Mark Pacione

Mark Pacione (L), with Mount Saint Mary's President George Houston
after the Mass and award presentation.

Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary presented the 2002 Founder’s Day Medal to Mark Pacione, Director of Youth and Young Ministry, Archdiocese of Baltimore, on Monday, December 9, during a 4:30pm Mass celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass was held on the Mount's campus, in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

Mark Pacione has been active in ministry to adolescents since 1975 in parishes and Catholic schools. He was the Coordinator of Youth Ministry at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington, Virginia (1976-1979) and the Coordinator of Parish Youth Ministry and Director of Religious Education at St. Margaret Church in Bel Air, Maryland (1979-1985). He has worked for the Archdiocese of Baltimore since 1985 as the Director of the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Honored with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry Award in 2000, Mark has been instrumental in preparing and conducting national gatherings of Catholic youth, as well as activities at World Youth Days (serving as coordinator for the Papal Mass and Vigil in Denver in 1993; and serving as facilitator and site coordinator for English speaking catechetical sessions in Paris in 1997, Rome in 2000, and Toronto in 2002).

Mark has just completed service on the Board of Directors of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. He has been a speaker at national gatherings, including the National Catholic Education Association conference, the National Pastoral Ministry Conference and the National Conference for Catholic Evangelization. He has ministered to youth across the nation and around the world.

The Mount Saint Mary’s Founder’s Medal honors its founder, Father John DuBois, and celebrates the values for which the Mount has stood for nearly two centuries. The Founder’s Medal was first awarded in 1983 as part of the 175th anniversary celebration of the founding of Mount Saint Mary’s.

The medal recognizes a Catholic whose actions have significantly, and in a seemly manner, affected the lives of others.

Congratulations, Mark!