The story of a reluctant teen being dragged to Mass by their parents, or a college student who drops that habit the moment they leave home, is a familiar one. Growing up in Philadelphia, Natalie and Giovanni Morales were no exceptions.
They were both raised in Catholic homes, but both grew lukewarm about their faith as they hit adolescence.
“I was going (to Mass) because my parents told me I had to go, and I really couldn’t wait for the day that I was free and out of the house, so that I would not have to go to church anymore,” Natalie said.
Even after they returned to the faith, they discovered the journey wasn’t always easy – but they have grown to rely on it as they serve the Catholic Church of Philadelphia and their community.
Natalie is the director of the Archdiocesan Office of Persons of Disabilities and the youth and young adults ministry director at Holy Innocents Church in Northeast Philadelphia, where she gives teens a safe place to be themselves and develop as young men and women who are shaped by their faith journey.
Giovani works fulltime as a program analyst for the Defense Logistics Agency and as the director of music at Holy Innocents, where he regularly performs. He also helps Natalie in her youth ministry.
“It is us finding Christ together,” he said. “He has been what has helped us to grow, and for other young people to see that is a walking testimony. We’re not afraid to tell people we’ve had our problems.”
No idea what I was getting into
Gio first spotted Natalie in a social media post of her cousin’s, who he had met through his participation in the Spanish choir at the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015, but they didn’t start dating until they met while salsa dancing a few years later. Natalie joined Gio to Mass on Sundays and they eventually got married – appearing as if they were the perfect Catholic couple.
But just months into their newlywed journey, Natalie started phoning divorce lawyers, and Giovanni was at odds on how to save his marriage.
“People have this conception of being Catholic or being in the faith, like you have to be perfect,” Giovanni said. “The second you mess up, you’re done. When Natalie and I got married, I was playing music at Mass and stuff like that, but by no means were we perfect. By no means was everything sunshine and rainbows and flowers.
“It took us to realize that our marriage is built on Christ because when we got married it was more like, okay, we’ll have the celebration of the sacrament at the Church and then we’ll go party.”
Or as Natalie put it: “Even on my wedding day, I had no idea what I was getting into.”
God, you need to fix it
As the struggles mounted, she searched for a Christian counselor and attended couples’ therapy.
“I remember saying to God at some point that, you know, if you want this to work, well, then you need to fix it because I’m not going to do it,” she said. “And He did.”
Giovanni agreed. “The wedding day is just that – the day,” he said. “But the marriage is everything that comes the next morning till the day you die. And so, you need something that’s going to sustain you.”
Ultimately, Giovanni and Natalie stayed together and renewed their wedding vows.
Natalie believes that the couple’s authenticity is what makes their youth ministry so hopeful.
“I let them know that when they’re with me and the team of volunteers we have that they can be themselves,” she said. ”They are loved as themselves the way they come. You don’t have to put on a show, and it’s okay to be whoever you are.
“There’s going to be times when maybe you’re not hearing Jesus. Maybe, you feel far from the Church and that’s okay. Sometimes we have people that join our group and they’re not Catholic at all and we treat them exactly like we treat all of the other youth that come, and we just let them know that when you step into this place you know you are loved.”
Hope is everything
For Giovanni, who was encouraged in his faith by people who challenged him to try new things like playing the guitar, it is all about invitation and welcome. He said his faith really came alive after college when he was invited to sing in the Spanish choir during Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015 for the World Meeting of Families. Through the music ministry at Holy Innocents, he invites school-aged children to learn about Christ and the Eucharist.
It’s his way of returning thanks to God.
“I quickly realized there’s a connection here between music and young people and they feed off of the energy that music provides,” he said. “I knew we had to get the young people in our community to feel excited about coming to Mass. Most of them are like me and Natalie. They come to church because mom and dad tell them to come to church. But if you give them a purpose, a sense of belonging being here they’re going to remember that. ‘Hey you know this guy let me sing last week. Maybe he’ll let me sing again next week.’”
It’s working, too. When he started at Holy Innocents’ mission site St. Joan of Arc there were no kids singing in the choir. Now, the entire choir mostly consists of those under the age of 24.
Through their struggles and joys, Natalie and Giovanni say their lives are a testament to hope.
“Hope is everything,” she said. “It would really be hard to get through anything without it. Sometimes people get overwhelmed. But we encourage them to hang onto hope. We had Good Friday happen but there was a Resurrection a few days later. If Jesus can do that and He did that for us, well then anything is possible for us.”
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Faces of Hope is a series of stories and videos highlighting the work of those who make the Catholic Church of Philadelphia the greatest force for good in the region. To learn more about a new way forward for the Church of Philadelphia, visit TrustandHope.org. If you know someone you’d like to see featured, please reach out to editor@catholicphilly.com.
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