Print Issue: October 24, 2002

Spirit And Truth Draws Young Adults Back Into Prayer Life

By ERIKA ANDERSON, Staff Writer

KENNESAW - For eight years, Lisa Fiamingo fostered the prayer and spiritual life of teens as a youth minister at St. Catherine of Siena Church. But after she left her position, she soon became frustrated.

"I kept running into (former teens) and finding out they weren't going to church," she said.

Fiamingo began talking to Father Tim Hepburn, chaplain at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, about developing a "program for those in their early to late 20s."

(Foreground, l-r) Adam Meyer, Christopher Vigil and Alison Hobbs help kick off Spirit and Truth night at the Kennesaw Catholic Center with a moment of praise and worship. (Photos by Michael Alexander)

Around the same time, Mike Judge, a former Life Teen core member at the Church of St. Ann, Marietta, was taking recent high school graduates to 7:22, an interdenominational Bible study held each week at North point Community Church in Alpharetta.

"They are just known for having awesome praise and worship," he said.

Judge invited Father Hepburn to come along to 7:22, and from there, the idea began to start a similar program in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Spirit and Truth was born.

"We really wanted something with praise and worship," Judge said. "Young adult ministry in the archdiocese has tons of speakers and tons of Bible studies. But we wanted to bring people together through prayer."

Father Gregory Ramkissoon, founder of Mustard Seed Communities, speaks about nurturing one's faith through serving. Father Ramkissoon was a guest speaker at the Spirit and Truth night, Aug. 26.

Judge and Fiamingo joined forces to help develop the program along with Father Hepburn. Spirit and Truth is based on the Magisterium, scripture and tradition of the Catholic Church. Each week young adults gather at the Kennesaw University Catholic Center to have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, to hear a speaker, study Scripture or have Mass or confession. There are four different formats that rotate throughout the month.

The first night a year ago, 12 people came to Spirit and Truth. Since then, the group has grown to as many as 65 people and Fiamingo is hoping the excitement will catch on in other areas in the archdiocese.

"Because the group has to remain small to keep its quality, we are hoping to start Spirit and Truth groups all around the archdiocese," she said.

To inspire that idea, the group has begun WOW - Wide Open Worship - once a month. The first WOW was recently held at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta.

"We're basically taking what we're doing at Spirit and Truth and taking it on the road," Judge said.

Fiamingo said that the success of Spirit and Truth is found in its message.

"The biggest thing is it's the truth," she said. "Young people today are so confused and they don't know the truth. The truth is that if you have a life based on prayer and follow the teachings of the church, you will find joy. We've seen people who came in and were troubled and unforgiving become people of joy."

Kersti Payton, director of young adult ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, calls Spirit and Truth a "great program."

"The folks that are there make it a great atmosphere and I like the strong spiritual focus of it," she said. "It causes conversion. Because they stay on one topic for a period of time, the people who are faithful to the program really take to that topic and it becomes them. They mature in their faith drastically."

Spirit and Truth participants come together for eucharistic adoration. The communal prayer group meets on Monday evenings at 8 p.m.

Judge hopes, above all, that those who attend Spirit and Truth will take its message to others.

"My hope is to build a community through prayer - for people to come together to pray and lay their burdens at the foot of the cross and then for us to bring the light of Christ to the people we meet," he said.

Spirit and Truth is held each week from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Catholic Center of Kennesaw State University, 3487 Frey Lake Road.

For more information, through e-mail, contact Judge at mljudge@gapac.com or Fiamingo at jmf606@prodigy.net.