By Thomas Wiedmann | Correspondent
The young adult ministry of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, will be hosting a dinner June 10 for millennials from its cohort parishes.
Sean Bell, the ministry’s co-leader, says the dinner is intended to bring together young adults from area parishes to socialize, discuss young adult ministry’s role in the Church as well as what he aspires for the collaborative group moving forward.
“I think our ministry can provide this sense of community and fellowship that many young people are looking for,” Bell said. “It also helps that it’s an environment where they can freely express their faith if they so choose.”
St. Mary of the Lakes is part of a cohort that includes the parishes of Holy Eucharist, Tabernacle; St. Joan of Arc, Marlton; St. Isaac Jogues, Marlton, and St. John Neumann, Mount Laurel. The parish held a similar get-together in February, hosting a brunch to get area young adults acquainted.
Both events are a result of a Parish Catalyst conference Sean Bell and his wife, Mary, attended last year in California with the parish’s pastor and ministers on the topic of millennial discipleship.
In a time when younger people are overwhelmed with multiple ways to communicate, such as social media, Bell hopes face-to-face interaction at the dinner will get more millennials involved in the ministry for the continued progression of the Church.
“Groups like ours are not formed to judge others or make people feel left out,” Bell said. “We are a group that loves to socialize, come up with small outreach projects and talk about our faith.”
The dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the parish’s Emmaus Center. It will follow a 5:30 p.m. Mass.
“Getting involved in ministry is a great way to make friends, meet new people, network, give back to the community and be around people with similar values,” Bell said.
For more information, contact Sean Bell at sean34bell@yahoo.com.