YOUNG ADULTS DESCRIBE PERSONAL
Maria Hardgrove with her husband and daughter
FAITH JOURNEYS continued
He continues, “Finding other Catholic young adults through the Charis retreat and other smallgroup offerings has been crucial to not feeling alone as a young adult in the aging demographics of the Catholic Church. SNDs always have events going on. It is so reassuring that they continue to provide opportunities, letting young adults know about them, and consistently checking in with the young adult community to learn how to better serve one another.” Jake believes learning different forms of prayer, Ignatian spirituality, and many other topics within the Catholic faith strengthened his mind and heart with a fervor for his faith. “Just knowing that I am in the sisters’ prayers is such a weight/burden lifted off my shoulders,” he admits. “Their presence and prayerfulness help me feel I am not in this alone. Every SND Young Adult offering has been tremendously uplifting.” Jake applies the discernment steps he has learned through the SND Young Adult offerings to many aspects of his life. “I followed the steps of discernment in preparing to propose to my fiancé,” he shares. The sisters’ focus is on helping young adults discern their own paths through life, no matter where their paths may lead. Jake encourages other young adults: “Pray. Be still. Pray. Follow joy. Pray.” Unlike the other three young adults above, Maria Hardgrove, 26, has been acquainted with the Sisters of Notre Dame from birth. “My great-aunt became a sister when she was 18 years old in 1964. Another aunt joined the Sisters of Notre Dame in 2007 when I was about 12 years old. Both modeled grace and love for the Lord that I am so thankful to have had while growing up and currently,” Maria describes. “My great-aunt taught school, and I recall visiting her classroom as a young girl, meeting many other sisters who were all so kind. Through my aunts, I have met so many
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wonderful women of faith in the SND community. I don’t think I fully understood, when I was younger, what a powerful and strength-based organization the SNDs are until I became involved in a SND Young Adult virtual event in 2020.” “My faith is very important to me. I grew up attending Catholic school from kindergarten through high school,” Maria says. She attended many retreats and regularly attended Mass during this time. “One of my favorite in-person events was the TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) retreat during my junior year in high school,” she reflects. “This was a tear- and joy-filled weekend that really solidified my foundation in the Lord. I have frequently reflected on the miracles that have occurred at the retreat’s site in Carey, Ohio. Following my college graduation, I entered the workforce and made many wonderful friends, one of whom I ended up marrying.” She continues, “I have been married to a wonderful man for three years, and we have a six-month-old daughter. She has been the biggest blessing we could ever imagine.” A social worker, Maria also works at a practice counseling individuals with mental health disorders.
