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| January 6, 2009 |
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Young adult ministries bridge the gapThe diocese is reaching out to young adults who are too old for youth groups, but not quite ready for the women’s council or Knights. Young Adult RetreatWhen: Friday through Sunday, July 11-13 Where: Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center, 1300 U.S. 1, North Palm Beach. What: Prayer, Masses, talks, conference, workshops. Cost: $195, includes accommodations and meals. For registration, call 561-626-1300 or visit www.ourladyofflorida.org. PALM BEACH GARDENS | Are young adults displaying higher levels of church and religious commitment? Terence McCorry thinks so. “They are looking to be part of the community,” said McCorry, director of the diocesan Campus Ministry Office, who is taking on the additional role of director of young adult ministry July 1, broadening his responsibilities to reach out to young Catholics who are not in college. “They are looking for a place to connect beyond the 60 minutes in Mass on Sunday. These young Catholics want to be involved. They are excited and want to be more hands-on.” McCorry wants to welcome the modern generation of busy men and women who are volunteering in soup kitchens, serving victims of disasters, worshiping side by side, discussing theology and hanging out together as they build careers, families and lives. “We plan to have our first young adult retreat in July,” said McCorry. The retreat weekend, themed “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,” is scheduled for July 11-13 at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center in North Palm Beach. “We hope to make the retreat an annual event,” McCorry said. The three-day event will include prayer gatherings, workshops, conferences, Masses and quiet time, all designed with young adults in mind. A survey conducted around the Diocese of Palm Beach found that Catholic young adults are coming together through a variety of activities in parishes, on campuses and in groups. Stephanie Jaworski, a young adult, helped start the Fellowship of Young Adults at St. Rita Parish in Wellington. The group meets either at the parish or at a local establishment at 7 p.m. Thursday evenings. Young Adult MinistriesSt. Vincent Ferrer, Delray Beach, 561-276-6892 St. Joan of Arc, Boca Raton, 561-392-0007 St. Jude, Tequesta, 561-746-7974 St. Rita, Wellington, 561-793-8544 St. Martin de Porres, 772-334-4214 Diocesan Young Adult Office, 561-775-9542 or 561-775-9524. Jaworski worked as part of the campus ministry team at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, so she is not new to ministry. “We recognized that there’s a gap,” she said. “There’s the youth group for youngsters, and then there’s the Council of Catholic Women and the Knights of Columbus, then there’s this gap. There’s really no ministry for us.” On some evenings, the fellowship group takes part in a speaker series called Theology on Tap, founded 25 years ago by Father John Cusick of the Chicago Archdiocese. Theology on Tap groups invite speakers to cover faith issues pertaining to young adults, and the gatherings take place in a variety of familiar settings, from restaurants to bars. “They’ll talk for a little bit. Then we have discussions,” Jaworski said. “We have food, we hang out. It’s a very social relaxed atmosphere. It’s kind of a way to reach out to the young adults who may be kind of hesitant to come into the church to go to a meeting, but wouldn’t mind going to a restaurant to hear what someone has to say,” Jaworski said. St. Jude Parish in Tequesta is the latest faith community to make a commitment to reach young people with the launch of its new ministry led by Carrie Collier and Daniel Caporte, students at Palm Beach Junior College, and Frank Faranda, director of the parish’s youth programs. “I am hoping and praying that we can get something going,” Faranda said about the venture. “In the beginning, we are asking them what they want, and we are making suggestions. We are hoping to get them interested in community service and involvement in parish ministries. We want to have fun, too. We are hoping it will be a vehicle for young adults.” McCorry noted that today’s young Catholic adults are energetic, searching and up for new challenges. “The family structure has changed,” he pointed out. “They are not getting married as early. They are having children later in life. They are from diverse families. Their parents are divorced. They are looking for ways to connect.” Ministering to young adults is no simple task, according to youth ministers, and creativity and diversity are needed. “We have tried to get something going,” said Everett Fritz, a minister at St. Martin de Porres. “We tried Theology of Tap for a while. We didn’t have a good space to meet. Now we meet among friends at houses and have potluck dinners. We are trying to get more people interested by word of mouth. It is a social gathering.” St. Vincent Ferrer in Delray Beach also discovered the need for a ministry to help accommodate the young adults there. As a result, parish youth minister Carlos Sacasa, already actively involved in diocesan campus ministries over the years, was asked by parish pastor Msgr. Tom Skindeleski to launch a program, called Spirit and Truth, for the parish’s young adult population. Spirit and Truth, which meets Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., provides an opportunity for people in their 20s and 30s to connect, but also to grow in faith. “I do think there is a need,” Sacasa told the Florida Catholic. “I think young adults are starving for a particular ministry in the Catholic faith. We usually get an average of about 10 individuals to come.” The evening includes eucharistic adoration, praise and worship and a 10- to 15-minute talk on a topic dealing with a church tradition, Scripture or a saint. Afterward, the group gathers and talks about the experience of the evening, and some members continue the celebration at a local restaurant. Jason Touw, a Spirit and Truth regular and group leader, said he enjoys hanging out with other young adults, but he also likes spending time with Christ. “I enjoy the adoration, which consists of praise and worship,” said Touw. “I love the upbeat and contemporary praise and worship music.” ON THE WEBIn January, Carlos Sacasa and Jason Touw launched a Web site for young adult Catholics in the Diocese of Palm Beach at www.WerCatholics.com. The site includes information, schedules and special events held around the Diocese of Palm Beach for young adults, described by Sacasa as “a one-stop shop. ... We’re trying to figure out what all the young adult clubs are doing so we can have a Web site for everybody. I believe right now there is a blooming of young adults in the diocese. We just need leaders; that’s what we need.”
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