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10/20/2023

Looking for Community in a Time of Change

Gus Kellerman, Young Adults Minister
October 20, 2023

I have been a Catholic my whole life, but I have never felt as though I was a member of a faith community that was authentic to ‘me.’  When I first stepped through the Paulist Center’s red doors in late September, I was unsure what to expect. By no means does this building look anything like the Catholic churches I have attended in the past. In fact, I initially walked right past it! My unsurety, though, was quickly dispelled, as I was met with a sense of welcoming community as unique as the edifice itself. As soon as I walked in Sal greeted me and gave me a brief tour of the Center. Soon after, I met with Fr. Rich, Patty, Susan, Fr. Rick, and Norm who welcomed me with kindness, and expressed their excitement in meeting me. For the warmth and welcome I have received from that moment of arrival, I am incredibly grateful, and I am excited to be a member of this community.

I moved to Boston in late August, for my studies at Harvard Divinity School, after splitting time over the last four years between college at Fordham University in Manhattan and my home in Batesville, Indiana. As a young adult myself, I know what a challenge it’s been to build community over the past 4 years. When I was at Fordham for my BA, the scale was very broad, making lasting deep connections difficult to build. When I was living at home, it was challenging because it was narrow, making it difficult to form new bonds. Building community in both places was affected by the isolation and loneliness we have all experienced due to the global pandemic. My arrival in Boston brought with it the need to find new sources of community, as well as the opportunity to do so in the context of my faith.

What attracted me to the Paulist Center was its mission of inclusivity, spirituality, and social justice, and my desire to find a community among my faith that valued these things. When I learned that, not only was this community open to me, but that it also offered me the chance to have a hand in building community, I became interested in the position of Young Adult Minister.

In times of change (as in this time of change for the Center, for all of us, and for the Earth), community is an anchor that keeps us in place, and a bond that connects us in togetherness and fellowship. As the Paulist Center’s new part-time Young Adult Minister, I hope that we can continue building this warm and welcoming community for the other young adults already here, and for others who will soon join us, to encourage all of us to come together in faith, in service, and in life.

I am excited to help facilitate opportunities for each of us to connect over our shared interests and experiences. This can be in regard to faith, but along with retreats, Bible studies, and meditations, we could sponsor movie nights, game nights, study halls, meals, and whatever else you can think of! I would love to talk with every young adult  1-on-1 to get to know you and to discuss your ideas. Reach out to me at gus@paulistcenter.org! I would also appreciate any advice and wisdom from those who have been involved with Young Adult Ministry in the past, and would be more than happy to set up a time for us to chat. Ideally, the Paulist Center Young Adult Community should bridge all aspects of our lives.

I have met some of you over the past couple of weeks, and I cannot wait to meet many more of you in the ones to come! Thank you all very much, once again, for the warm welcome that you have given me, and I hope to see many of you at our next (and my first) Young Adult Dinner after the 6 pm Mass on Sunday the 29^th!