MADISON The Young Adult Ministry of St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here took the opportunity during its 2nd Annual Mass with Bishop Serratelli Jan. 9 to honor the “faithful witness” of one of its own: Trevor Jones, who plans on stepping down from his position as minister to young adults, ages 23-39, to devote more time to his family.
Bishop Serratelli was the main celebrant and homilist of the 5:30 p.m. Mass for the New Year with the Young Adult Ministry, one of the first outreaches that St. Paul’s established when plans were being solidified for the much-anticipated evangelization center. The Bishop dedicated the historic facility — which became the first diocesan evangelization center in the U.S. — in September 2010. The chapel was filled to overflowing Jan. 9 with Young Adult ministry members, many of whom participated in the Mass; their spouses; their children; their friends; and supporters.
That night, the Young Adult Ministry honored Jones, a founding member of the outreach, who will leave after six years in the position. He plans on continuing to serve St. Paul’s with its men’s group, its young couples and, along with his wife, Mary Jean, as a member of its Advisory Board, pending the Bishop’s approval. Replacing Jones will be Daniel Ferrari, who will work with the dynamic outreach’s other co-minister, Monique Caron.
“Trevor, thank you for your great witness,” Bishop Serratelli told the honoree at the conclusion of the Mass, which was followed by a reception. The bishop called the young adults “gifts to the Church by your presence, witness and lives.”
Concelebrating the Mass were: Father Paul Manning, St. Paul’s executive director and diocesan vicar for evangelization; Father Pawel Tomczyk, a faculty member of the center; Father Przemyslaw Nowak, parochial vicar of Assumption Parish, Morristown; and Father Kevin Corcoran, the bishop’s priest-secretary. Father Nowak brought with him to the liturgy members of Assumption’s Young Professionals Ministry.
Along with Caron, Jones took on the responsibilities of organizing and implementing activities and public forums at St. Paul’s and inviting young adults to come into the evangelization center. He brought with him experience as a youth minister in his home parish of St. Lawrence the Martyr, Chester, and at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and management. He works as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial in Bedminster.
“Thanks for your fruitful and faithful service for many years,” Father Manning told Jones at the end of Mass. “Most importantly, I thank you for the gift of your support, leadership, friendship, your love for the Lord and His Church and your humble dedication to the mission of St. Paul’s. On behalf of all of us, I thank you, Trevor,” Father Manning said.
Jones thanked Father Manning and related how he became associated with St. Paul’s six years ago. At 22 he had taken a new job in Morris County and wanted to explore his faith more deeply. Jones accepted a new friend’s invitation to visit the center for one of its “fireside chat” discussion sessions — an encounter, which he said “introduced me to the great mission of St. Paul’s.” He emphasized the importance of St. Paul’s in his life as the place where he met Mary Jean, his wife and the mother of their son, Shepherd, and some of his best friends.
“When I look back on all this, I can do nothing but smile,” said Jones, who thanked Bishop Serratelli for establishing a place “where young people can experience the Catholic faith, be formed in the faith, develop friendships and invite others to do the same.”
“St. Paul’s has changed my life and the lives of many of my friends,” he said. “It’s been my pleasure and honor to coordinate this ministry. I believe that evangelization can be as simple as a warm smile or a well-cooked cheeseburger. I believe that a deep theological discussion can take place over a beer. I have seen people be baptized and receive the Eucharist for the first time — and there’s nothing better than that,” he said.
“In the future, I’m excited to see what God does with this special place [St. Paul’s]. The world — and the Church — need more places like St. Paul’s,” he said.
St. Paul’s Young Adult Ministry describes itself as a faith-based community for anyone from 23 to 39 years old looking for a place to call home. The outreach organizes “pub nights,” social and service events and Sunday Masses, where friendships are formed and lives are shared. “Wherever you may be in your faith journey, St Paul’s Young Adults offers opportunities to explore a belief in God in an open dialogue with others,” states the evangelization center’s web site, www.insidethewalls.org.
Jones has given back to other organizations, including as a trustee of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund; a trustee and board member of the Calais Foundation; boys’ lacrosse coach associated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; a trustee and board member of St. Joseph’s Outreach; and a supporter of St. Paul’s Outreach.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Manning thanked Bishop Serratelli and praised him for charging Father Geno Sylva, St. Paul’s founder and former executive director, with the mission of developing the center with a special early emphasis on outreach to young adults. Today, Father Sylva serves as an official at the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization at the Vatican.
Before the reception after the Mass with young adults, Caron told Bishop Serratelli, “Thank you for celebrating Mass for us. It was a beautiful way to start the year.”