Theology on Tap West packed the house on March 21 to hear Bishop Nelson Perez speak on ?The Indispensable Role of Young Adults in the Catholic Church.?
Father Tim Roth, parochial vicar at St. Angela Merici Parish in Fairview Park and a coordinator of the group, aimed at younger adults in their 20s and 30s, said the event sold out weeks earlier with 200 reservations, the maximum capacity for the banquet room at Beachcliff Tavern in Rocky River, where the group meets monthly. Because of the demand for the program, Theology on Tap West streamed the event live on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKUnMo4blY
The bishop arrived early and mingled with the crowd during happy hour, chatting and posing for photos before the group moved into the banquet room for the program.
?I?m here to talk with you and to hear from you and answer some questions,? the bishop said. ?As I said at my installation, young people have a special place in my heart.?
His program was filled with stories, bits of history and wisdom and plenty of laughter.
He provided some background, telling the crowd he ?was born in Florida, in Miami, in 1985,? drawing a laugh from the group. He also shared a story of encountering Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican about a year and a half ago when he was staying at the pope?s residence. Bishop Perez said he had seen the Holy Father from afar and on television, but after finding himself there with the pope, he could see him as a human.
The bishop told another humorous story about how the pope overheard him speaking Spanish and asked about his background, so he explained
