Bishop Gregory Parkes and Justice John Couriel were recipients of the 2025 Soaring Eagle Award.

This award is presented on behalf of the Withlacoohee District of the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council, Scouting America to individuals for their unwavering support of the community and youth.

William Grant, a lawyer from Inverness who serves as chair for the Soaring Eagle event, nominated Bishop Parkes for the award. He and his children have benefitted greatly from Catholic schools, and he is passionate about the values that Catholic education provides to children. That’s one of the reasons he advocated for the bishop to be selected as this year’s recipient.

“When I first heard Bishop Parkes speak at the Listening Sessions at St. Scholastica Parish in 2017, he talked about how important Catholic education was to him. It’s beautiful to see how committed he is to Catholic education. His support has been so important for the growth of our schools,” said Grant. “It was my pleasure to nominate him for this award.”

“He has done so much for the Catholic schools and for children in our community,” added Grant.

There are currently 18 parishes in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg that sponsor scouting packs and troops serving over one thousand students and nearly 600 adults.

Here are some additional ways that Bishop Parkes and the Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg support the youth of our community.

• Bishop Parkes has prioritized Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg since he launched Courageously Living the Gospel in 2018.
• Bishop Parkes has expanded staffing of the Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office and supported numerous formation events geared toward young people across the Diocese, such as Roar of the Rosary, Eucharistic Encounter, Youth Rallies, and the Known Conference.
• Bishop Parkes has instituted a revitalization process for Good Counsel Camp, in Floral City in anticipation of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Camp. This effort will bring new energy to the Camp’s programming and facilities for the benefit of young people.
• Bishop Parkes appointed Father Xavy Castro as Chaplain to serve the scouts’ spiritual needs
• Saint Leo University has hosted “University of Scouting,” a training program for youth and adults to help enrich district programs.
• The Diocese of Saint Petersburg has hosted Catholic Scouting Retreats to help scouts be reverent, one of the core values of scouting.
• There are 46 Catholic Schools and Early Childhood Centers in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg that provide a faith-filled and academically rigorous environment where students grow spiritually, academically, and socially. Catholic schools welcome students of all faiths and provide an education to more than 13,000 students in the counties of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus.