Growing up in Egg Harbor Township, 15-year-old Ashley Chester would hear stories of Summer in the City from her older sister, Alesandra, a four-year veteran of the summer service project.
“She loved the experience of helping others,” the younger sister recalled.
So when she was considering taking part, she decided even a move to North Jersey wouldn’t stop her. She is thankful she made the 90-minute trip.
“I loved being able to do the little things that go so far for people,” she said.
Chester was one of the 22 youth who participated in this year’s Summer in the City program, sponsored by the Diocese’s Office of Family & Youth Ministries. From Aug. 13-19, they spent their days living out the Gospel call to social justice around South Jersey, and evenings in fellowship and reflection at the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center.
“The young Church has been moving and working,” said Jose Rodriguez, director of the Office of Family & Youth.
Projects included painting and getting classrooms prepared at Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School, Atlantic City; helping the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal at the Father Benedict House serve the needy; cleaning and organizing clothes and food at Catholic Charities in Atlantic City; serving as ushers and carrying the Blessed Mother statue during the Mass and Wedding of the Sea celebration for the Feast of the Assumption in Atlantic City; beautifying the Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in Mays Landing, gleaning at the Bushels of Blessings ministry in Carneys Point, and enjoying a day of dancing, games and activities with the special-needs residents of the Arc of Atlantic County.
Everything added up to “a transformative experience,” Rodriguez said.
Chester agreed. “Painting at Our Lady Star of the Sea School, I was thinking about how excited the students were going to be [on their first day back]. It’s these little things that brought so much joy to me.”
Junior leader Gigi Alavez, 19, from Glassboro’s Saint Bridget University Parish, shared the same sentiments.
“Summer in the City is a one-of-a-kind experience with kids your age who also want to grow in faith,” she said. “Before this, I thought I was the only one who wanted to serve, who wanted to find some way to express my faith. Now, I realize I’m not by myself.”
After making her initial retreat, the recent Paul VI High School graduate made sure to promote the opportunity at the school. This year, a sizeable contingent did represent the Haddonfield school.
Her junior leader counterpart, Luciano Trani, 17, from Holy Angels Parish, Woodbury, most appreciated the nightly reflections with his small group. “Reflecting on our days of service and our own faith, we became a family.”
Among the more meaningful experiences, youth said, was the Burning Bush Eucharistic Adoration held toward the end of the week. The evening of prayer was led by the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal who serve in Atlantic City and held at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in nearby Absecon. There were opportunities for the Sacrament of Confession, too.
Father Joshua Nevitt, priest secretary to the Bishop and associate director of vocations, held high the monstrance; two young adults from the Parish of Saint Monica, Atlantic City, shared personal witness stories.
“You are here, because Jesus calls you here,” Sister Faustina, CFR, said to those gathered. “He wants to enter your life in a deeper way. Whatever you’re going through, Jesus wants to be a part of it.”
Afterward, the first-year Chester, with emotion in her voice, said, “It was beautiful. I feel Jesus even more now. I know that He loves me.”
Another first-timer was Dr. Michael Sims, director of the diocese’s Office of Life and Justice, who served as a leader for the week. “Youth received a good understanding that it’s through service that they can understand how their faith works,” he said.
At the Bushels of Blessings ministry, the youth took part in gleaning – collecting excess food from farms that will then go to those in need – and further understood this “love in action,” Dr. Sims continued. “We worked on three farms, picking melons, tomatoes and peppers that will go to food pantries for families in need.”
Referencing the week’s theme of “In Service to the Saints,” and the evening presentations that shared the lives of individuals such as Blessed Oscar Romero, Dr. Sims noted that all week the youth practiced the words to “do small things with great love.”
“Whether painting a classroom or putting melons in a cart, these small things are providing a beautiful space for students or feeding people in need,” he said. “This week was a good understanding of how faith, mercy and justice work. This is what faith looks like; this is what love looks like.”
More Photos
See more shots from this year’s Summer in the City at https://catholicstarherald82.pixieset.com/summerinthecity-serviceprojects/
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