Father Adam Park has served in many different capacities during his time as a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington, working as a priest secretary for Cardinal Donald Wuerl, a chaplain for the Newman Center at George Washington University, and as pastor for two parishes. But no matter which group of people he is serving, Father Park said his biggest joy is seeing people grow in their faith.

“A priest can easily tell when faith is becoming real in a person’s life,” said Father Park. “You start seeing the changes in their lifestyle, the joy that they exude with just wanting to pray or coming to church.”

But with the joys of seeing people excited by their faith also comes the challenge of seeing people who just go through the motions, said Father Park, who noted how he can often see people during Mass “sitting in a pew just miserable.”

“While that’s a challenge and it can be frustrating for any priest to see that, it is an insight into what Jesus must have felt,” said Father Park, who added that this experience reminds him of the Gospel passage where Jesus stands, looking at Jerusalem, and weeps for their lost opportunity to welcome Him.

“Jesus didn’t force it, I can’t force it,” Father Park said. “All I can do is offer what I’m called to do and pray that they will allow that grace to enter into them.”

Since his September installation as pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Washington, Father Park has enjoyed seeing the rich cultural heritage of the church blend with the new young adult population that is moving into the neighborhood. The parish, which has been around since 1864, has served as a community center for the traditionally African American neighborhood for more than 150 years, and was a haven during the race riots that surrounded the church in the 1960s.

“There is definitely a lot of pride, especially with the older generation, of what this parish stands for, especially in this neighborhood,” Father Park said.

Today, Father Park is encouraging the young adults who are “moving into this neighborhood in droves” to make Immaculate Conception their home, right alongside the older generation. The two groups are harmonizing well, said Father Park, since the older generation is happy to see a younger generation coming through to carry on the parish, and the young adults appreciate the parish’s heritage.

Father Park is happy to have this opportunity to engage young adults in their faith, as it provides a good opportunity for him to carry over the work that he does serving college students as chaplain at George Washington University. While it can be easy for both college students and young adults to compartmentalize their faith as they focus on being successful in school or their new careers, Father Park hopes to “open their hearts to allowing Christ to come into all areas of their life.”

“It is inspiring to see these young men and women excited about their faith and authentically, sincerely desiring to be faithful to Jesus Christ,” he said.