Andrew Ivankovits, Parishioner of Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown
By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer
Biographical background
Andrew Ivankovits, 26, parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. Graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing from DeSales University, Center Valley. Works as a clinical analyst at St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem.
How were you raised in the faith?
My family is Catholic, and the faith is important to them, so my parents sacrificed to send me to Catholic grade school and high school. I am blessed to have the family that I have.
As I grew up I slowly realized that many people my age didn’t have the same experience that I did: two parents at home, parents who made priorities of a home-cooked meal and coming together around the dinner table at the end of the day, parents who fostered my faith formation.
My mom always came with us to church even though she wasn’t Catholic. I’m the oldest of two, and when I was born, she agreed to raise us Catholic and held to that.
Why did you accept the opportunity to serve on the commission?
I am honored to be a part of the commission. I think it is wonderful that Bishop Schlert wants to hear what we have to say. I accepted the invitation to be a part of the commission because he has made it clear that young adults are on his priority list.
Since the abuse scandal broke I, like all practicing Catholics, had to ask myself some hard questions about what I believe. I think for a lot of people the Grand Jury report was a make-or-break moment; are you going to stay, or go?
I was in shock at first, but as I took that anger and hurt and sorrow that I felt to prayer, and talked to other Catholics, family, and friends, and read articles about the scandal, it was clear to me that there was no way I was going anywhere. If I don't have my faith, I don't have anything.
I came back to that line from Scripture “Lord, you have the words of everlasting life, to whom shall we go?” I decided I was either going to go and leave it all, or I was going to stay and triple down on my faith.
So when the opportunity to serve the commission came up, I jumped at the chance because if I’m going to remain Catholic, then I want to be a part of the solution to the mess that we've found ourselves in as a church and not just a passive spectator.
What are some of the issues you would like to see addressed and why?
I would love to see more confession times offered on days other than Saturday. I think there are a lot of people (not just young adults) who struggle to make it to confession on a Saturday.
I would also love to see more opportunities for adoration. I live in Allentown, so I am blessed to have St. Francis (of Assisi, Allentown) and St. Joseph the Worker (Orefield) close by, but not everyone is so fortunate.
I would love to see more devotional practices as well. I think more events like the Vespers that Bishop Schlert organized would be a great way to tap into the richness of the faith.
The Church is a deep well; there's so much to draw from. We can spend a lifetime unpacking all of the deposit of faith that the Church offers.
Why are young adults so important to the future of the Church?
I don't want to sound cliché, but young adults are important to the Church because we’re the future of the Church, and even though millennials get a bad rap, the other young adults that I know are cognizant of this fact.
We are aware that one day we will be at the helm and will need to pass the faith on to our children. And whether it is young adults’ slow realization of responsibility that sets in as we get jobs and try to make our way in the world, or if young adults have a deep desire for authenticity in a loud, confusing and often contradictory world, we desire to hear the truth proclaimed from the pulpit.
We don’t want to be coddled – we don’t want a Gospel that’s watered down, sugar coated or spoon fed – we want the truth, and the Catholic Church holds the truth. I think what we bring is a genuine desire to hear the Gospel, even when it’s hard to hear; hopefully that inspires those generations older than us to crave the truth of the Gospel in the way that we do.
What do you believe has caused some young adults to drift from the Church and how can the Church reach out to them?
I think there are a lot of little reasons for why someone who grows up with the faith leaves the Church when they turn 18, when they go to college or after they leave college. I don’t think it’s just one thing that pushes someone away from the faith, but I do think people feel pushed away from it.
I forget where I read it, but someone who was commenting on why they left the Church after the Grand Jury report was released said something like “I didn't leave the Church, the Church left me.”
As someone with faith, that statement doesn’t make sense to me because I know that if I stopped practicing the faith, that is my decision and a reflection on me. But, for those who stopped practicing the faith I get the sense that they feel abandoned.
I don’t know why an individual person leaves the faith, but I do know that our culture has convinced people that sin doesn’t exist, and that hell isn’t real. I think that modern notions like “your truth” and “your own value system” sound pretty attractive to someone in their 20s and 30s who is trying to figure out how to navigate life.
