Roncalli student’s joy of serving others leads to rare national honor

Juliana Riddle is often drawn to the chapel at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, where she is a senior. The National Catholic Educational Association recently chose her as one of just 12 Catholic students from across the country for its Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

The joyful memories flow easily from Juliana Riddle.

The teenager recalls a special moment when she served as a youth minister during a summer camp for younger children at her parish—a moment when the children were so enthralled by the faith-related lesson she was sharing with them that they kept their focus on it even when they were repeatedly being called to lunch.

“Just seeing the love that people have for the Lord keeps me going,” says Juliana, a senior at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis.

She then shares a favorite, re-occurring scene from her volunteer efforts at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Indianapolis.

“My absolute favorite moment is on Saturdays when the people are there,” she says. “I get to bag up their groceries. I get to listen to them, and I get to share a smile. Sometimes there’s a language barrier, but a smile goes a really long way.

“When you go out and interact with people, you learn their stories, and ultimately you learn more about God and about yourself. I just love learning people’s stories.”

Juliana’s focus on being there for people in their moments of need and their moments of wanting to draw closer to Christ has led to her own memorable story.

She was recently chosen as one of just 12 Catholic school students from across the country to receive the Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). She received the award in recognition of her more than 700 hours of service during high school to the food pantry and to the youth ministry program at St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis.

“Teaching the whole child is not just about what the student learns in isolation. It’s about how they relate to their community,” says Lincoln Snyder, the president of the NCEA. “The students who have won the Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award articulate the goal of Catholic education to educate and nourish the whole person, to understand that Jesus loves us so much he asks us to do something great for others.

“These young people have answered that call in light of our faith and are examples to us all.”

As the campus minister at Roncalli, Katie Hibner has seen the way that Juliana has constantly lived the light of Catholic faith.

“Juliana pours her heart and soul into everything she does,” Hibner says. “She knows that when she works on behalf of the Church, her faith and God himself, it really matters. Everything she does is done with the intention of making a difference for other people. 

“She is one of the leaders on my Campus Ministry Student Leadership Team. I jokingly say often, ‘Juliana runs this show,’ because she does. She just gives so much of herself to all of our liturgies and outreaches at Roncalli.”

For Juliana, one of the blessings of receiving the award was that it was presented to her as a surprise, in front of the Roncalli community.

“I knew I was nominated, but I had no idea I was getting the award. Glory be to God!” she says. “I have such an amazing community around me that it just felt really good to have so many people supporting me.

“Roncalli and St. Jude give me so much love. I can’t imagine going to any other school. I’m on the campus ministry team. I love setting up for Mass. I’m at a school where twice and sometimes three times a week, I get to go to adoration. I’m in a school that constantly makes me better, not just academically but spiritually. They want to see the whole person grow and that’s very important to me.”

So is sharing her faith and sharing her love of God.

“I love working with the younger kids of my parish,” she says. “I just love seeing people coming together and just be filled with God’s love and love for one another.

“People give me so much unlimited support and love, and it would be selfish of me not to give them the love back. I want to show them the love and the joy that God gives them.” †