By Susan McGinnis  • Posted November 26, 2024

Hundreds of young adults from the Philadelphia region gathered Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Sheraton City Center Hotel to experience “The Well: A Conference for Young Adults.” It’s the first of what the Archdiocese of Philadelphia hopes will be an annual event to help young people find a sense of belonging and identity in Christ.

“Being young, it’s important to have a Catholic community because so much of the world isn’t Catholic,” said 21-year-old Maria Coyle of Worcester, Montgomery County. “So it’s good to ground yourself in the faith.”

The theme for the event, hosted by the archdiocesan Office for Ministry with Young Adults, was hope in the healing power of Christ, echoed in Scripture with the words, “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary” (cf. Is 40:31).

Speakers helped the young adults learn how to encounter, nourish, and share this hope with others.

Keynote speaker Lillian Fallon, author of “Theology of Style,” described what she believes is the ”soil” for hope: gratitude.

 “Gratitude has been something in my spiritual life that has helped me grow and find joy,” said Fallon, who also said she hoped to meet these young adults “where they’re at,” and let them know they’re not alone.

“I think a lot of us enter our young adulthood thinking that life is going to look one way, and then being shocked when it looks different, and it can feel really isolating and scary,” Fallon said. “We turn to prayer but sometimes if we’re not getting what we want in prayer it can cause a spiritual crisis.

“So I hope to meet the attendees and say: I’ve been there too, this is how I got through it, and the key to hopelessness is practicing gratitude every day.”

Saturday’s event got its name, “The Well,” from a Scripture passage from the Gospel of John. It’s the story of a Samaritan woman who had an encounter with Jesus as she was drawing water. When Jesus told her that the water he gives would bring her eternal life, she brought his message to others, who then came to the well to hear him.

Andrea Mueller, associate director of the Office for Ministry with Young Adults, hoped the conference enables the young adults to learn from the woman at the well, and to have their own such experience.

“My hope is that they, through her, have an encounter with Christ, and have a transformation where they understand what it means to be a missionary disciple, what it means to be ‘on fire’ with mission, because they’ve encountered the Holy Christ.”

Keynote speaker Peter Blute, executive director of Young Catholic Professionals, gave attendees action items to take home with them, challenging them to reach out to others and to bring prayer into the workplace.

“By integrating prayer into our workday, we’re able to bring Christ into our workday, and have him walk with us through these large periods of time.”

Attendee Brian Bruno, 21, of Norristown, appreciated the feeling of community.

“We come together as the future of the Catholic Church and what better way to get in a better mindset, than to be with our brethren young adults; to think, what can I do to further my own faith but also further others’ faith?”

Keynote speaker Brock Martin of the Denver-based Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) spoke of sharing the hope of Christ, and said one way is through “authentic friendship.”

“Friendship is a powerful vehicle to share hope. It’s how our Lord decided to start his Church. People in your lives, work, families, home, communities, need to hear a message of hope,” Martin said.

Pauline Father Timothy Tarnacki, director of the Office for Ministry with Young Adults, hopes events like this can draw young Catholics into the Church and a Catholic faith community.

“It may bring young adults who are not part of the community, who are struggling with their faith, to attend, plug them into the community, and may become a powerful personal journey into the faith.”

Attendees were also able to visit exhibitors and vendors, and enjoyed music from Saints Alive, a band whose mission is to create music that reflects God’s truth.

Opportunities to receive the sacrament of penance and reconciliation were available, and the attendees gathered for Mass with Archbishop Nelson Pérez at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.

According to organizers, the Archdiocese holds events for young adults to remind them they are part of a community of young Catholics across the world.

The Well conference is an outgrowth of Pope Francis’ call to all churches to celebrate youth and young adults. Such local events can become opportunities to stir enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization.

The organizers of Saturday’s event were encouraged by the turnout.

“For our first year, the response has been fantastic,” said Mueller. “I just can’t wait to see it grow.”