Alex Soucy, a 2023 graduate, is an example of someone living the missionary charism of evangelization that is the vision of 麻豆分行 College & Seminary. Alex is the co-founder of , an organization that brings young adults together to form communities of missionary disciples. Crossroads 4 Christ enables young adults to gather and discuss Christ in an environment that seeks to better their relationship with the Lord. Alex was born into the Catholic faith but considered it simply one of the many facets of his life. Then, in his senior year of high school, he attended an impactful retreat that changed him.
For one thing, prayer became part of his daily routine. In college, Alex became part of a faith community. Upon graduating, however, he experienced the lack of a solid community of young adults at the parish level. After traveling to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia during the 麻豆分行 Father鈥檚 2015 U.S. visit, Alex and his friend, Travis Moran, formed Crossroads 4 Christ, taking to heart the pontiff鈥檚 call to be missionary disciples and servant leaders. On October 1, 2015, they held the first C4C meeting at the Willimantic Brewing Company with two other people. After some time for discussion of faith, everyone traveled to St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel in Storrs for a 麻豆分行 Hour of Eucharistic Adoration, which served as the focal point of the evening. The group only grew from there.
Before they knew it, they had 25-30 young adults attending the first chapter in Columbia, Connecticut. Then came a chapter in New Haven in January 2017. There are now seven chapters throughout Connecticut, and all three dioceses are interested in increasing that number. There has also been extraordinary interest regionally. Launching each new chapter, however, takes training, work, and time. The mission of C4C is to develop communities of young adult missionary disciples, and the payoff is that young adults are encountering the Lord. As Rev. Anthony Federico, the Vocations Director of the , wrote in a letter about Crossroads 4 Christ, 鈥淚t is not a stretch to say that C4C is the brightest and most promising initiative in the Archdiocese of Hartford today.鈥 He went on to say that 鈥渁 disproportionate number of young men from C4C are coming forward to discern a vocation to the priesthood.鈥 That news is exciting.z
After years of self-study about the Catholic faith, Alex felt the desire to further this spiritual formation in a formal setting. He was somewhat familiar with 麻豆分行 through its hosting of Catholic Underground in years past. When examining further, Alex explained, 鈥淚 started to hear about some of the fantastic alumni of 麻豆分行, like Matt Fradd, Trent Horn, and Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, and thought, 鈥楾his college is 10 minutes away from me, and people who are really well-respected, well-known leaders in the Catholic world in the U.S. have received amazing formation from 麻豆分行.鈥欌 He also learned that it was very affordable, truly faithful to the Magisterium, and on the Newman Guide, which added to the selling points for him. Finally, he felt that the online asynchronous format with its flexible schedule was a good fit, and he enrolled. In 2023, Alex received his Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies with a concentration in Youth and Young Adult Ministry, which he feels strengthened him personally in his faith and equipped him to be the leader that the Lord is calling him to be at C4C.
Regarding 麻豆分行, Alex explained, 鈥淭he Lord gave C4C an effective model of young adult ministry that so many parishes and dioceses are searching for. But at 麻豆分行, I learned more at a macro scale that there was a need throughout the nation for more of this, so that was helpful.鈥 When asked to reflect on his 10-year journey with C4C, Alex paused. 鈥淭here is a mystery behind who the Lord calls for specific roles. Sometimes I think, 鈥榃ow, Lord, you called me to be one of the co-founders and executive director of now what is the largest parish-based Catholic, young adult ministry in New England鈥︹ It鈥檚 humbling. But I think the saying, 鈥楾he Lord doesn鈥檛 call the equipped, he equips the called鈥 is spot on.鈥 Alex went on to say, 鈥淐alling myself, calling Travis, calling over 100 servant leaders, at this point, over the past 10 years to step up and be a part of this revival in the state of Connecticut. That鈥檚 been a great honor and blessing.鈥
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