Father Kareem Smith served as principal celebrant and homilist for the monthly Young Adult Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on August 7, advising the people in the pews, “Faith begins, quite frankly, where comfort ends. It’s not something that is easy. It is something that demands more of us.”

“It is a joy to be here this evening with you; we are all called to be Church with one another,” said Father Smith, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church in the Bronx, early in his homily. More than 150 people attended the Mass. 

The priest talked about the ministry of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, Servant of God, an African-American member of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who was born in Mississippi and died in 1990 at age 52.

“Her cause is up for canonization. She used to say, ‘We have to know who we are, and more importantly, whose we are.’ I think we can all understand Sister’s sentiments and what she was trying to say,” Father Smith said. Citing the evening’s Gospel reading from Matthew, he noted, “Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. God is faithful…Because God is good and faithful, he of course heals the woman’s child.”

“God hears our prayers; our God is good and faithful. He has a will for us,” Father Smith added,  citing a time when he was in the seminary and was temporarily unsure if he should continue on the path toward the priesthood. He had been disappointed that a recurring dream had stopped after several weeks – a dream with images of the Blessed Sacrament. But he continued on the path thanks to wise counsel from his spiritual director, who spoke to him about trusting in the Lord and the gifts He grants.

“It is vital that we know who we are so that we might know whose we are,” he asserted, noting Sister Thea’s words. “We must accept what He gives, and give what He expects.” 

Father Smith also led the congregation in the Prayer of the Faithful, which included a petition “For world leaders. May Jesus, the Prince of Peace, guide them toward civility and harmony and away from violence and war. Let us pray to the Lord.”

Sean McCullough and his fiancee Noëlle Tubbs, both in their 30s, were among the faithful at Mass. They are parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village. 

“It was a word of encouragement to me,” McCullough said. He told The Good Newsroom after Mass that he understood and appreciated Father Smith’s message about praying to God and trusting in Him, especially during important life decisions, on the paths to take. 

“This is so special, to have such a wonderful community of people who are in my generation, and to realize there are lots of faithful, devout Catholics who are our age. It really helps,” Tubbs said, adding that she continues to attend the monthly Mass and other events sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York’s Office of Young Adult Outreach. 

Pjetër Nilaj, director of Young Adult Outreach, gave closing remarks of gratitude to Father Smith, the faithful, and all who made the Mass possible. Vocalist Mike Delouis and guitarist Chris Amodio provided soft, inspirational music for the Mass, preceded by a Holy Hour and followed by a social gathering at nearby Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant. 

For more information about the Office of Young Adult Outreach, visit their website.