From what I've gathered, the Langrells met these friars, along with many of the other religious they know well, when they came out to Sydney for World Youth Day in 2008 and have stayed in contact. In addition, Jessica and Lauren's brother Patrick, who is the coordinator of Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of New York, does a lot of work with them back in the US. Apparently, the friars also work closely with the Sisters of Life, Patrick's supervisors in NY and more good friends of the Langrells.
As a side note on the Catholic scene (no caps) around here, I have to say that there is a lot for young adults to do. I was talking to Tom (Jessica's younger brother - 16) about this earlier in the week, and he was telling me that there have been a huge number of new initiatives in Sydney since WYD in order to reinvigorate the Church here and the great thing is that basically all of them have been wildly successful. Although there might not be something to do every single week, it seems that a young Catholic in Sydney can easily find some activity to do centered around his or her faith at least once a month. If he/she is a university student, there is even more available. The great thing is that these events don't just draw 50 or 60 people - they draw hundreds.
Of course, this is not to say that events do not have their struggles. Apparently SCENE had a bit of trouble attracting paid registrants - Jessica and her friends mentioned that their was a lack of direction in the way it was advertised. It was not targeted at a specific age group and advertised at major Catholic events, rather than at parishes.
Anyway, to the evening. I got to meet a lot of Jessica and Lauren's friends, who are quite lovely. I heard their takes on issues in the local and universal churches and life in general; it was interesting to hear people here are talking about many of the same issues that I've discussed with my own friends back home.
The friars were also great. In addition to their work to serve the poor of the Bronx, they also have what I hear is a great band. They'll be performing at a special extra July Theology on Tap this coming Monday and at an event called Catholic Underground on Saturday (I'll tell you about that once I find out exactly what it is). My favorite was Fr. Gabriel, who is from Florida originally. Our first conversation went like this:
Fr. Gabriel: Hi, I don't think I've met you before.
Lia: Hi, I'm Lia. It's nice to meet you, Father.
Fr. Gabriel: (processes my accent and sees the sweatshirt I'm wearing, which says Friars): Oh, you go to Providence College!
I was so dumbfounded by his quick deduction that I didn't even know what to say! The next few sentences of our conversation were even more surprising, and confirmation that the world is indeed, a very small place. It turns out that he recently went on a pilgrimage in Italy with Elizabeth Weber and her sister, knew of their Providence connection, and wanted to know if I knew them, too! What are the chances that Fr. Gabriel and I, both so far away from home, would find each other and discover that we have a mutual friend? At first, I was thinking the answer was "probably about as low as possible" but further reflection led me to remember what a source of familiarity the Catholic Church has been for me while I am here. The culture here is not that different from America, but it is different, but in spending my first week doing things that have been very Church-y, I've found that I've basically been on even footing with my new acquaintances because of the faith we share.
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