BY DEACON DERRICK JOHNSON
Permanent Deacon at Assumption Parish in Welby
Deacon Derrick Johnson is a
deacon of the Archdiocese of
Denver. He was ordained in
June of 2021 and is assigned to
Assumption Parish in north Denver.
He is married with one son and
works as a firefighter.
AP OSTO LIC M I N DS E T
F
or many years in my life, I believed that happiness
was easily figured out. Growing up in poorer parts
of Denver, happiness was defined by a nice house,
an abundance of material goods and money, physical
security and safety. Society has a way of exponentializing
these tendencies, inclinations and desires. I dreamt of a
day when I could define and achieve happiness on my own
terms.
My childhood was marked with a sense of laying out
my goals and achieving them. I had dreams and aspira-
tions, and they were centered on me. My path was one
that I defined, one that I controlled. This persisted into
my college years and into my early professional life as a
firefighter. I falsely believed that this was the road to hap-
piness. I thought that if I could create proverbial "check
boxes" and in achieve these goals, I would be happy…I was
about to be proven wrong.
In my early adulthood I felt that despite my success,
there was something wrong. There was a restlessness in
my heart that I tried to fix by going faster in the direction
that I believed would help. More career success, more
Answer the call and
find joy in the Father
4
FEBRUARY 2022 | DENVER CATHOLIC
