PHOTO COURTESY MARGE BABCOCK
Submitted by Judy Carr
BALDWINSVILLE — David Babcock of Liverpool has won St. Augustine Parish’s Sister Pat Geary Award.
Each March, close to Feast of St. Joseph on the 19th, the parish presents the memorial award to someone who personifies the values and ideals exemplified by Sister Pat, a Sister of St. Joseph who passed away in 1998 after many years of ministry at the parish. The award honors someone who selflessly gives to promote and facilitate Christian services to others and the social mission of the church and who honors the call to respect the dignity of all.
The nomination form submitted in support of Dave states, “Like Sister Pat, Dave opens us to an awareness of our community. He stretches from our church to other local social-service organizations.” Dave is active in the parish Social Action ministry and through this ministry, he connected to the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (ACTS), now serving as president. He is also a Book Buddy, reading to elementary-school students at Seymour Dual Language Academy. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Spiritual Renewal Center.
Dave has organized several St. Augustine book groups promoting readings that help parishioners to understand issues of race and prejudice. A parishioner remarked: “Dave’s facilitation allowed me the opportunity to see injustices that I was not aware of.” When meeting to evaluate the nominations that were received for the award, a staff member remarked, “He’s always ready to pitch in if something needs to be done.”
In presenting the award to Dave, Sister Ellen Larkin, CSJ, cited a letter at the Sisters of St. Joseph Provincial House in Latham. In the letter, a St. Augustine parishioner recalled Sister Pat reflecting on the joy of seeing a student put into practice what he or she had been taught. Although Dave and his wife, Marge, were not St. Augustine during Sister Pat’s time there, Dave certainly has learned the lessons of selfless love and social activism and empowerment as preached by Sister Pat.
The St. Augustine’s community congratulates Dave on this achievement and thanks him for his service both to the parish and the Syracuse community at large.
Judy Carr is a member of the Sister Pat Geary Award Committee at St. Augustine Parish in Baldwinsville.
