January 11, 2022
Julia Ferreira ’21 wins youth service award from Diocese of Providence
By Maeve Hickey ’21, ’22G
Julia Ferreira ’21 is a Lumen Gentium Catholic Service Award winner. The program of the Diocese of Providence recognizes individuals who support the church through their parishes. Nine different awards are presented to those who go above and beyond in their service to the church, and the award is considered one of the diocese’s highest honors.
Ferreira was awarded the Distinguished Catholic Youth Award for her service at St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence, R.I., her home parish, where she has been a lector, office assistant, flutist, and altar server. She was recognized for working tirelessly to strengthen and restore the parish’s youth group.
A biology and Spanish double-major at PC, she aspires to be a physician’s assistant. Since graduating from in May, she has worked as a certified nursing assistant at St. Ann’s Hospital in Fall River, Mass., a hospital founded by Dominican sisters. She also works as a medical assistant in a dermatology office while applying to physician’s assistant programs. She still teaches confirmation education classes weekly and is working to figure out how the youth group will meet again post-Covid-19.
The Diocese of Providence intended to present Ferreira the award in the spring of 2020, but because of the pandemic, the award ceremony was delayed until September 2021.
Ferreira grew up Catholic and became an altar server in second grade. In high school, she began teaching different levels of religious education classes. During her senior year, she decided that she wanted to get involved with the young adult group. She started teaching confirmation classes and helping with youth ministry. Her journey reviving her church’s youth group started shortly after she began teaching.
Ferreira believed there was a “disconnect between the youth and the rest of the church community – a missing piece,” which could be found through helping the youth restore their faith. She thought it would be helpful to make religious education more personal and less like a school lecture.
“I wanted to be able to show that faith was alive in our age group, that I was able to live out my faith in a very important way, and that they could do the same,” said Ferreira.
She credits PC for her involvement in the church.
“I think PC has had a major influence in all of the things that I have done,” Ferreira said. “While at PC, my faith increased exponentially. I felt like faith was lived out within the community.”
