The May 1 Young Adult Mass will feature a display for veneration of relics of the Ulma Family at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Father Erik Lenhart, OFM Cap. a prominent speaker with the Capuchin Franciscans Province of St. Mary, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist of the monthly Mass.

The 7:30 p.m. Mass will be preceded by a Holy Hour that will include Eucharist Adoration, confessions, praying of the rosary, and inspiring music. The Young Adult Mass is sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Young Adult Outreach.

Organizers of the relics exhibit ask attendees to come and pray at a display of the lives of Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their children. Each member of the Polish family (including their unborn child) was beatified in September 2023 and declared martyr. The family was executed for sheltering Jews during World War II.   

The display includes photos, documents, and quotes from St. John Paul II’s teaching on family, marriage, and inter-religious dialogue. The Ulmas were devout Catholics and loved the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Ulma Family Exhibit is set to be on display at several locations in the archdiocese (April-June), on loan from the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C.

“It’s a blessing for the young adults to be able to gather at St. Patrick’s Cathedral each month for confessions and Mass,” Father Lenhart told The Good Newsroom this week. “The music is always beautiful, and St. Patrick’s is one of the most sublime settings in the city. It also gives young adults from all over the boroughs, and even some of the surrounding counties, an opportunity to build community and share faith with their peers.” 

Father Lenhart said his homily will focus on that day, May 1, being the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, noting, “Many people, including Pope Francis, have a great devotion to St. Joseph.  Although Scripture does not record a single word from him, his witness to serve the Lord and Our Blessed Mother speaks volumes. His witness as one who puts others first shows us a great model of humility and selflessness.” 

Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Father Lenhart was ordained in 2015 after finishing studies at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He currently serves as vocation director for the Capuchin Franciscans, and chaplain of Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries (CYFM). He served as parochial vicar of St. Pius X Church, Middletown, Connecticut, and taught preaching and moral theology at Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut. 

The CYFM was Father Lenhart’s first encounter with the Capuchins, when he was a cadet at West Point (USMA). He was a CapCorps Volunteer, 2003-04 and joined the order in 2008.

The Young Adult Mass is usually followed by a social gathering at a nearby restaurant. For more information about Young Adult Outreach, visit www.catholicnyc.com.