The next Young Adult Mass of the Archdiocese of New York is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, March 6 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Father Sean P. Hagerty, S.J., assistant director of Vocations and Promoter for the Jesuits’ USA East Province, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist. 

The 7:30 p.m. Mass will be preceded by a Holy Hour that will feature bone relics of some of the eight North American Martyrs – on display for veneration. The relics will be on display from 4:00 p.m. through the end of Mass. The monthly Mass is sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Young Adult Outreach.                        

“I think it’s important for building a young-adult community. So many of our Catholic young adults find themselves isolated in lots of ways from the rest of the faithful,” Father Hagerty told The Good Newsroom this week in a telephone interview, citing the Mass celebrations, programs, and activities offered by Young Adult Outreach.                                            

As for his homily message, the priest said, “The readings of that day talk about obedience to the law, in particular, Jesus’s relationship to the law – and the fact that Jesus values those who follow the commandments, who pay attention to the law.” Fr. Hagerty noted that the North American Martyrs served as excellent models as faithful followers of Jesus and the law of God, “proclaiming the love of God to the ends of the Earth.”          

The relics that will be on hand during Holy Hour include the skull of Jean de Brebeuf, a rib of Gabriel Lalemant, and a fibula of Charles Garnier. The relics are normally kept at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario, Canada. Brebeuf’s skull is held in particular reverence there as the central attraction of the shrine. Brebeuf was martyred near what is now Midland. 

Father Hagerty, 40, born and raised in Manhattan, was ordained in June 2022 at the Fordham University Church in the Bronx, having undergone 10 years of formation with the Society of Jesus. He served as an Army fire support officer and later an executive officer in Iraq, 2008-09. He completed ROTC at Fordham University and was commissioned an Army officer in 2006, serving four years until leaving in 2010 as a captain.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, Fordham University; master’s degree in philosophy, Saint Louis University; and a Master of Divinity and licentiate in sacred theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.    

The eight North American Martyrs were six priests and two lay brothers, members of the Society of Jesus martyred in the 1640s in New York State and what is now Canada. In 1930, Pope Pius XI canonized the whole group of missionaries, whose feast the Church now celebrates every October 19.    

The eight were: Saint Rene Goupil, a lay brother; Saint Isaac Jogues, a priest; Saint John de Lalande, a lay brother; Saint Anthony Daniel, a priest; Saint Jean de Brebeuf, Saint Charles Garnier, Saint Noel Chabanel, and Saint Gabriel Lalemant, were all priests. 

For more information about Young Adult Outreach, visit www.catholicnyc.com.