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Patrick Golden ‘87 majored in political science at Radford University and had planned to attend law school after graduation.
But you know what they say about plans. At some point during his undergraduate studies, Golden found himself on the receiving end of a higher calling. Yes, a calling even higher than law school. “God had other plans for me,” said Golden, who recently began serving as rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at the seat of the bishop of the Catholic diocese in Richmond. Golden, now a few years into the priesthood, just completed serving nearly five years as pastor at St. Jude Catholic Church in Radford, a position that brought him back to Radford for the first time since his RU graduation. It was during his time as an undergraduate at the university that Golden began listening to his calling into the priesthood and became more and more involved with church. He credits his college roommate, Dan Reilly, for helping him find a better path than the road he was traveling early in his college years. “I used to talk to Dan a lot about what I was feeling, and he really helped me understand that I was indeed being called to the priesthood,” Golden said. “You often wonder if you’re really being called by God, but there does come a day of certainty.” Golden, or Father Patrick as he is known to many in the church and community, was 26 years old when he entered seminary. He attended and graduated from seminary in Baltimore and said he learned a lot about the church and doing God’s work during the six-year process. However, when it finally came time for him to deliver a message to a congregation he felt butterflies the size of Goliath flapping in his stomach. “I was terrified,” he said. “But at the end, they all stood and applauded. I was always kind of quiet, but the priesthood will break you of that.” After seminary, Golden took an assignment as the associate pastor at St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg. He stayed in the role four years and, while there, worked with students at the College of William and Mary. From there, Golden served two years in Suffolk before being asked to pastor Radford’s St. Jude. “It was a strange feeling when I first came back, but I was really excited to go back to the place where I went to college,” he said. And after nearly five years in Radford, Golden delivered his final message to the St. Jude congregation in early July and said his time at the church and in Radford a wonderful experience. “I had mixed emotions about leaving,” Golden said. “I am happy about my new opportunity in Richmond, but I am sad to leave St. Jude.” Golden worked with numerous RU students at St. Jude and also held mass on campus in Heth Hall during the academic year. He served as pastor to a handful of RU faculty and some of his old professors, including retired political science professor Al Pearson. “We hate to see him leave, but we are extremely happy for him,” Pearson said a week before Golden departed St. Jude for Richmond. In his new role as rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Golden will oversee the day-to-day operations of the church, such as holding weekday and weekend mass and visiting hospitals and homes. “It is an honor to be named rector of the cathedral,” Golden said. “You somewhat become the face of the diocese. It is very humbling.” Being the face of the church comes with enormous responsibility, something of which Golden is well aware. “I had a great feeling of humility when God called me to do his work,” Golden said. “People in the church come to you for reconciliation, to confess their sins. It’s nice to know that people trust and love me enough to tell me their struggles.” Nearly two years ago, Golden learned how loving his congregation could be. When driving home from a meeting of the Diocesan Priests’ Council on a September night, Golden’s car crossed the Interstate 81 median near Roanoke and crashed into a tractor-trailer. He suffered numerous injuries from the accident, including a shattered left leg, which required permanent placement of a rod that runs from his hip to his ankle. “I got a lot of calls of support during the time of my accident and during my recovery,” Golden recalled. “People sent cards and gifts. They really showed a lot of love. And when I came back to the church, everyone applauded as I walked in on one crutch. It was a great feeling.” Golden receives doses of love daily from his congregation and the many people he encounters. Because of that, he truly appreciates his calling. “Being a priest is not a job, it’s a lifestyle, and a vocation that cuts across every facet of life,” Golden said. “It’s a lifestyle I enjoy every day, and I love the people. It makes you humble to be called to do God’s work.”
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