UTCATS

Friday, May. 08, 2015

One of my favorite parts of my ministry is being able to spend time with my peers at the young adult gatherings throughout the diocese. I love this part of my ministry because they inspire me with their open hearts, solid faith, and joy in being together as a Catholic community.

However, I often hear that there are no young adults who are active in the parishes. The questions I usually get are “Where are all of the young adults? Why don’t any of them come to Mass?”

While it is true that there are fewer young adults, it is not true that we do not exist in the Church. Young adults are attending daily Mass. Young adults are leading prayer groups and Bible studies. Young adults are dedicating their time as RCIA sponsors and teaching religious education classes. Young adults are members of parish councils and serving as lectors at Mass. There are young adults who know what their vocation in life is and there are young adults who are still discerning what God is calling for them to do. There are young adults who are evangelizing their friends and family by their actions and service to others. We are here! And we are hungry for more! 

We want to be smiled at and welcomed when we come to Mass. We want to continue to grow in our knowledge and practice of our faith. We want to feel safe when we have questions. We want to be connected to and serve the local and universal Church.

I believe that a better understanding of our generation will benefit parish leaders and improve the ways parishes connect with young adults. So, in an attempt to paint a picture of the Millennial generation of Catholics, my next few articles will answer these questions:  Who are Catholic young adults? What do they value? How do they engage in the Church? What causes them to leave? How can we reach out to them?

I look forward to sharing this information with you and hope that it sparks dialogue in your parish. As we begin this learning adventure, let us begin with a prayer for all of the young adults in our Diocese (adapted from the Papal Homily for World Youth Day 1995, Manila):