Ethan Lewis among 28 teens to receive Model of Justice Award honoring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When it comes to serving others, Ethan Lewis finds community wherever he goes.
It’s evident in his volunteer work at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Pius V Parish in St. Louis and with an after school program at his alma mater, St. Cecilia School, where he tutors and visits with middle school students.
In his encounters with the people he’s served, the senior at St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School has discovered that “we’re all the same. It doesn’t hurt to be nice to people. We’re all going through things, and bringing each other down doesn’t make anything any better. So we’re all just trying to make it and at least we can try and help each other in some way.”
Ethan is among 28 teens from Catholic parishes and high schools in the archdiocese who will be honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Model of Justice Award at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The awards ceremony is a highlight of the 49th annual Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice, which commemorates King’s birth and legacy.
King once said that life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? His legacy of working toward civil rights in the face of oppression, ignorance and violence focused on the plight of others, particularly African Americans. He also has been described as a servant leader, organizing others to focus on a single goal.
To that end, Ethan said he’s inspired by the late civil rights leader as an example of meeting people where they’re at, building community and not judging others. It’s something that he tries to put into practice in his own service, whether that’s talking to visitors at the food pantry or getting to know the middle schoolers at St. Cecilia.
“I really like to learn about people first and then see how they are as a person, not just by looking at them,” he said.
Ethan also is involved as a student leader with his school’s Marianist Family Encounters Project, a social justice initiative in which students organize educational and service events. Students recently participated in several activities related to care for creation, including placing markers on storm drains to discourage dumping and reducing plastic waste on campus.
In a nomination letter for the MLK Model of Justice award, faculty leader Curt Sidorski described Ethan as having a “hunger for social justice and a deep drive to learn more about the social and political issues that drive our world. The MFEP calls all Marianist communities to take real and concrete action to answer Pope Francis’ call to hear and address the cries of the poor, the young and the earth.”
In addition to his service in the community, Ethan has been a core member of Marianist Dragon LIFE, a faith-sharing group that meets regularly at school. As a core member, he helps organize meetings and attend retreats. He and other LIFE leaders attended a retreat in Dayton, Ohio, where they met students from other Marianist schools. Faculty noted that the experience helped Ethan find his voice and lead conversations with great confidence.
While he was surprised to learn he was named a Model of Justice awardee, Ethan said it’s an important reminder of the legacy that King left, and he hopes in some small part to contribute to that legacy through his service to others and in building community.
“His dream is worth fighting for still, and really just to know that there’s no real differences between us,” he said. “It’s worth it to try and teach people that.”
>> Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice
Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will be the main celebrant at the 49th annual Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The Mass commemorates the birth and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Mass is organized by the St. Charles Lwanga Center. It will be livestreamed at cathedralstl.org.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Model of Justice honorees
- Craig Willmann, All Saints, St. Peters
- Erica Juergensmeyer, Immaculate Conception, Dardenne Prairie
- Michael Riley Williams, St. Peter Claver, St. Louis
- Allison Hof, St. Simon the Apostle, south St. Louis County
- Lhandon Jones, Bishop DuBourg High School
- Imani White, Cardinal Ritter College Prep
- Collin Perry, Chaminade College Preparatory School
- Christian Carter Mason, Christian Brothers College High School
- Grace Shoger, Cor Jesu Academy
- Justin Terry, De Smet Jesuit High School
- Madison Denker, Duchesne High School
- Sydney Akers, Incarnate Word Academy
- Ahmani Tillman, Nerinx Hall
- Roshel Thompson, Notre Dame High School
- Wehazit Goitom, Rosati-Kain Academy
- Emma Gagnepain, St. Dominic High School
- Adelaide Dressel, St. Francis Borgia High School
- Taylor Hartman, St. John Vianney High School
- Olivia Bussmann, St. Joseph’s Academy
- Thomas Kraeger, Saint Louis Priory
- Will Kreuter, St. Louis University High School
- Ethan Lewis, St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School
- Alyson McEneny, St. Pius X High School
- Callie Clements, St. Vincent de Paul High School
- Gretchen Starke, Ursuline Academy
- Brooklyn Weibrecht, Valle Catholic High School
- Josephine Ann Wunderlich, Villa Duchesne
- Marian Williams, Visitation Academy
