GLASSBORO – String lights. Comfortable couches. Patio seating. A virtual fireplace. Live music. Baristas serving up expressos and matcha lattes.
The go-to place for the Diocese of Camden’s young adults is here every first Sunday at Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish and its Holy Grounds Coffeehouse.
A collaboration between Mary, Mother of Mercy; Church of the Incarnation, Mantua; and Holy Angels Parish, Woodbury, the offering “says to the young Church, ‘You are here, and you are welcome,’” explained Father Allain Caparas, pastor of the Glassboro parish.
The initiative began in Spring 2024, after young adult Catholics began expressing to Father Caparas and Father Peter Gallagher, parochial vicar of Holy Angels, a desire for more parish programs that could bring young people and their peers together.
“We needed a space where young people can hang out, relax and build community,” said Vince Dragone, the coffeehouse coordinator and one of the founders of Holy Grounds. “This a great way to do that.”
Organized and operated by dedicated adults like Dragone, the coffeehouse has been in service every first Sunday since May 2024.
After the 11 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, its next-door Mercy Hall is transformed into Holy Grounds. From noon-2 p.m., the coffeehouse gets hopping.
Ryan Francisco, youth and young adult coordinator for Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish and Church of the Incarnation, is also one of the founding organizers. He is pleased to see the coffeehouse continue to grow from its 20-30 visitors in its initial months, to now 50-60 every first Sunday of the month.
“It’s important for our faith to have this fellowship,” he said, noting the difference the coffeehouse is making in the lives of young adults. “Before, we’d see each other at Mass and then afterward say, ‘See you next week.’ Now, we stop in here for a drink and conversation.”
Luke Petersen, the coffeehouse’s resident guitarist most months, remembers being on a young adult retreat with Dragone and Francisco in 2024, where they pondered, “Why isn’t there something more?”
From the soft lights to the high tables, from the caffeinated brews to the plush chairs, the vibe is “top notch,” he noted, all backed by the music he and others contribute. More importantly, he’s made friends who “give me strength on this journey.”
“I’ve found people who I can worship with together,” Petersen said. “I can pray for them, and they can pray for me.”
Father Gallagher praised the team of young adult leaders who have taken charge of the coffeehouse, from marketing on social media and in the parish bulletin, to setting up tables and lights, serving drinks and cleaning up after the last drop.
“The young adults have stepped up and made this place their own, creating an incredible asset for their peers,” he said. “They’ve invested so much to bring the young Church together.”
Olivia Nolan, one of the coffeehouse’s ever-present baristas, brought her expertise in making lattes, espressos and half-cafs with her from a previous job at a local coffee shop. A 2019 convert to the Catholic faith, she called it “empowering to see other young adults just as passionate about the Catholic faith as I am.”
“I look around and think, ‘Wow, there are a lot of people here I have a connection with,’” she said.
Kate Braunstein, who made it to her first Holy Grounds on June 9, Pentecost Sunday, promised to be back. “To be young in the world, and to see so many like me doing this in 2025, when we could be doing a million other things, is inspiring and gives me hope,” she said.
The coffee wasn’t Braunstein’s only source of rejuvenation, as she felt uplifted by the mingling and discussion of faith, work and family. She witnessed young adults “encouraging each other in the virtuous life,” she said, not unlike the 12 apostles on Pentecost, who were given the fire of the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ work.
“We’re helping each other become better people, renewing our energy and passion for the faith,” Braunstein said. “We all carried the fire of faith and demonstrated that Christ lives in us, through our fellowship.”
For more information, visit mary-mom.com or check out the coffeehouse on Instagram at carloacutisyoungadults.
If You Go
The Holy Grounds Coffeehouse, geared toward those 18-35, is open the first Sunday of the month after 11 a.m. Mass. It takes place in Mercy Hall, next to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 500 Greentree Road, Glassboro.
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