NEW FAIRFIELD—Nestled in the northern recesses of Fairfield County is St. Edward the Confessor Parish – the only Catholic parish in the town of New Fairfield. And it’s home to one of the Diocese of Bridgeport’s most vibrant young adult ministries.
St. Ed’s Young Adults is a ministry for Catholics between the ages of 18 and 35. The ministry’s goals are to enlighten members’ faith with charity and hope, empower the future of the Church with the spiritual tools of the past and present, and engage the hearts of all Catholic adults in search of faith and community.
New Fairfield itself might be a small community, but St. Ed’s young adult programs bring in people from across the Diocese of Bridgeport and beyond.
“We all take pride in the fact that our ministry is very far reaching, and it’s inclusive of people from different parishes,” said Jenna Racca, a member of the young adult group. “It’s not limited to people just living in little New Fairfield. It’s a great opportunity for people from all over.”
The group’s core leadership team – which includes Racca, Kelly LaRegina and Nicole Justiniano – all have similar stories as lifelong members of St. Edward Parish. As they grew up, they pursued their own endeavors of college and beyond, but St. Ed’s was always a part of who they were.
“When I went to college and when I was working on my master’s, I kind of stepped away from the church for a little while,” Justiniano said. “I think joining the young adults ministry really helped me to come back to St. Ed’s, because I was just so busy.”
One thing was in common with all three of these women’s journeys, however: when they were ready, St. Ed’s was there waiting to welcome them back.
“When I graduated college and came back, I was always welcomed with open arms back to St. Ed’s,” LaRegina said. “No matter where you go, you’re always allowed back, and it’s such a welcoming community.”
The young adult group hosts a variety of events, including trivia nights, theology on tap, opportunities for fellowship and more. Next month is the group’s annual barbecue, which also doubles as an anniversary celebration for the young adult group itself.
“That was our first event that we hosted, so we have that every June as a celebration of how far we’ve come and what we’re doing going forward,” LaRegina said.
In addition to the young adult ministry, part of what makes the community at St. Edward unique is the age of the clergy members that serve there. Father Robert Wolfe and Father Tim
Iannacone are among the youngest priests serving in the Diocese of Bridgeport. And Justiniano said that has made an incredible difference for the young adult ministry.
“We have a Facebook and an Instagram page, and they understand that and can work with it, but they are also good at delegating responsibility to us and saying, ‘We’re here, we want this ministry, but you guys are kind of the driving force behind it,’” she said.
But the advantage of having young priests serving the community isn’t just an understanding of social media. As fellow young adults, it also allows the priests to connect with ministry members on a common level of understanding.
“Father Tim and Father Wolfe are actually my older brother and older sister’s age, so it’s almost like a nice brotherhood-sisterhood feeling, as well as a mentor-type relationship,” LaRegina said.
As the St. Ed’s Young Adults ministry grows, LaRegina said they hope to focus on putting together smaller, more frequent events for members to connect, in addition to the larger events they currently host. But as the years go on and the ministry continues to flourish, Racca wants to remember the importance of providing community for young adult Catholics – a need that persists in all areas of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
“Young adulthood is such a unique time in your life,” Racca said. “It’s a broad range and everybody’s on such different paths. So I feel like the community and fellowship aspect of a young adult ministry is really, really important, especially for people who want to continue to grow in faith and have brotherhood and sisterhood with like-minded people.”
