By Christina Leslie | Correspondent
The diocesan Department of Evangelization and Family Life will sponsor a Young Adult Night Feb. 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Monmouth University Catholic Student Center, West Long Branch. Intended for those in college through age 30, the evening will consist of dinner, fellowship, witness by NET Ministries and a Holy Hour with worship led by BREAK Ministry.
“Our goal that evening is to make new friends in Christ, to engage our community and challenge our faith. We will witness, connect to one another and grow together in faith,” said Jerry Wutkowski, assistant coordinator of young adult ministry for the Diocese.
Cristina D’Averso Collins, Catholic Campus Minister in Monmouth University, said she hopes the evening will be an opportunity for young adults to experience peace, refreshment and fellowship.
“It can be easy to feel isolated in practicing one’s faith on a college campus, so it is my hope that the students are able to connect and share their faith with other like-minded young adults from throughout the Diocese,” she said.
NET Ministries challenges young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church. Each summer, 175 young Catholics ages 18-28 leave their homes, schools and jobs to travel across the United States for nine months to share the Gospel with young people and their families. Since its inception in 1981, the Minnesota-based, nonprofit organization has led more than 30,000 retreats and ministered to more than 1.8 million young Catholics.
The organization’s name, “NET,” or National Evangelization Teams, was inspired by the Scriptures: “Come after me, I will make you fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17), and “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch,” (Luke 5:4).
BREAK Ministry aims to reach out to college students throughout New Jersey and the East Coast, hosting large worship nights with live praise music, worship and prayer with the goal of inspiring students to serve, praise and live with God. Ministers strive to “break the divide between the sacred and secular worlds and make Christ the center of everything.”
“BREAK” is an acronym for bringing college students closer to God; revolutionizing our generation by renewing faith; energizing the Catholic Church; advising using the Word of God, and keeping the modern culture in accordance to the Gospel, according to the organization.
Registration in advance is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. To register, or for more information, contact Wutkowski at gwutko@dioceseoftrenton.org or 609-403-7182. The Monmouth University Catholic Student Center is located at 16 Beechwood Ave., West Long Branch.