GREEN — Queen of Heaven parishioner Caleb Brooks, 15, and a work party group of about 20 Queen of Heaven Troop 334 Scouts have constructed a shrine to St. Florian to honor first responders. The shrine was approved by the Rev. David Durkee as Caleb’s work project to becoming an Eagle Scout, and construction took place in July.
Caleb’s father, Eric Brooks, is scoutmaster of Troop 334 and an officer with the Stow Fire Department. He and his fellow firefighters assisted with the project. The shrine has been placed along the walk with the saints on the grounds of Queen of Heaven, almost meeting the sidewalk of the Way of the Cross, another Eagle Scout project.
In his explanation that accompanied his project for approval of becoming an Eagle Scout, Caleb stated, “I decided to make my project a shrine to Saint Florian for three reasons: One, the desire to honor the first responders who protect us, such as firefighters. Firefighters are a key part of a community. They protect people from fires, which are disasters that can result in the loss of people. Another reason is that I want to honor my dad, who is currently a lieutenant at Stow Fire Department. Finally, I want to go into the career of being a firefighter and a paramedic. I want to be the person to be there for someone when they are having their worst days.”…