Planting seeds in Charlotte: Fr. Tito Serrano, OFM, Fr. Casey Cole, OFM, and Fr. Jason Damon, OFM.
Three Franciscans walk into a bar.
Sounds like there’s a punchline lurking here, but it’s an apt description of the ministry of young friars in Charlotte, North Carolina, who minister in the bustling city’s cultural and recreational center to spread the Gospel in places where formal Church representatives rarely go. They are bringing Francis to the marketplace.
Fathers Casey Cole, OFM; Jason Damon, OFM; and Tito Serrano, OFM, have lived in community since last summer, praying together, feeding the hungry, consoling the troubled, and evangelizing wherever people go, including Catholics, non-Catholics, and the agnostic.
That includes the city’s vibrant nightlife. Fr. Casey noted that the trio has found taverns, particularly those with arcade games like Pins Mechanical, to be fruitful places for evangelization. They come in with their brown robes. They are a rare sight in a region which, until recently, had a tiny Catholic population and no formal Franciscan presence. Sometimes they are mistaken for Jedi.
Fr. Casey Cole, OFM
“There’s never a night we go out where we don’t engage with someone,” said Fr. Casey. Conversions are rare. But the impact is there nonetheless through a mission dubbed SEARCH, which stands for Seek, Encounter, Accompany, Renew, Convert, and Heal.
“I see us planting seeds. We know that people are noticing us,” he said, aware that the friars offer a rare sight. Besides the taverns, the friars are a fixture in downtown work areas, in a city that has become a beacon for young adults who work in Charlotte’s banking and other industries. They will often be around the downtown St. Peter’s Church, which provides a backdrop for their mission. They are a presence on the city’s light rail.
The goal is to connect a generation that has largely embraced “none” designations – meaning that they have no religious affiliation – with faith. The idea is that they need to be reached where young adults, in particular, congregate. In Charlotte, that means being near where young adults work and where they unwind.
Sometimes the impact is more than cursory.
Fr. Jason, Fr. Tito, and Fr. Casey stepping outside the Church to SEARCH: Seek, Encounter, Accompany, Renew, Convert, and Heal.
A young adult office worker encountered the friars a few months ago. He needed a break from work, as he was coping with the death of his best friend. His friend was a Catholic, but he is not.
“Was he saved? Is he happy? What happens after death?” he asked the friars. Months later, he ran across the friars and expressed thankfulness over their counsel at a difficult time. He regularly reflects on what they talked about.
The idea for the SEARCH ministry grew as the OFM Franciscans—newly pulled together into the national Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe—were challenged by Church and Franciscan documents to promote evangelization. Much work is done in places where those who long for community and prayer gather. But little outreach was being done outside formal Church spaces.
Fr. Jason Damon, OFM
Charlotte was chosen as a place because it is a thriving city that has attracted newcomers to a region once largely bereft of Catholics. The three friars came equipped with experience in evangelization ministry. Fr. Casey had built a substantial social media presence. Fr. Tito had joined him in an evangelization mission which included visits to all MLB ballparks. Fr. Jason served as a campus minister. The three friars are all in their early 30s and are familiar with the struggles of their generation.
The friars decided to leap into a new kind of ministry. Yet Fr. Casey points out that its roots go back to the earliest Franciscan days, when Francis of Assisi himself, with his followers, became a presence in the marketplaces of medieval Italy and beyond.
Their days begin with community prayer. That is followed by distributing coffee and sandwiches to the city’s down-and-out, a practice which has given the friars visibility and a reputation for serving the poor in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi. Towards the end of the day, they celebrate Mass.
Fr. Tito Serrano, OFM
They serve as chaplains to a young Catholics’ professional group and lead holy hours in downtown parishes. On weekends, they will offer Mass and hear confessions at area parishes. Sometimes they sit at a downtown table with a sign that reads “Ask Us Anything.” Wherever they go, in their brown robes, they attract attention.
They have organized Brews and Good News meetings, where Scripture is discussed over refreshments. They are careful to keep themselves spiritually nourished.
“Our prayer life is rigorous,” said Fr. Casey, noting that providing a spiritual structure is essential while implementing a ministry that relies on improvisation. At night, the trio can be found around town at concerts and ballgames, wherever people gather.
They often reflect on Luke 15, in which Jesus speaks of the lost sheep. Fr. Casey believes the Church cannot just wait for those who are lost to wander into Mass. That rarely happens. The Scriptures and the call of Pope Francis and Pope Leo say more is needed.
“There is a sense of urgency,” said Fr. Casey about the SEARCH Mission in Charlotte. “Our goal is to work outside the Church to bring people in.”