Young Adults Mass

MADISON  Bishop Serratelli celebrated his annual Mass on Jan. 27 with the Young Adults of St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard where the outreach welcomed the new year with a new leadership team. It has also added or re-imagined some of its faith-formation programs — as well as having welcomed the births of children to many of the married couples, who met through the popular outreach.

On Sunday morning, the sounds of the next generation of Catholics resounded through St. Paul’s chapel with the cooing or crying of those babies, as Bishop Serratelli — who had conceived the idea of the evangelization center — served as main celebrant and homilist of its 11 a.m. Mass. Attending the Mass were Young Adults leaders and members, including participants of the liturgy; their spouses; and supporters. Among those active leaders present were Monique and Tommy MacKinnon — also one of the young married couples and new parents — who bid a fond farewell to the popular outreach — a faith-based community for anyone from 21 to 39 years old looking for a place to call home.

“We welcome Bishop Serratelli here. We are grateful for his saying Mass today and for founding St. Paul Inside the Walls,” said Daniel Ferrari, co-minster to young adults, with Stacy Nolan, at the start of the Mass. Then, Ferrari — also a member of St. Paul’s Music Ministry which played during the liturgy — addressed those attending, saying, “Thank you for showing the Bishop that the Young Adults is still alive and well.”

Established nearly 10 years ago, that Young Adults has the distinction as one of the first outreaches that St. Paul’s established, when plans were being solidified for a historic facility, which equips local Catholics with the tools that they need to spread the Gospel. St. Paul’s became the first diocesan evangelization center in the United States, when the Bishop dedicated it in September 2010. Over the years, hundreds of young adults have come through the doors of St. Paul’s to participate in different activities — all while making friends in faith with one another. There have been marriages and several children born to members, who met here — as evidenced at the Jan. 27 Mass.

In addition to its 11 a.m. Sunday Mass, the Young Adults hosts various programs on Wednesday evenings, beginning with 7 p.m. Mass. These offerings rotate weekly and include Fireside Chats with discussions; Movie Nights; Pub Nights of music and fellowship; and men’s and women’s Bible-study groups, as well as two new offerings: The Doctor Is In with insights from prominent local Catholic scholars, and The Word Made Fresh with spoken-word recitations, Ferrari said.

Also last year, the Young Adults also established a Core Team of members — many inspired to greater service, because of their participation in the pilot One Way faith-formation program in 2017. Each team member coordinates a specific aspect of the outreach, among them hospitality, liturgy, faith-formation and retreats, logistics and service, Ferrari said.

“The Core Team gives Stacy and me extra hands on deck to help with Young Adults activities, so that we can be more present to the new faces at our events,” Ferrari said. “The Core Team also gives its members a sense of ownership of the ministry. It draws them closer to the Lord and helps deepen their faith. They also are seen as leaders in our faith community, welcoming people in,” he said.

Many of these young adults also live out their faith by performing service, including building houses for the poor with Habitat for Humanity and joining mission trips. In addition, some of them get involved in St. Paul’s already existing and popular faith-formation programs: Catholicism from Scratch, One Way and the Certificate for Catholic Evangelization, Ferrari said.

“I’m glad that all of you are taking advantage of this great place that we built for all the people of our Diocese. I like to be with young people — even the very young people here today [the babies], who can’t sing yet,” said Bishop Serratelli at the conclusion of the Mass. Concelebrating the liturgy with the Bishop were Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and St. Paul’s executive director, and Father Kevin Corcoran, the Bishop’s priest-secretary.

Also at the end of the Mass, Father Manning told the attendees that Bishop Serratelli founded St. Paul’s with the conviction that the Young Adults needed to be one of the “pillars” of the evangelization center.

“The Bishop is very committed to this place. He not only celebrates Mass with us, but also meets with his priests here once a month for prayer and an open forum and is currently teaching in our Certificate for Catholic Evangelization program. I hope that he knows that this is his home away from home,” Father Manning said to applause from the faithful.

Before speaking about Bishop Serratelli, Father Manning bid farewell to the MacKinnons and thanked them publicly for their years of service to the Young Adults. Soon, they — and their infant son, Lawrence — will be moving to North Carolina for Tommy’s work as a mechanical engineer.

“I want to acknowledge the MacKinnon’s great ministry to us over many years by their presence and participation in the Young Adults and also by Tommy’s leadership in our Music Ministry; he has been our violinist for years and years. We are really going to miss him,” Father Manning said. “Also, Monique coordinated the Young Adults for many years as a volunteer and has continued to support us, and especially me, with her counsel and advice. We are grateful for the gift of them,” he said.

After the Mass, during a reception in St. Paul’s Oak Room, Monique MacKinnon recalled walking into the evangelization center for the first time in 2012. Here, she met Tommy, who proposed to her in front of the altar in the chapel. They married in 2016 and their son was born on last Nov. 9 — within a month of several other babies, born to married couples, who met at St. Paul’s, she said.

“When I first walked into St. Paul’s, I thought that this is such a beautiful place. The people were welcoming and the Masses were special. Here, I’ve watched people grow in faith; I also grew in faith. It’s not just the Masses or events; it’s about having a beautiful encounter with God and his people. I feel God’s presence,” Monique MacKinnon said. “I will miss this place.”

One of the Core team members here on Jan. 27, Kristyn Holc has taken on the responsibility of hospitality at St. Paul’s. She moved here almost two years ago from Cincinnati and joined the evangelization center, that is located near her work as a physical therapist. “St. Paul’s is so welcoming and kind. Here, I can share my faith with others in a safe place,” Holc said. “People have welcomed me in and now I want to welcome others into the fold.” [Information: www.insidethewalls.org/young-adults-1]