By Matthew Carrara
(Photos contributed by Tina Sommers, Nick Tan and Michael Kaos)
DARIEN – They came in colorful costumes and prepared to “party for a purpose.”
Some wore phantom masks, others feathery and colorful headwear, some dressed in gowns and others in black tie, to celebrate the second annual Young Adult Masquerade Gala for fun and charity.
More than 220 young adult Catholics gathered for a night of entertainment at Wee Burn County Club to support the Foundations in Education Hardship Fund, which helps children in Catholic schools who are facing extreme and life-changing events. The event, which was hosted by Young Catholic Professionals Fairfield County and Catholic 203, raised more than $16,000 which will fully fund four scholarships.
“It’s very meaningful to see a lot of young Catholic professionals here, even more so than last year’s Gala,” said Katie Cunningham of Stamford. “It’s just great to see that there’s a very lively community of young Catholics that not only are striving to do well in their professional settings, but also to grow together in holiness and our faith.”
A cocktail hour allowed for mingling and making introductions on the outdoor patio overlooking the Wee Burn golf course at sunset. Guests enjoyed a buffet dinner after a welcome and opening remarks, and a DJ commanded the room’s music for the night.
After dinner, Father Sam Kachuba, Episcopal Vicar for Young Adult Ministries of the Diocese of Bridgeport, was the first to hit the floor with a short violin performance and even had impromptu Irish step dancing backing him up.
At the close of his performance, he declared the dance floor officially open. The banquet room soon became alive and well, and the young Catholic professionals danced far into the night as drinks flowed and dessert was served.
“This is a reminder that the young adult community in the diocese is really strong and vibrant, and not only do they want to live their faith in a profound way and grow in their faith every day, this is a group that also is ready to celebrate the good things in life,” said Father Kachuba.
This “party with a purpose” brought together young people with the same common interest, which is to put their faith into practice he said. That desire did not go unnoticed by the organization’s leadership.
“Coming here, you see other people that have the same interests. They’re trying to answer the question, ‘What is God’s will for me?’ And really, the question is to live your faith,” said Michael O’Rourke, Chairman of the Board for Malta House and Board Member for Young Catholic Professionals Fairfield County.
“What you have here tonight is a group of people who have come together to have a great evening around their shared faith, but not only that, they are partying with a purpose,” said Foundations in Education President Steven Velardo.
Foundations in Education awards 10 to 15 Hardship Fund Scholarships each year to students in the greatest need, he said. These are children who are facing some of the worst times in life. They may have lost their home to a fire, their parents may have lost their jobs and are now potentially experiencing homelessness, or they have come home to find that they’ve lost one of their parents.
“The goal of the Hardship Fund is to make sure that student doesn’t lose something else,” Velardo said. “They don’t lose the school that loves them, that supports them, that teaches them and helps them to know God’s love.”
The gala came together very quickly, thanks to the hard work of the members and leadership of Young Catholic Professionals Fairfield County and Catholic 203, the Diocese of Bridgeport’s Young Adult Ministry.
“Exactly a month ago, we made a decision to host this event, and in two weeks we were sold out,” said gala co-host and organizer Alan Cybulski of Shelton. “If God didn’t want this to happen, it wouldn’t have happened, and I think this just goes to show what we as young people can do to support something bigger than ourselves.”
It was a night that proved anything is possible. A call to action was put out by Velardo as he challenged the young adults to sacrifice an expensive fun purchase they may make in a given week and instead use that money to donate to the Hardship Fund and make a true difference in a child’s life.
The guests said strong bonds were formed between Young Catholic Professionals Fairfield County and Catholic 203.
“We’re lay people, we don’t belong to an order, so to be around people running the same race as you and walking with them together, like a sort of order, that’s been the biggest blessing of my life because we cannot do it alone,” said Michael Mank of New Canaan.
For more information on Foundations in Education visit www.foundationsineducation.org.
