Faith, food and fellowship are on tap for young adults in the Diocese of Gary this summer, bringing five different speakers ready to share their own spiritual journeys.
Hosted by five south Lake County parishes on Wednesday evenings, May 28 through June 25, Vicky Hathaway, diocesan coordinator for Youth and Young Adults, explained that “it was up to the parishes to pick their speaker and what type of fellowship to host. We wanted to showcase unique stories for young adults, ages 18 (post-high school) to 39.”
The topics range from hope to humility, and while RSVPs are not mandatory, they are “highly encouraged,” said Hathaway, to ease preparations. Visit garyoyya.org/yasummer.
Attendance is free and “you don’t have to be Catholic to attend,” noted Hathaway. “The talks all start at 7 p.m., with interaction, small group discussions and time for questions,” she added. “Last year was the Diocese of Gary’s first year hosting the series, which began at Our Lady of Consolation in 2023, and we averaged from 40-80 attendees, which was really amazing. We hope to continue growing in numbers; a lot of friendships were formed last summer, and we want to encourage that.”
The five speakers are:
May 28 – Adam Ayers, “Searching Truth from Doubt to Depth” at St. John the Evangelist, St. John.
Ayers, the pastoral associate for Youth and Worship at SJE, attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and will share what it means “to seek the truth in our own lives.”
Hathaway, noting that Ayers “is on his own personal faith journey,” will talk about “what to do with doubt and how to process it in our search for God.”
Bring a dish to share for a potluck meal that begins at 6:30 p.m. in Trinity Hall in the lower level of the SJE day chapel, and enjoy a bonfire after the talk, weather permitting.
June 4 – Sister M. Josetta Rose, O.S.F., “Hope and Ceaseless Adoration” at St. Joseph in Dyer.
“The idea of ceaseless adoration comes from the charism of my religious order,” said Sister Josetta Rose, a Sister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, based out of Mishawaka. “We have Eucharistic Adoration at our motherhouse 24/7, and I have an hour a day of adoration here in Dyer. “It stems from a time of being in the gaze of the Lord, and that’s where I found a lot of hope in my life, whether it be in Eucharistic Adoration or in the presence of those around us, our families,” she said.
“Everyone can live a life of ceaseless adoration and hope, and especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope, I will talk about how we can pursue that,” added Sister Josetta Rose, a Minnesota native who first moved to Indiana in 2017 to serve as a FOCUS missionary and then campus minister at the Newman Center for Ball State University, where she discerned with her religious community and entered the convent in 2020. She currently serves as director of mission at Franciscan Health Munster and Dyer.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for food and fellowship in the school gym before the talk, with a bonfire to follow, pending weather.
June 11 – Danielle Kuboushek, “Self-Awareness: The Key to Spiritual Growth” at Our Lady of Consolation in Merrillville.
“Being aware of the emotions you have, but also those in other people, is Danielle’s topic,” said Hathaway. “She will address the pillars we can take from emotional intelligence and how they can aid you in your spiritual journey.”
Caregiver for her five young children, Kuboushek is also the assistant director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Mary in Mokena, Ill., and previously, a Personal Empowerment facilitator, teaching at the University of Dubuque.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for pizza and fellowship in the parish center before the talk. A bonfire will follow, pending weather.
June 18 – Sarahi Unzueta, “Eyes That See, Corazon That Feels, a Table That Feeds” at St. Michael the Archangel in Schererville.”
Focusing on the traditional images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that fill the homes of Latino Catholics, Unzueta said she will link her talk to the Gospel for June 22, which addresses the feelings of the apostles and their resulting “collective action.”
“I grew up at St. Margaret Mary in Hammond, and we had these big celebrations during June, the month of the Sacred Heart, but what do you do with that? I plan to talk about what it means to be called to action,” she said.
Unzueta received a master’s degree in Pastoral Studies with a certificate in Intercultural Studies from Catholic Theological Union. Her passion for missionary discipleship led her to an immersive mission trip with the Maryknolls. She serves on the Intercultural Advisory Ministry Team in the Diocese of Gary and the board of LaRED National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana, advocating for Latinos in the U.S.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for food and fellowship in the school gym before the talk.
June 25 – Deacon Alex Kouris, “Discerning and Living Out Our Call in Humility” at St. Matthias in Crown Point.
Deacon Kouris will be 18 days into his priestly ordination by the time of his talk, and he plans to talk about his vocation journey and his recent experiences.
“Humility is often thought of as making yourself little, as being ‘humiliated’ by something, but it is really about knowing yourself truly before the Lord as he sees you, and what is important about that is that unless we know who we are before the Lord, we can’t understand our vocation,” said Deacon Kouris, who recently graduated from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Mich.
“Discernment is something we all go through, whether a religious vocation or a call to marriage and family; one has to figure out ‘What is God’s call for me?’” he noted. “How are we pursuing our vocation every day, asking God, ‘What do you want me to do today and how can I be the husband (or wife) you want me to be?’”
Doors open at 6 p.m. for tacos and fellowship before and after the talk. Enjoy a Chicago Cubs baseball game on TV, a bonfire and outdoor games. Beer and wine will be available for those 21+. Free babysitting is available by calling the parish office at 663-2201.
“This series is worth it for young adults to be able to dive into their faith in a more relaxed atmosphere,” Hathaway said. “Last year we drew a lot of college students home for the summer who found a safe space to explore spiritual topics and add something positive to their calendar. People are searching for community, looking for other Catholics who believe what they do, and last year they found others who understand what they are going through in their faith journey.”
In an effort to attract more participation, Hathaway said, the diocese has also launched the Mighty Network, “a place for young people to find out about events happening at our parishes, to connect with other young Catholics,” Hathaway noted. “There is a chat room, a place to ask for prayers and a place to ask questions, too.” The link is https://northwest-indiana-catholic-young-adults.mn.co/.
Caption: Dr. Claudia Sadowski, intercultural ministry coordinator for the Diocese of Gary, speaks to young adults at Our Lady of Consolation in Merrillville during the 2024 Young Adult Summer Speaker Series. This year’s series begins on Wednesday, May 28 at St. John the Evangelist, with Adam Ayers, pastoral associate of Youth and Worship at the St. John parish. (Provided photo)
