Elevate, a new community-wide ministry for adults ages 30 and older in the Rochester area, hosted an opening dinner April 16 at St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester. (Courier photo by Jeff Witherow)
What do an afternoon of kayaking on Irondequoit Bay, the Rochester International Jazz Festival and Eucharistic adoration have in common?
All are activities offered by Elevate, a new community-based, cross-parish organization for Catholic adults in the Rochester area.
Founded after the success of a cross-parish youth program for young adults in Rochester called Converge, Elevate’s mission is to build community spirit and inspire holiness among adults ages 30 and older.
New ministry connects adults of all backgrounds and communities
“As we grow out of the ‘young adult’ age group, there isn’t as much for us to do,” notes Edwin Torres, co-chair of Elevate and department head of International Hospitality Service Innovation at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Will Rein, pastoral assistant at Peace of Christ Parish in Rochester and another co-chair of Elevate, said Torres approached him about creating a program similar to Converge but for adults. Rein said Elevate’s goal is to “create a targeted space for adults who are not young adults but who are not retirees either.”
Torres and Rein both recognized that people from different backgrounds, professions and life experiences need to find ways to connect.
To that end, Elevate not only offers two scheduled events per month, but also encourages its members to share their passions and cultural backgrounds by inviting others to regional events and social gatherings, Rein explained. These invitations are posted in the “Sponsored by Friends” section of the Elevate website.
Rein said he hopes the diversity that exists in Rochester will be reflected in the events offered by Elevate and those sponsored by friends.
Elevate addresses “life as isolated Catholics” and promotes joyful connections
Like Converge, Elevate seeks to give people a sense of belonging by encouraging them to create and pursue opportunities to build community, grow spiritually, and serve the community.
So far this year, Elevate’s offerings have included an opening dinner for the new ministry on April 16, a potluck dinner with games in Perinton Park, a Catholic question-and-answer evening, an evening at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, kayaking on Irondequoit Bay and a visit to the Abbey of the Genesee in Livingston County with a nature walk.
On June 26, members of Elevate joined members of Luz y Sal, the new Hispanic youth organization of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in Rochester, in a Mass celebrating the feast day of Opus Dei founder St. Josemaria Escrivá.
In addition, Elevate has planned service days where members will have the opportunity to perform works of mercy and donate their time and talent to a variety of social causes, according to Elevate’s website.
“People live alone with their faith, as isolated Catholics,” Rein said, noting that this isolation has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the ministry’s inaugural meeting in April, Rein noted that the two dozen participants, ranging in age from their early 30s to their 80s, enjoyed socializing even though they did not know each other.
“The joy is palpable… meeting people who need help that they didn’t even know existed,” he said.
God did not create man as a loner, says the Second Vatican Council
Rein noted that people from as far away as Geneva and Buffalo attend Elevate events to build a religious connection. Because many people attend Mass at different times in different parishes, the sense of community that previous generations enjoyed is missing, he said.
Erin Bankey, who works at MVP, has attended Elevate events and said she is excited about a new form of pastoral care for 30-plus Catholics. She too said the cultural, political and ecclesiastical experience of millennial Catholics is sometimes quite different from that of baby boomers and even Gen Z believers.
“I have observed how many older, single Catholics struggle to find their place in young adult communities,” she noted.
This search for community reflects the God-given social dimension of faith and life addressed in the Second Vatican Council document. Joy and joy (“The Church in the Modern World”): “For by his very nature man is a social being, and unless he establishes relationships with other people he cannot live or develop his potential.”
Likewise, Bankey said her “hope for the Elevate community is to create a place where Catholic adults can live in community and deepen their faith.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information on upcoming Elevate events, visit CatholicCourier.com/CalendarA video of a current event can be found at CatholicCourier.com/multimedia.
Keywords: Faith in Action, Monroe County East
