{"id":2082,"date":"2007-11-16T07:50:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-16T07:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2007\/11\/worried-about-the-future-read-this-youll-feel-better.html"},"modified":"2007-11-16T07:50:00","modified_gmt":"2007-11-16T07:50:00","slug":"worried-about-the-future-read-this-youll-feel-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2007\/11\/worried-about-the-future-read-this-youll-feel-better.html","title":{"rendered":"Worried about the future? Read this. You’ll feel better."},"content":{"rendered":"

From Louisville comes this story<\/a> of a 22-year-old who would put most of us twice his age to shame.<\/p>\n

It’s a little-reported nugget of news from the USCCB meeting in Baltimore — and it’s well worth your time: <\/p>\n

<\/a> David Golemboski\u2019s resume reads like that of someone with a few more decades behind him, but it\u2019s clear that his faith plays an integral role in how he uses his time.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old is in his first year at the Harvard Divinity School pursuing a master\u2019s degree in theological studies. Before heading to Harvard, he was active in both his home parish, Church of the Epiphany, and the parish he joined in college, St. William Church.<\/p>\n

He also taught ESL to refugees at Catholic Charities, served as a volunteer and then as associate director of CrossRoads Ministry at St. William, and helped develop a national program for young people called JusticeWalking. He\u2019s also active in Fellowship of Reconciliation, Interfaith Paths to Peace and JustFaith Ministries.<\/p>\n

Golemboski was honored for this work by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12 during the annual meeting in Baltimore. The bishops presented him the Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award.<\/p>\n

The national award, sponsored by the bishops\u2019 Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), is presented annually to a young adult who demonstrates leadership in fighting poverty and injustice in the United States. It is named for the former archbishop of Chicago, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who was a leading voice for the poor.<\/p>\n

\u201cDavid has used his considerable gifts to bring diverse communities together in Louisville,\u201d said John Carr, interim director of the CCHD in a press release. \u201cDavid has helped other youth to open their eyes and hearts to the poor. He has led them to prayerfully explore their own reactions to poverty, question societal structures that cause it and work for justice at home and abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carr\u2019s comments point particularly to Golemboski\u2019s work with CrossRoads Ministry and JusticeWalking.<\/p>\n

Golemboski contributed to the development of JusticeWalking \u2014 an intensive, year-long program that helps teens delve into the social mission of the church through prayer, reflection and hands-on experience with marginalized people.<\/p>\n

CrossRoads Ministries, an outreach ministry of St. William, has a similar aim. It offers retreats that bring young people from the suburbs to the inner city where they visit a variety of social agencies to learn about the people the agencies serve. At the heart of the program is personal encounters with poor, suffering and marginalized people.<\/p>\n

Golemboski believes that more than any argument or political discussion, these personal encounters can bring about justice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s transformative,\u201d he said. Participants in CrossRoads retreats \u201call of a sudden realize they can\u2019t live a life blind to the realities of marginalized people. That\u2019s the road that takes people to social justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

After such hands-on experiences, Golemboski said, the next step is to reflect prayerfully on the experience, asking. \u201cHow will that go with us tomorrow when we\u2019re not confronted with human suffering on a personal level?\u201d<\/p>\n

Golemboski got started in ministry through the youth group at Epiphany parish. He managed to evade some of the pitfalls of the life of a teenager by discovering Thomas Merton and a host of adults at his parish who \u201cshowed me how to put my faith into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest influences for me was reading Thomas Merton in high school,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a time when I was trying to figure out where I fit into my peer group and who I am as a Catholic. That was part of determining where my life was going to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Folks at Epiphany and St. William gave him the tools to work for justice without becoming disillusioned, he noted.<\/p>\n

Again, he said, it goes back to the personal relationship with a person who is in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are opened up to say, \u2018I can\u2019t fix a worldwide problem,\u2019 \u201d said Golemboski. \u201cBut I can be helpful to the person here with me in Louisville. And then the rest of my actions bear witness to that relationship when I make decisions that can have an impact on the larger scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award came as a complete surprise to him, as he didn\u2019t know that his parishes had nominated him for the award.<\/p>\n

Father John Burke, sacramental moderator of St. William, said in his nomination, \u201cDavid has left an indelible mark on the lives of many high school teens and their families as well as on the inner city community of St. William. He is a young man of deep spiritual insight, uncommon dedication and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, who spoke during the award presentation, cited several Scripture passages that depict the importance of young people in living the faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn honoring David, we salute all youth who seek a deep respect for human life and a deep concern for a lasting and just peace,\u201d he added. \u201cAs his archbishop, teacher and pastor, I thank David for his service and example.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<a href="http:\/\/www.archlou.org\/therecord\/article104671c597561.htm
“>The link <\/a> has more. What an amazing kid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Louisville comes this story of a 22-year-old who would put most of us twice his age to shame. It’s a little-reported nugget of news from the USCCB meeting in Baltimore — and it’s well worth your time: David Golemboski\u2019s resume reads like that of someone with a few more decades behind him, but it\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nWorried about the future? Read this. 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