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Sr. Jackie Bates, rc, leading Stations of the Cross for the Young Adult Community.
The Cenacle Committee for
Young Adults
Where We've Come From;
Where We're Going
By Vince Liberto, MA
Young adults are not just the future of the Church, they are an important part of the Church NOW!
-Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago, 1982-1996
Our leaders in the American Church, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), define young adult Catholics as women and men between the ages of 18 and 40. You may or may not have noticed, but simply put, the Metairie Cenacle has lately been making great and intentional strides to connect people in this age group with the Cenacle Retreat House at 5500 St. Mary Street. In doing so, this effort provides yet another dimension to the way in which the Metairie Cenacle already makes the spirituality of the Cenacle come alive for the people of this region.
A direct by-product of this coming together--the young adult and the Metairie Cenacle--is in fact the direct mission of St. Therese Couderc, foundress of the Cenacle sisters. Through it, Jesus comes to be known and loved, and thus the people of our time, in this place, and in this age group are awakened to the goodness of God. Their faith comes to be deepened, and the people are "transformed"...in a style Therese herself might recognize if she were with us in the flesh today.
It all began back in 2003, when the Cenacle hosted a picnic for young adults in the area with Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, former Archbishop of New Orleans. The event filled the chapel beyond capacity for a Mass that was followed by a wonderful feast. There was fun and music on the stunning Cenacle grounds. Over 100 young adults from across the Archdiocese of New Orleans were in attendance. This event was seminal and gave birth to the Young Adult Ministry at the Metairie Cenacle Retreat House.
The planning committee from this event spurred a regular committee that has since had a succession of members, handed down to us as the present committee today. The group ranges in number each year from six to twelve with a few people leaving and a few staying on board. Such comings-and-goings makes for a fresh, yet stable committee.
In line with the Bishops' document on young adult ministry titled Sons and Daughters of the Light, it is this committee itself that plays a vital role: young adult ministry is not a ministry that comes from the top down, but rather one that emanates from the bottom up. The young adults themselves plan and publicize the events, and the events are all based on what they would like to see and what they think will prove effective in relevantly connecting people to the Cenacle.
Enter Sr. Jackie Bates, rc. Not too long after the picnic with Archbishop Hughes, Sr. Jackie solicited approval from the late, beloved Sr. JoAnn Viviano, rc, for a formal and deliberate outreach. From there, the young adult ministry at the Cenacle took form and shape and took off like a rocket. It would be hard to imagine the young adult ministry at the Metairie Cenacle without Sr. Jackie, without her vision and commitment to it.
Continuing today, but from the beginning among the first events were mornings of reflection. Usually starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings and ending by noon, the days fill a niche that is hard to fill almost anywhere else. They remain a type of mini-retreat. There is a half hour session for input, a half hour for prayer, and then discussion in the second session. The leader ties up all the sharing and input at the end. After the day, the participants usually meet somewhere for lunch.
After Hurricane Katrina, there were no activities for young adults to be found anywhere in the area. The Cenacle Retreat House was the first to fill the void. The committee came up with the idea of a speaker series that was part religious, part social. The events took place where young adults were found congregating anyway, even in a bar! The topics were always relevant and religious. The series was titled "Light the Fire!" because it was based on Therese's spirituality, with its emphasis on evangelization and hospitality.
For a few years, it seemed to become sort of a Good Friday tradition in the young adult community for Sr. Jackie to lead the Stations of the Cross (see picture above). We would begin for the first few stations at neighboring St. Clement of Rome Church, the next few at St. Ann Church and Shrine, and the last few at the Cenacle itself. Perhaps nothing embodied or symbolized what the Cenacle Committee for Young Adults was trying to do more than this activity. In a very tangible way, it seemed to lead young adults to the Cenacle, the holy place in the "center of everything and away from it all."
Another outreach to the age group came in the form of late night Masses in the spring at neighboring parishes. The late night Masses continue to provide an opportunity to worship together and fulfill a weekly obligation in a familial and friendly setting with an opportunity to socialize with a light snack after Mass.
Another recent development has been the formation of a book club that meets every last Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. Some of the books read have included Thomas Merton's autobiography The Seven Story Mountain, William B. Young's recent bestseller The Shack, John Steinbeck's classic novel The Pearl, and Fr. Mark Thibodeaux's The Armchair Mystic. Fr. Thibodeaux will be presenting a regular Cenacle guided retreat January 22-24 titled Discernment in Prayer and Everyday Life. Not all participants finish reading the entire book each time, but all who attend contribute to the discussion and get a lot out of it. The books and the themes drawn from them always evoke Catholic and spiritual codes of belief.
