GLASSBORO – About 60 young adults shared faith, food and friendship at the “Pints and Purpose” get-together hosted July 17 by the Diocese of Camden’s seminarians.
“God is the only one who can supply the happiness that we seek,” Father Thomas Piro said to the women and men gathered at the Landmark Americana restaurant. Father Piro, parochial vicar at Saint Bridget University Parish and an associate director of vocations for the Diocese, was the keynote speaker.
Organized by the seminarians, the event aimed to help young adults understand their vocation and identity – and how they can take their discernment and discipleship to the next level.
Father Piro noted that while some may identify themselves by their familial lineage, or in ways such as their school, studies or personality trait, “there’s something deeper that all of us have in common, a principal identity: that we’re all beloved sons and daughters of our Father.”
In recognizing the “eternal, perfect, complete” happiness found in this identity, one can see how it fails to compare to getting an A on a test or celebrating a sports victory, he said. Those feelings come and go, but a true relationship with the Lord “won’t fade away and is eternal.”
This true connection to God can help all find their true vocation, “a calling we have in this life and hereafter,” he continued, noting the four vocations God may ask of individuals: holy orders, religious life, marriage or the single life.
Vital for discerning any vocation, Father Piro said, are three steps: prayer; self-reflection and asking, “How I can bring others to Him through my vocation?”; and sharing one’s discernment with others.
“We are called not to be isolated, but in communion with each other,” he said.
The evening also featured a panel of local speakers: Deacon Nickolas Naticchione of Mary, Mother of Mercy, Glassboro; Laurie Power, a consecrated virgin; and married couple Liz and Matt Deluhery of Saint Peter Parish, Merchantville. They talked about their own vocations and, for more than an hour, answered questions posed by the young adults.
One young man asked how to connect with God; Liz Deluhery said to “have trust and open the door for Him to work in your life.” Matt Deluhery responded with the need to recall where one’s true identity is found.
“I know my path to happiness is God’s will,” he said.
When asked how to deal with difficult times, Deacon Naticchione expressed confidence that “God will give you the grace to deal with anything.”
Power added that times of spiritual desolation “are a sign that God’s drawing me closer to Him.”
Father Piro shared one of his spiritual practices: utilizing a specific spiritual mantra, whether a Bible quote or something that comes from the heart, in times of need. “When there’s tough times, I say, ‘Jesus, I trust in you.’”
Many of the young adults in attendance said they appreciated the focused effort on helping them understand their role in serving as God’s disciples.
“Seeing the young adults put all their other things away to hear peace from God, and find their calling, makes me happy,” said Apurva Arulu, a Rowan University graduate student and member of its Catholic Campus Ministry.
Her boyfriend, Peter Romeo, a senior at Rowan, agreed. “It’s good we’re here, affirming each other and supporting each other on our paths.”
“Pints and Purpose” grew out of an initiative begun by Bishop Joseph Williams to have the Diocese of Camden’s seminarians spend a summer in formation of missionary discipleship and evangelization. As part of that process, the seminarians are working on several public events.
In planning this gathering, the seminarians focused on “purpose, vocations and discernment, all the things that could be helpful in young adults becoming intentional disciples,” said Sean McBride, a seminarian for the Diocese. “My fellow seminarians and I pray that this event bears much fruit in the days and years to come.”
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