2007 BREATH OF THE
SPIRIT AWARD
Lauren Williams
St. James the Less, Highland
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(Studio time courtesy of Relevant Radio 1270 AM)
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Each year at CYX, the Diocese of Gary awards the BREATH OF THE
SPIRIT AWARD to a teen who goes above and beyond, to fulfill his
or her baptismal call, and to allow the Holy Spirit to work
through them to build the Kingdom of God.
This year we honor Lauren Williams, a sophomore from St. James
the Less in Highland. At an early age, Lauren overcame
incredible adversity. Her story starts when she was young, and
her only brother was diagnosed with cancer. The family struggled
through the many treatments, and the emotional highs and lows.
Eventually cancer claimed the life of Lauren’s brother. At a
time when the pain and loss of a loved one would shaken the
faith of most of us, Lauren’s faith was actually strengthened
during this difficult time. Lauren saw a glimpse of Heaven in a
photo that was taken the day her brother died, and from then on,
Lauren was inspired to share her Catholic faith with others.
Lauren joined St. James Youth Ministry and attended CYX 06 and
TAPT 19 last March. She heard a call from God to spread the
Gospel message and evangelize: she always invites new people to
her youth program, attends school with a cross and bible, and
encourages others to join her faith. She admits that quite often
her peers make fun of her, and give her a hard time for sharing
her faith, but that does not stop her. In fact, it fuels her
even more. When she introduces herself to new acquaintances, she
tells them she considers herself a Jesus Freak.
She has started a recent movement to share her faith in a
community not known for religious activity: Myspace… adding
comments on her site about Jesus and her religion, and
encouraging others to do so as well. She volunteers at school,
she is a part of the Key Club, she is a youth leader in Life
Ministry and she is a greeter at her church on Sundays.
According to her youth minister Joe Kern, Lauren lets the Spirit
guide her in all that she does. She knows God is a part of her
life, and she is an inspiration to all she encounters.
Please join me in saluting Ms. Lauren Williams as we present her
with the 2007 Breath of the Spirit Award. |
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