The Young Adult Ministry at St. Francis, Fiat Franciscus, is here for all those in their 20s and 30s looking to connect in a faith-filled environment. “Our main goal,” says Michelle Kaiser, “is to really help build community within young adults, to help connect people who maybe are new to St. Francis or they’re coming back to the Church. We find many people in their 20s or 30s who have become disconnected are now seeking reconnection with their faith. We provide times, places, and spaces for young adults to connect.” The group holds ‘once a month events’ that may be social or more spiritually focused, and also has a young-adult small-group meeting twice a month on Wednesdays. The Ministry’s focus on community building began with the formation of the leadership team, which helps plan the group’s vision and events. “From the start,” Michelle says, “I wanted multiple perspectives from different young adults, and work with the leadership team to build community within our relationships with each other, to serve as a model for the larger group.”
When asked whether the young adults involved must be members of the parish, Michelle notes that they come from a wide range of backgrounds. “We have a little bit of everything, honestly. Some people have been coming to St. Francis since childhood, but we also have many new people who have moved to the area. They have explored parishes in the area, and find they want to attend St. Francis.” “However,” she adds, “quite honestly, we have people who come from other North Raleigh parishes because those parishes don’t always have a young adult program. We have even had a couple of people come to one of our events who were not Catholic, and we are glad to welcome a big, wide range of people coming here.”
The programs offered explore various Catholic spiritual traditions, including an introduction to praying the rosary, adoration, and the incorporation of Ignatian spiritual exercises into small-group settings. “Because we are at St. Francis Parish, the group name we came up with is ‘Fiat Franciscus’; it’s Latin for ’saying yes to the way of Francis.’ We want to keep rooted in Franciscan spirituality, which includes being welcoming to everyone.”
A key part of that effort is expanding service opportunities. “A lot of people really like St. Francis Parish for the focus on service opportunities,” says Michelle, “and we have upcoming volunteer opportunities at the Catholic parish outreach food pantry, as well as CORRAL Riding Academy, and we are looking for more ways to intersect with the local community.”
To keep up-to-date on upcoming events, follow the ministry Instagram page @Fiat Franciscus, follow the Ministry calendar, and for more information, contact Michelle Kaiser at mmk4894@yahoo.com