By Brianna Dauby • Posted November 5, 2025

The Catholic Young Adult Group of Phoenixville hosted a Theology on Tap event Oct. 16 that filled the spacious hall of the Great American Pub to hear Dr. Kelly Anderson, a professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, explain the Book of Revelation.

It was the first event for the group, which was created to serve the Chester County area that has a large young-adult population.

“I think that there are a lot of young people in Phoenixville, but not a whole lot of young adult ministry,” said Lauren Pickell, founder of the Catholic young adult group. “There is not a whole lot of Catholic presence, despite having four churches in the area.”

She expressed excitement for the group’s first large event, the strong attendance for which showed the potential for service in the Phoenixville area.

Pickell’s ambition and desire to create an environment of strong Catholic fellowship among other young adults mirrors the motivation of young adults throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Just as Jessica Runyen answered her “fiat” to the Lord’s will and began the St. Matthew’s Young Adult Group in the area of Conshohocken, Montgomery County, Pickell is answering a similar call in the Phoenixville area.

She hopes to provide Phoenixville’s young adults with the opportunity to grow spiritually together.

That growth became apparent through the engaged and lively audience that witnessed Anderson’s talk. She began by providing a wider view of apocalyptic literature, represented by the biblical Book of Revelation, to the young adults in attendance.

Anderson explained the two different eras of apocalyptic literature: Era One, where evil reigns; and Era Two, which is the messianic era where Sheol is defeated and the dead are resurrected.

In St. John’s account in Revelation, he focuses on Era Two, where the new era is already established and the cross of Christ is the center of the literature.

Anderson then spent the rest of her talk discussing the symbolism and beauty of the layering of each successive story in Revelation and how each builds on another.

She explained that in the ancient Jewish culture, people would tell stories not chronologically but by starting with a small concept and building upon it to develop the full story.

Through this analysis, the audience gained both an overview of apocalyptic literature and a better understanding of the beauty of St. John’s work to create the book.

“I had personally never learned a lot about Revelation,” said attendee Megan Vareha, “and getting a glimpse of it in this talk really connected a lot of my biblical knowledge from the past.”

Events like Theology on Tap provide young adults with the opportunity to connect with others and to learn more about their Catholic faith.

Most of the attendees at the Phoenixville event might not have the opportunity to receive such an in-depth lecture from an esteemed  professor of Scripture who is currently teaching future priests of the Archdiocese.

“The turnout was excellent and I was so inspired and so happy just to be amongst my closest friends,” said Vareha. “It is always very special to see a young adult Catholic event thriving and to see a lot of very joy-filled people gathering to learn more about the faith, more about Catholicism and to grow together spiritually.”

Pickell looks forward to a future event of the Catholic Young Adult Group of Phoenixville and the impact the group can make on the community.

“I am excited to see what happens and I am really looking forward to seeing how it grows and how much interest the group can get,” she said.