On Wednesday, October 2, 900 college students and young adults gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the inaugural Connect Boston–– the first event of its kind by the new Archdiocesan ministry, Collegia Catholic Boston.
The evening consisted of networking, breakout panels, Adoration, and keynotes by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Jennifer Baugh, and Curtis Martin.
“I don’t know what God is calling you to do, but He’s calling you to live radically,” Curtis Martin, keynote speaker and CEO of FOCUS said, setting the tone for the evening.
Emphasizing our responsibility to use each person’s unique job and vocation, Martin challenged the young adults, saying, “We, this generation of Catholics are responsible for this generation of people.”
In addition to a keynote message from Cardinal Sean O’Malley and Jennifer Baugh, the Founder and Executive Director of Young Catholic Professors, the event featured breakout panels, divided by field, including: Arts and Media, Business, Vocation, Education, Healthcare, Law and Public Service, and Technology.
Elizabeth Fuedo, an Archdiocese of Boston design production specialist, was the Arts and Media panel moderator and aided in the coordination of the event, which was lead by Fr. Eric Cadin. She explains, “The goal was to connect students and young adults through the Boston area with each other and with Catholic leaders in various fields.”
The assembly of young adults, seminarians, priests, and sisters regathered in the Cathedral after the panels, ending the night with Eucharistic Adoration and a procession, led by Fr. Cadin. Opportunity for confession was offered simultaneously by Archdiocesan priests, as well as some Jesuits from Boston College.
Fuedo added, “We were very pleased with the turnout for the event, especially given that it was the first one… It was so good seeing so much engagement from the participates, with each other, as well as with the panelists during and after the breakout sessions.”
She recounted that after months of work behind the scenes it was fulfilling to see the event come together. “To have adoration to wind down the night was such a blessing after the whirlwind of activity leading up to the event,” Fuedo continued.
Collegia Catholic plans to continue hosting Connect Boston annually, as well as to bring similar events to campuses throughout the year.
Fuedo concluded, “Connect Boston was only the beginning of the work that we are hoping to do in Boston. We really want to foster community through all the colleges of Boston, as well as young professionals and the many young adult groups in the city. It’s so important to flourish in our Catholic faith so we can bring it to others through our lives and careers.”
Featured image by Olivia Colombo for The Torch
Previously the Campus News Editor and Catholicism 101 Editor, Olivia dabbles in The Torch’s writing and photography. She is a senior studying theology and applied psychology and human development with a minor in journalism. She is unashamedly passionate about youth ministry, Haiti, all things charismatic, the Oxford comma, and CatholicTV––where she can often be found as an on-camera news reporter or host of the To the Heights podcast.
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