by Shelby Gambino
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Dec. 9, young adults dressed to the nines and bundled up against the cold made their way to Redemptorist Church here, ready for an evening of celebration beginning with — Mass? Not all galas include Mass, of course. But City Lights, a night celebrating the Catholic young adult community of City on a Hill, is no ordinary gala.
“City Lights,” explains operations manager Taylor Furrer of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, “is meant to be a banquet feast, in the image of the celebration in heaven we hear about in sacred Scripture. This celebration gathers the City on a Hill community, young adults and supporters, and clergy and staff to be a moment of inspiration: to inspire us to long for heaven and to encourage us to run toward sainthood together as a community.”
Bishop James V. Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph celebrated Mass. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and City on a Hill chaplains Fathers Andrew Mattingly and Dan Morris as well as Redemptorist pastor Father Don Willard concelebrated. At the conclusion of Mass, and led by Bishop Johnston and Archbishop Naumann, the City on a Hill community renewed their consecration of the community to Jesus through Mary, a highlight of the night each year.
Attendees then made their way to The Abbott, a trendy venue in Kansas City’s Crossroads District, to continue the festivities. City on a Hill may be best-known for these large-scale gatherings of young adults (individuals in their 20s and 30s). The signature events of the organization held throughout the year include Tuesdays at the Boulevard, an evening of Mass and fellowship at Boulevard Brewery, and KC Underground, a night of eucharistic adoration and live music.
The City Lights Gala allows the community to come together and celebrate the Lord’s generosity throughout the year. This year, City on a Hill has much to be grateful for. Coming a long way from its humble beginnings over 17 years ago as the young adult ministry of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, City on a Hill today serves over 2,000 young adults throughout the Kansas City metro — both in Missouri and Kansas — as an independent nonprofit focused on inspiring the young adult generation to be saints.
Through its signature events, men’s and women’s small groups, Catholic Challenge Sports (the second largest intramural sports league in Kansas City), retreats, trips, formation opportunities, small group socials and more, City on a Hill seeks to give young adults both the tools and community needed to seek sanctity in their day-to-day lives.
Archbishop Naumann blessed the meal and then shared his gratitude for City on a Hill’s work before the conversation moved on to the unveiling of this year’s award winners.
Each year, the City Lights Awards seek to recognize community members for their holiness and how they reflect City on a Hill’s mission — with awards honoring a dedication to service, evangelization and building a domestic church, respectively. Sarah Le, Zach Favorite, Kevin White, Kelsey Porter, and Joseph and Chloe Langr were recognized, their individual stories inspiring all in attendance.
City Lights also serves as an opportunity to unite the community, share updates and provide support for the organization’s work. As a 501(c)(3), City on a Hill is dependent on the generosity of a robust donor community. This supporter community came together to shine in full force that night, raising over $75,000 to fund the mission of City on a Hill in the year ahead.
The evening concluded with music, merriment and dancing, as attendees hit the dance floor for a joyous end to a celebratory evening. The pinnacle of the evening was clear to board member Michele Kueny of Our Lady of Good Counsel who noted, “There is nothing quite like seeing an event space at capacity with young adults who truly love the Lord.
“For people in my generation, it gives us hope for the future of the Catholic Church.”
To learn more about City on a Hill, please visit: kansascityonahill.org.
