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When Jesus said to plant seeds of the faith in fertile ground, he could have been talking about a place like the Vincent Pallotti Center in Harriman, which is home to the Pallottine Teenage Federation and other youth programs.
Sister Olivia Reginella, C.S.A.C., provincial of the Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate, commonly known as the Pallottine Sisters, said having a space for youth ministry “is a gift from God to the province. Youth ministry is the dire need of our society at this time.”
Situated on the Pallottines’ property, the Vincent Pallotti Center is where the Teenage Federation holds its conferences, retreats and training weekends, among other events. The Pallotti Center is also available for rent for retreats, including confirmation retreats, and events for other groups. The center is also home to an Hispanic apostolate sponsored by the sisters.
The center was dedicated and blessed at a Mass on Sept. 28 by Auxiliary Bishop Dominick Lagonegro, episcopal vicar of the upper counties.
Sister Olivia said the hope of the sisters, who are an active presence among the youths, is “to turn them to Christ and the Church; to make them understand who Christ is in their lives, and follow the mission of our founder, Vincent Pallotti, to serve the needs of the Church, especially the poor.”
The center’s namesake, St. Vincent Pallotti, founded the congregation in 1838. According to the Pallottines, his dream was to enable lay people to assume their proper role in the mission of the Church. In addition, the congregation encourages lay people to collaborate with clergy and those in consecrated life as apostles for the Church and the world.
Toni Kerins, the center’s director, had high praise for the many spiritual and leadership programs for youths there, in particular the Pallottine Teenage Federation, a spiritual, apostolic, cultural, social and athletic program. She acknowledged as well IMPACT, an acronym for the retreat program “I Meet People and Christ Together,” and the Christian Leadership Institute Retreat, among others.
The center has been used for a number of outreach and community service endeavors, most recently in assistance to teens affected by Hurricane Sandy. The hope, according to Ms. Kerins, is to expand the range of programs in the near future.
Carly Bulgia, a senior at Arlington High School who belongs to St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in Pleasant Valley, is president of the Pallottine Teenage Federation. “It feels like a home to us,” she said.
She and her peers are now proudly reaping what they so enthusiastically helped to sow. “We made it, we painted the walls. It’s so awesome to now go there and say we were a part of this, we were part of the making of this building.
“We have two feet on the ground and we are strong as a group and ready for expansion.”
