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’s resume reads like that of someone with a few more decades behind him, but it’s clear that his faith plays an integral role in how he uses his time.

The 22-year-old is in his first year at the Harvard Divinity School pursuing a master’s 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.

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’s also active in Fellowship of Reconciliation, Interfaith Paths to Peace and JustFaith Ministries.

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.

The national award, sponsored by the bishops’ 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.

“David has used his considerable gifts to bring diverse communities together in Louisville,” said John Carr, interim director of the CCHD in a press release. “David 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.”

Carr’s comments point particularly to Golemboski’s work with CrossRoads Ministry and JusticeWalking.

Golemboski contributed to the development of JusticeWalking — 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.

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.

Golemboski believes that more than any argument or political discussion, these personal encounters can bring about justice.

“It’s transformative,” he said. Participants in CrossRoads retreats “all of a sudden realize they can’t live a life blind to the realities of marginalized people. That’s the road that takes people to social justice.”

After such hands-on experiences, Golemboski said, the next step is to reflect prayerfully on the experience, asking. “How will that go with us tomorrow when we’re not confronted with human suffering on a personal level?”

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 “showed me how to put my faith into practice.”

“One of the biggest influences for me was reading Thomas Merton in high school,” he said. “It 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.”

Folks at Epiphany and St. William gave him the tools to work for justice without becoming disillusioned, he noted.

Again, he said, it goes back to the personal relationship with a person who is in need.

“You are opened up to say, ‘I can’t fix a worldwide problem,’ ” said Golemboski. “But 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.”

The award came as a complete surprise to him, as he didn’t know that his parishes had nominated him for the award.

Father John Burke, sacramental moderator of St. William, said in his nomination, “David 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.”

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.

“In honoring David, we salute all youth who seek a deep respect for human life and a deep concern for a lasting and just peace,” he added. “As his archbishop, teacher and pastor, I thank David for his service and example.”

<a href="http://www.archlou.org/therecord/article104671c597561.htm
“>The link has more. What an amazing kid.