POWAY — More than 400 young adults, ages 18 to 39, dressed in cocktail attire are expected to attend the annual Young Adult Christmas Gala.
Sponsored by the diocesan Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, the event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, at St. Michael Parish’s Holy Family Center in Poway. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the gala will wrap up at 11 p.m.
“This night is one of our largest diocesan events and brings together young adult communities from all corners of the diocese and beyond,” said Brilema Perez, an associate director of the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry. “It’s the perfect excuse to dress up and dance the night away with new and longtime friends.”
But the event represents “much more than dinner and dancing,” said Maricruz Flores Strauss, director of the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
“It is when we come together to break bread and share with one another what our year has been like,” she said. “It is a celebration of all young adults and what they have accomplished on their faith journey.”
Continuing a tradition that began at the 2015 gala, the evening will include the presentation of the Fiat Award. “Fiat” is Latin for “Let it be done” and was the Virgin Mary’s response when called to be the mother of the Messiah.
Flores Strauss explained that the award recognizes young adults who have “gone above and beyond” in ministering to their peers.
This year’s recipients are a young adult married couple, Carlos and Monica Salazar, from St. John of the Cross Parish in Lemon Grove.
Carlos has led the parish’s youth and young adult ministry for about a year. He took over from Monica, who now serves as director of catechetical ministry.
The Salazars have been married for eight years. They met at their previous parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Chula Vista, where Monica had been the youth minister for almost a decade and Carlos assisted her as a volunteer.
Monica told The Southern Cross that her passion for ministry with young people came from an experience of the love of God during her teenage years.
“When I was 14, I had that encounter, and I just wanted everyone to feel that love,” she said, explaining what drew her into ministry.
Carlos said that young adult ministry is “not just checking off a box or a battle of how many numbers we have,” but about how many people they can touch with the message that “God loves you.”
Flores Strauss said that, during their three years at St. John of the Cross Parish, the Salazars have relaunched the parish’s youth and confirmation program after the COVID-19 pandemic and kicked off a young adult group whose weekly gatherings attract about 30 to 40 people. They have also served on planning committees for diocesan events, like the Diocesan Young Adult Retreat, and have shown a willingness to assist other parishes, including with music ministry.
Gala tickets, which are $75 per person or $125 for engaged and married couples, will be available through Thursday, Nov. 27, or until sold out.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
