Together Again

Together Again

As humans and as Catholics, we are all called to communion; we are called to communication and interaction with one another. However, us social beings who are called to that communion have not been so social over the past sixteen months because of the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we begin to defeat this pandemic and emerge from isolation, it has been a great blessing and joy to be at some of the recent events in our diocese, which have brought us back to some semblance of normalcy. One of these recent events was our Diocesan Youth Congress, which took place on June twelfth outside of the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center in Absecon.

The youth congress was a great opportunity for the youth from around our diocese to finally come together after having been separated for so long. This great afternoon included a food truck, games and activities, talks from speakers, opportunities for Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, and the celebration of Mass. As a seminarian, and God willing a future priest of our Diocese, it was reassuring to see some of our youth come together to spend time with the Lord and with others who recognize the importance of including Him in our lives. The future of the Church lies with the youth of today and in their formation as Catholics, which makes events like this youth congress so important.

I think that everyone in attendance at the youth congress could take away one core message about our lives as Catholics. That message is that we all need one another. Through our social and communal lives, we are able to encounter and serve Christ in many ways, one of which is through our interactions with others. We are built for worship of our Lord, and the Church prescribes for her faithful public and communal forms worship in her liturgies. We are created to love and serve God, not alone, but together as His family. I hope and pray that the participants of the youth congress were able to recognize this truth and the joy of our social lives. As we continue to emerge from the varied forms of COVID isolation, we all need to continue to be conscious of our need and desire to be with one another, loving, serving, and worshiping our God as His family.