ABSECON – Nearly 100 of the Diocese’s pastoral associates recently gathered for spiritual nourishment, hearing the message to “do all you can in your parish communities to create an environment where the Word of God lives – where it is heard, where it is read and where it is studied.”
“Make available encounter programs. Our people need to meet Jesus,” Bishop Dennis Sullivan said in the Mass he celebrated during the daylong retreat for pastoral associates themed “Hearts Burning: Desiring His Presence.”
Photo Gallery: Pastoral Associates Retreat
The retreat reflected themes from the National Eucharistic Revival and provided pastoral associates – who aid their parishes in ministries such as music, liturgy, youth and service – the opportunity to “fill their cup, be present here with each other, be with Jesus and focus on the Eucharist,” said Donna Ottaviano-Britt, the Diocese’s head of the Secretariat for Pastoral Outreach. The office, along with the Secretariat for Evangelization and Hispanic Ministry, sponsored the retreat held Jan. 24 at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.
Bishop Sullivan spoke on the day’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, which recounts Jesus telling his disciples that “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” He said this teaching of the “family of God, a family deeper than blood, a family of believers, a family of Church,” is one to be emulated.
“We are that family. We need to go forth and make disciples and always be on the mission of evangelization, the Good News.”
He cited the day’s feast of Saint Francis de Sales, who, through his humility, gentleness and joy, taught that “holiness is possible for everyone.” In doing so, Bishop Sullivan continued, Saint Francis “planted seeds of renewal” in his local community.
“May our pastoral ministries do the same for the Catholic Church of South Jersey,” he said.
Past Influences Present
Along with Mass, Adoration, fellowship and discussion on best practices, pastoral associates “told their stories of Eucharistic amazement,” of finding and sharing God in their own lives, Ottaviano-Britt said.
These speakers included Meryl Cerana, pastoral associate/business manager at Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish in Glassboro; and Millet LoCasale, youth and young adult minister at Egg Harbor Township’s Saint Katharine Drexel Parish.
Cerana acknowledged that growing up, she was labeled a “weird kid” by her peers at a time when she desperately wanted to fit in. As she grew older and learned more about her faith, she began to experience “God’s unconditional love filling me.” Recalling her own struggles, she knew that she needed to share that love with youth who might feel outside of the popular crowd.
Cerana soon began substitute teaching to “help that kid who nobody sees be acknowledged, and know that somebody loves them. I needed to share with them Jesus’ love.”
That work led her to her current role at Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish, where she uses “all my talents – all the weird, all the strange – that God gave me” to make her parish “one of love and hospitality. I hope that when people meet me, they feel the love that I have, given to me by Jesus, and that it overflows.”
LoCasale, too, uses her past experiences to evangelize youth. As she found the faith, “God was ever-patient and gentle with me,” she said. “[I must] do the same with these young people – who come from different backgrounds – and hear their stories and meet them where they are at.”
Admitting that “it takes a lot of our hearts and our time, and a lot of getting your hands and feet dirty,” LoCasale said ministry work entails going beyond the church’s walls.
“I began to meet youth at coffee shops and share Jesus,” she continued, adding that this is now a regular meeting place for her ministry.
LoCasale also discussed her own difficulties of sharing the faith with family members who have fallen away, something that can be familiar to believers. “Pray always, and all ways,” she said.
Expressing hope that through her actions and love, friends and family will be drawn to the faith, LoCasale noted that, ultimately, she puts less stress on herself and more trust in God.
“The creativity that God used to reel me into the faith, I trust, God will use to bring them back,” she said.
Helpful Takeaways
Participants said such testimonies left them refueled and ready to return to their own respective communities.
“Hearing Cerana’s and LoCasale’s stories, and their faith journeys, brought me into thinking about my own role and connection to my parish community, and made me more of a believer,” noted Bonnie Fiorentino, the president of the Saint Vincent de Paul Ministry at Marmora’s Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish.
She said she received “insight from the speakers and those around me that will help my parish move forward,” such as how to evangelize to nonbelievers and organize service outreach projects.
One of the youngest participants was Vineland’s Darvin Diaz, who serves at Divine Mercy Parish in a number of ways including as lector, leader of the Charismatic Renewal and coordinator of the local IMEC, the Instituto de Ministerio Eclesial de Camden – the Diocese’s three-year certified program for Hispanic lay ministry formation.
Expressing that he was present in Absecon “to learn and gain more wisdom,” the 27-year-old appreciated how the day “encouraged me to reflect on how to share more the love of Jesus. I’m going to evangelize, and do that with God’s children.”
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