It was the papacy of one named Leo — Leo IX, to be exact — which saw the Great Schism of 1054; the first major rending-asunder of Christian unity, dividing the world of believers into Roman (Latin) Catholics in the West, and the Orthodox in the East. It is rather serendipitous, then, that it is under the current pope — also named Leo – that renewed efforts to repair the Great Schism have gained momentum. Once a far-flung fantasy, holy unia seems as tantalizingly close as it has been in centuries. This is true ecumenism, as we are not used to seeing in our time — reaching out not simply to recognize others, but to bring them into union with the faith. At the core of this development is a simple reality: there is more room, and indeed more opportunity, for dialogue.

In this same spirit of dialogue, one Damian Costello, a parishioner of St. Augustine Parish in Montpelier, has formed an interdenominational men’s group, fostering fellowship in a society which is increasingly alienated. “There are very few options for men to come together and form meaningful communities” Costello said; “and even among the options they do have, not all of them are particularly healthy or productive.” Started in 2024, the group was initially intended to be a simple discussion group for men, but it quickly evolved into something more. “A majority of the men who attend are Catholic” Costello explained; “but we also have several Orthodox and one or two Reformed (Protestant) attending. There’s no argument, there’s no trying to pull each other across the aisle, when we meet, our conversations often reveal we have far more in common than not.”

Costello wants the group to serve as a model for men looking to rediscover and reconnect with their faith. The success of the group reflects a generational shift in priorities; “I think a lot of people in my generation grew up in a sort of ‘culturally Christian’ environment” Costello said. “The deeper meaning was forgotten but the surface-level traditions persisted. And as beautiful as many of those traditions are, without any real substance behind them they don’t mean much, and within a generation or two they’re discarded.” Now, younger men are hungry for spiritual life — not just for the aesthetics, the routine, or the after-Mass coffee, but for genuine meaning and purpose. “Our society, in the West, does not provide men with many opportunities to find genuine meaning for their lives; that ‘cultural Christianity’ of the boomer and Gen X generation simply doesn’t cut it for these guys. They need something older, deeper.”

Costello’s observations are not without merit; beginning in the early 1970s, the Catholic population in many parts of America peaked and began to decline. Fewer than half of all millennials — those born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s — practice an organized religion of any kind. By comparison, 68% Gen Z — those born between the late ‘90s and approximately 2010 — profess religious belief. Christianity, on the decline for years, has demographically plateaued; in 2025, over 160,000 adults converted to Catholicism in the United States. For the first time in almost 30 years, more people are joining the Church than leaving it. For the first time in decades, more men than women are attending Church — Gen Z men are about 10% more likely to attend, versus women of the same generation. “With this renewal of fraternity, renewed growth, comes some serious questions” Costello said. “Are we going to fall back into the old divisions and enmities, or can we work together towards something better?”

Costello stresses that the primary goal of the group is not to proselytize, convert, or compromise, but rather dialogue; “This is a place where men can study, explore, deepen, and celebrate their faith, regardless of their particular tradition.” Whether it’s a Catholic Mass or an Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the men of Costello’s group are invited to encounter their faith in its perennial beauty. “The Eastern and Western churches were, for the first thousand years or so, called the ‘two lungs’ of Christendom” Costello explained. “In the Western, Latin Church, we have a very scholastic and academic approach to the faith, informed by men like Aquinas … in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the approach is more mystical, reminiscent of the Desert Fathers. Each complements the other, in their own way.”

While Christian unity seems, to many, like an idealistic fantasy, interdenominational dialogue has advanced these conversations in recent years, beginning to heal centuries of division. “The first step towards genuinely loving someone is being willing to listen and understand, without judgment” Costello said. “These men are all on different points on their journey, but we are all ultimately trying to walk on the same path, towards the same destination.”

From Rome itself to Vermont, the invitation to this path is being increasingly answered — and in the process, the Christian community as a whole is addressing and healing old wounds.

Costello’s group meets regularly at a variety of locations across central Vermont. Those interested in receiving more information, getting on the group’s mailing list, or attending an event are encouraged to reach out at [email protected].

VTC • Evan Wing