I think that reaching out to them will be a particular challenge because those who were raised in the faith and still left seem to have bought into the notion that relativism is the “truth,” and have bought into this idea that you just have to be a “good person” and that heaven is guaranteed and hell doesn’t exist.
In their mind they don’t need the Church because they can do it on their own. The scandal for them is just another reason in a long list of reasons to not go back to church.
I think that regardless of how happy these people may look, they are secretly miserable, and they deny the truth and rationalize their lifestyles. They don’t have anything in life to anchor them down, and they float from one thing to the next based on how they feel that day.
I think that if the Church preaches the hard truth of the Gospel, returns to devotional practices, and is clear on the questions surrounding topics like contraception, homosexuality, and fornication, it would give young adults who lack so much structure and direction in their lives a reason to consider Catholicism again. When we water down the faith, we just sound like every other “inspirational” voice out there.
In light of the clergy abuse crisis, how and why did you remain steadfast in the faith?
While my family laid the foundation for my faith when I was young, I think the group of friends that I was blessed enough to encounter after college is a big part of the reason I wasn’t just lukewarm about practicing my faith after graduation. Meeting peers who knew so much more than I did about the faith and the saints and the rich history of the Church pushed me to take my faith more seriously.
As a result, when the Grand Jury report was released I was already well rooted in my faith. The scandal definitely blindsided me.
Knowing so many other young adult Catholics and faithful family members was such a blessing because I had a whole network of people who helped me process the shock that came with the scandal. A lot of the conversations I had with family and other young adult Catholics helped me work through the anger and hurt I was feeling.
As a result, the whole experience left me wanting to dive deeper into my faith instead of wanting to withdraw from the Church, so I thank God for the family and friends who helped me come to terms with the realities that we face in the Church. Iron sharpens iron, as Scripture says.
Meredith Corrales, Parishioner of St. Joseph, Frackville
Biographical background
Meredith Corrales, 31, parishioner of St. Joseph, Frackville. Graduate of the former Cardinal Brennan High School, Ashland and bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, Irving, Texas. Stay-at-home mom of Noel, age 2.
How were you raised in the faith?
I was raised in a very devout Catholic family. We went to Mass every Sunday together. I have gone to Catholic school all my life from grade school through college.
Why did you accept the opportunity to serve on the commission?
I accepted the opportunity to serve on the commission because I feel that the recruitment of young people is one of the greatest challenges the Church faces today. I also feel that everyone yearns to know and love God. Many problems in our culture today would be resolved if more people were open to accepting his love.
What are some of the issues you would like to see addressed and why?
I would like to see the Church address the issues of mental health in young adults, specifically depression and anxiety.
These conditions are rampant in our society, even though we lead lives of apparent luxury when compared with the rest of the world.
I believe the Catholic Church, with the help of trained professionals, has the unique opportunity to offer solace and solutions for many of these problems.
Why are young adults so important to the future of the Church?
Young adults are the future of the Church. Future generations are poised to recognize the false promises of the sexual revolution and the lies of individualism in an age of social media.
Young adults have watched several major institutions reveal their scandalous secrets, whether it be Hollywood, political parties or the Church, and seeing these scandals has increased our yearning for transparency and truth.
What do you believe has caused some young adults to drift from the Church and how can the Church reach out to them?
Young adults have drifted from the Church for a variety of reasons. I think a big reason is that our culture celebrates instant gratification and an extreme version of individual “freedom” where we should do whatever we want, whenever we want.
The Catholic Church teaches the very opposite of these things – emphasizing self-sacrifice, responsibility and unity through the Body of Christ – which are rarely fun or popular stances.
The Church can reach out to young adults when the sheen of popular culture wears off, leaving only emptiness. The Church can foster a strong community among young adults built on values that bring true joy and peace.
In light of the clergy abuse crisis, how and why did you remain steadfast in the faith?
I believe that the Holy Spirit guides the Church, and that human error and evil have always affected members of the Church since its beginning. I still have complete faith that the doctrines of the Church are true and will bring me to a closer relationship with God, despite the failings of a few of our Church leaders.
