HAMMOND – On a cool fall evening, parishioners and guests gathered in the St. John Bosco schoolyard. Music, food and drink were served in an environment made warmer with the help of friendly hospitality and an array of firepits and heating devices.
Those attending the inaugural Fall Fest on Oct. 7 raved about the adults-only parish get-together. The event was "completely different,” they said, and something that marked a good start to an engagement initiative.
“I thought it was great. There were a lot of people and we all had a good time," said fest-goer Alberta Corey, a parishioner and former Hammond resident, now living in Lowell.
Longtime parishioner Beverly Selev invited guests to try her gourmet hors d'oeuvres, while tables chock full of bakery-made treats beckoned those with a sweet tooth. All attendees were prequalified to sample wines and craft beers, but some kept their hands free as they danced to the DJ’s mixes that followed a set by Father and Sons, a local band fronted by Father Gregory Bim-Merle, administrator of St. James the Less.
“I really enjoy the people in my parish,” said Selev, an SJB alumna and mother of the next generation of graduates. “I’ve been a member of the church since I was a kid; it’s been 50 years.”
The din of music and laughter rose into the night on the south side of Hammond. Those traveling past could see the partygoers below the strings of Edison lights. The visibility (as well as compliance with city ordinances) was just what SJB pastor Father Jeffrey Burton envisioned when he arrived in 2021.
“(The visibility aspect) is huge,” said Father Burton. “This is true of all of our parishes: there are wonderful things that happen within these buildings, but unless you are inside them, you have no idea what goes on.
He continued, “Pretty much since I got here, I knew we needed to expand our visibility. And part of it is just making it look like we’re here … having visible outdoor activities as a community really sends a powerful message, not just about St. John Bosco, but the fact that God is alive and active in our world.”
Father Burton also spoke about the benefits of diocesan churches ensuring that their building exteriors are well lit, and that landscape is well maintained and inviting, “so the place doesn’t look abandoned.”
At its core, the let’s-try-something-different effort was another innovation to help ensure the viability of a parish serving a middle-class area in a challenging economy. Reaching out to parishioners and their friends – casting a wider net – fulfills a major priority identified in St. John Bosco’s diocesan synod plans, according to Father Burton.
“The pandemic had a stifling effect on all of our parishes, and, on top of that, St. John Bosco was undergoing a pastoral change for the first time in a quarter century, so there was a sort of perfect storm happening here,” Father Burton said. “It wasn’t until we got the synod process going that we kind of figured out a game plan.”
Father Burton said he has confidence in the opinions expressed by parishioners as they are from a diverse group that provided unfiltered responses concerning their spiritual needs. He complimented the leadership of Deacon Matthew Virus, who spear-headed the re-examination of priorities. “They really took the synod 2.0 process seriously here.”
The comprehensive report written by parish synod facilitators was studied by the pastor, who figured out “three overarching goals,” the first of which is “the need to re-engage in the community.”
Besides providing an inspiring place for local Catholics to attend Mass and a quality school to serve their children’s educational needs, Father Burton believes the campus can be utilized for more add-on activities, like fish fries and soup suppers during Lent – the kind of activities that “get people back together.”
St. John Bosco members said many traditional parish activities can be grouped in the “family fun” category. But the Fall Fest provided adults of a wide age range the chance to have a brief get-away from the kids – and in some cases, provide an employment opportunity for a sitter.
“Everything is always family, so, in this case, it’s nice to have just adults," said parishioner Patrick Blanc, a Knights of Columbus member.
Kelly Snow is part of the engagement committee that coordinated the first SJB Fall Fest. She has been a parishioner since 2001.
Snow observed that many were “missing the fellowship … the fellowship of knowing that Bosco was home to all of us.” So, she joined the committee that set about preparing to host the adult event and was determined not to be stopped by unpredictable fall weather or prohibitive ticket prices.
“Everybody had such a great time and we’d like to make this an annual event,” Snow said. “It’s just about bringing about that fellowship and making everyone feel welcome. They can all be a part of something bigger.”
Fall Fest participants such as Blanc will be assisting the SJB youth group, which hosts the parish’s traditional (and scary) haunted house from 6-10 p.m. on Oct. 27-28. Though it’s an older initiative, Father Burton said, it is important to continue “a lot of the things that we’ve historically done.”
He added that individuals and groups “taking ownership” is the better way forward as the effort “swells from the ground up.”
Caption: A group of St. John Bosco parishioners and friends gathers around a heating unit during the inaugural Fall Fest on Oct. 7 at the Hammond parish. Engagement commission members responded to the church’s synod 2.0 goals of parish revitalization by coordinating events such as the adults-only gathering to promote “visibility” and fellowship. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)