Perhaps the crowning achievement of all our efforts has been the overnight retreats. Fitting well into the rhythm of life for young adults, these retreats are at once convenient and meaningful. They begin on a Friday afternoon after work and end with the Saturday afternoon vigil Mass.
The niche that the Cenacle carves out for young adults is the retreat and reflection piece. Parishes and dioceses can provide events, but what the Cenacle brings to the table is the beautiful and holy location and the persona of the Cenacle sisters who stand as a guarantor of the spiritual tradition handed down to us today. How fortunate and blessed we are in this region to have access to it!
With such a past, we can bet that future efforts will always be in the spirit of Therese Couderc; they will aim at connecting young adults to this special place "in the center of everything, and away from it all." Our work of bringing young adults together with the Metairie Cenacle Retreat House has already forged friendships, fostered vocations, and germinated weddings and new families. As long as we stay true to this spirit, as long as we cooperate with God's grace, the future of the Metairie Cenacle will continue to be a bright one. A great many will come to know, as St. Therese did, God's love, strong confidence in the goodness of God, and a tranquility and peace of soul which come from whole-hearted abandonment to God's holy will.
We ask that you please join us in our mission and help us connect people in this age group to the Metairie Cenacle Retreat House by calling Vince Liberto at 504-250-9697, or E-mailing cenacle_yam@hotmail.com, or vincentliberto@aol.com.
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Young Adult Ministry Coordinator
Vince Liberto
Vince Liberto has been eagerly involved in a wide variety of church ministries for as long as he can remember. A longtime lector and catechist, he is a past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and Past-President of the Serra Club of New Orleans. He holds Bachelors of Art degrees in history and philosophy from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He has served as a fundraiser for the Sisters Servants of Mary and the Jesuits of the New Orleans Province, a service coordinator for the Parish Social Ministry Office of Catholic Charities-Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the founding Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Cenacle Retreat House. He currently works as an award-winning parish consultant for J.S. Paluch Co., Inc., a Chicago-based, family-owned business that has served the Catholic Church in America since 1913. In 2008, he placed first in the company's annual year-long, nationwide sales contest. Vince is also a member of the Cenacle's Advisory Board. Together with his wife of eleven years, the former Ms. Evelyn Tranchin, he shares life with daughter Sophie and son Joseph.
Vince, standing next to Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, when he was recognized by the Archdiocese for the Blessed Frassati Award, a recognition for "outstanding contritubions to young adult ministry." |
December Retreats
Call the Ministry Office to make a reservation:
(504) 887-1420, ext. 225.
December 4-6
Waiting in Joyful Hope
This Advent Retreat explores patience, joy, and hope. We will stop, reflect, and pray at various stations to reflect how hope moves us to that place where we trust whatever happens.
Presenter: Joseph Nassal, CPPS
has authored 8 books including The Conspiracy of Compassion. Since 2002, he has helped establish the Precious Blood Center for Reconciliation in Chicago.
Captains:
Jennifer Bryant, Abita Springs, 985-893-1787
Judy Boudreaux, Covington, 985-892-3946
Cecilia Coxen, New Orleans, 504-899-4766
Darleen Danenhower, Kenner, 504-443-6006
Ruth Kennedy, New Orleans, 504-482-8240
Shirley LeBlanc, Luling, 985-785-6400
Blanche Parker, New Orleans, 504-891-0661
Young Adult Activities
Contact: Vince Liberto
Program Coordinator
(504) 250-9697
December 12
Morning of Reflection
10:00 am - Noon Lunch (Optional)
The Call to Build a Church
Presenter: Msgr. Christopher H. Nalty
Msgr. Nalty is a native New Orleanian, a graduate of Jesuit High School, the University of Notre Dame, and Georgetown Law School. He did seminary work at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and in Rome. Before he entered the seminary, he served as an attorney for several years.
The day is free, but donations of whatever you see fit are very welcome and appreciated.
December 30
Book Club
A book is read ahead of time then discussed. Meetings are held at the Cenacle, 5500 St. Mary Street, Metairie, LA.
Late Night Masses
Once a Month
Saturday, 9:00 pm
Various churches |
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To learn about becoming a Cenacle Sister,
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