Silvio and Maria Garcia
Annual Update Video
It has now been a little over a year since we first launched Holy Family Young Adults. It has been such an amazing year, and we wanted to share the fruits. Especially since it would never have been possible without the generous support of so many of you!
As many of you know we moved to DuBois, PA last year in February to launch an independent young adult ministry in response to what we discerned to be a call from the Lord. Once the lockdowns were lifted we were able to start having our young adult outreach events. These typically consisted of some food, a bonfire, and fellowship, often involving a time of faith discussion.
Through these outreach events and parish connections we got connected with young adults who desired to go deeper. They desired to spend time praying together and growing in the faith together. Two groups of young adults emerged. The first was a group for young adult parents and their kids, and the second was a group for young adults (single or married without kids) seriously committed to their faith. Both of these group gatherings involved extended times of prayer, food, fellowship, and personal faith sharing.
The organic development and growth of these three groups (young adult outreach, young families, and committed young adults without children) is already more than we expected during just the first year of launching this ministry. From our own prior experience and the experience of others, this kind of fruit in the first year is usually not the case. But the Lord has really anointed our efforts this year.
We were asked to run the Confirmation prep program for 35 teens locally. When we accepted, many of the young adults we had met through our events joined the team to help lead the program. It was a beautiful experience seeing the teens grow in their own personal desire for the Sacrament as opposed to simply being there because they are forced to by their families. This was particularly revealed to us as we watched almost every single one of them voluntarily stand in line to go to confession. They were not forced to go, let alone forced to stand around waiting in line, but they chose to do so even though they were free to leave. It also was an amazing experience of doing ministry with our young adults and seeing the bonding that occurred as well as a growth in confidence and excitement about the ministry to teens. Our young adults led small groups, witnessed to the teens, helped teach some of the class, and prayed for and with the teens.
Our reach eventually began to spread beyond the DuBois area. Connections developed with young adults in various different areas in western Pennsylvania. This includes seven different married couples and five different single young adults. In the book of Acts Chapter 16 Verse 48 it says (about St Paul and his companions) that "they saw all the brothers and gave them some encouragement". We gather together individually with each of these married couples or single young adults and share some encouragement. This encouragement, which is often mutual, empowers each of us to continue growing in holiness, in our vocations, and in the apostolates to which God has called each of us. These relationships have borne immense fruit not only in each of our own lives, but also in the lives of those around us. We have also been blessed to lend our gifts to several of the apostolates carried out by these young adults.
While doing all of this ministry we also fundraised a salary, launched a website, youtube channel, and facebook page, crafted a Confirmation program, helped with two retreats, and built connections with our parishes and the Diocese of Erie, among other things. Most recently, with the help of an accountant, we have officially become a non-profit within the State of Pennsylvania. We have a board of directors made up of mentors who have experience with ministry, Catholic and Christian lay communities, and serving on the Board of Directors for non-profit organizations. We have crafted our bylaws, and are waiting (still) for the IRS to get back to us on our 501c3 Federal Tax Exempt Status. We meet all the requirements and submitted all the paperwork so we hope to hear back soon.
That, in a very compressed yet fairly large nutshell, has been how our first year of Holy Family Young Adults has gone. We seriously could not have done this without your generous support. Thank you so much for believing in us, even when we weren't even an official non-profit yet. Everything we were able to do, all the fruit in the lives of young adults and teens, and the fruit they will bear in the lives of others, was all made possible by your support. Thank you so, so much. God bless you, and please remember to pray for us even as we continue to pray daily for all of you!
Also, please consider liking and sharing this video to help us continue growing and bearing even more fruit!
Love,
Silvio and Maria Garcia
Co-Founders of Holy Family Young Adults