I frequently hear parents and grandparents lament that their young-adult daughters or sons no longer practice the Catholic faith. Their concern often is followed with the words, “We sent them to Catholic schools (or to religious education), but they have opted out of the Church.”

When I hear those concerns, I ask, “What are we as parents, parish and diocesan leaders doing to engage young adults in the life of the Church?” Are young adults even on our radar screen in the faith community? Have we made the Church a place of warmth and welcome for 18- to 35-year-olds? Following the Diocesan Pastoral Council process, diocesan leadership is taking on a new and exciting initiative to engage, in the life of the Church, this highly diverse group of young adults.

Our capital campaign has made it possible to expand our outreach to this wonderful, energetic and spiritually hungry group of Catholics.

Mr. Dan Bartleson, the regional director for Reach Youth Ministry, has accepted an invitation to collaborate with the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Helena. This collaboration will serve as a catalyst for young-adult ministry and as a resource for parish leadership to find new and innovative ways to open the doors of the Church to this generation of believers.

How will we proceed? Where do we begin in this exciting but massive undertaking?

As in the past, our process begins with active listening, prayerful discernment and meaningful engagement with those who will be the beneficiaries of this important ministry.

Young-adult ministry eschews the notion that “one size fits all.” Adults of the ages 21 to 35 are in very different developmental places. Each group has a particular set of needs.

Research published in a study titled “Connecting Young Adults to Catholic Parishes” indicates that 21- to 25-year-olds often are just getting settled in their first full-time jobs and are “least likely to be present in parish life.”

People in the second group, mid to late 20s, often still are single, still discerning a career or a vocation and frequently “boomeranging” between the parental home and independent living. They are actively seeking their place in life.

People in the third group, late 20s to mid 30s, frequently are starting families, establishing vocational roots and looking for ways to not only deepen their own faith, but also to hand it on to their children.

Church leadership must be aware of the differences within the young-adult community, but also understand what this wide array of young adults holds in common.

As Dan Bartleson and his prospective team of volunteers begin to examine ways to minister in and among the young-adult communities, I anticipate they will hear a number of common themes:

• Each group will desire deeper communion with Jesus Christ, especially through the celebration of Word and sacrament. Each will express a need for greater understanding of their Catholic faith and tradition, an endeavor of both head and heart.
  
  
• They will ask for greater opportunities for peer support in the practice of their faith. They will seek new opportunities to socialize with other believing Catholics. They will ask to explore service opportunities, especially among the poor, and will express a desire to give testimony about their faith to younger generations.
  
  
• They will ask for theological formation in Catholic social and moral teaching, as they attempt to navigate the rough waters involved with faithful living.
  
  
• They will desire retreat, pilgrimage and prayer opportunities, and they will desire to share their faith journey with other Catholics.
  
  
• They will ask for dialogue with priests and Church leaders on the hot-button topics of the day.
  
  
• They will undoubtedly seek opportunities to serve the wider faith community as future lay ecclesial ministers.
  
  
  

The Diocese of Helena is ready to take on this new and exciting adventure.

The August edition of The Montana Catholic will have a feature article on the collaboration, by the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Reach Youth Ministry, to provide particular ministry for our young adults.

Parents and grandparents, lift up your hearts! Catholicism stays in the blood and your young adults, even those away from the Church, are likely longing for deep spiritual meaning in their lives. In the months ahead, we will once more open our doors to welcome this blessed group of seekers, and invite them to come with us on a pilgrimage of faith.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 7, July 16, 2010.