Community and Faith

Since Northern Virginia is a transient area with many young adults moving to the area in pursuit of career opportunities, we asked some of them to talk about the importance of community. Below is one reflection we received:

By: Daniela Zurita

About two years ago, I came back to the Faith after eight years, or perhaps even more. One of the first things my spiritual director suggested I do was to contact the Young Adult Ministry office. And I did. At first, it was strange because I am not that social. I thought that it might not help me at all.

A recent session of Theology on Tap (photo credit: Bryan McKinney)

The first young adult event I attended was Theology on Tap. That day, there was a talk about forgiveness by Father Dan Leary (listen to his talk here). It was just what I needed to hear at that moment. It was a great talk and I felt that he was speaking directly to me. I was looking for forgiveness and I understood that I had to forgive to move forward with my life. It was one of the days I will never forget because it’s when I stepped out of fear and followed Christ.

Then I attended two different events for young adults at different parishes. I found many good friends who share the Faith and who were there to support me in my struggles. It wasn’t easy at first, but everyone at each event I attended was really friendly and had an interest in knowing me as a person. I made great friendships at different young adult events.

One of the things that struck me was that I could see – in many young adults – love for our Faith and, most importantly, love for God. They are great examples of love, which was something I didn’t think existed. I have to thank the Young Adult Ministry because today I am in love with God and with our Catholic Faith. It truly changed my life. Not only did I learn about my Faith, but I also learned what true love was and what a true friendship was. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be part of the young adults in the Diocese of Arlington. Some of the greatest people I know are part of this diocese.

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Are There Catholics Among the Millennial Generation?

By: Therese Bermpohl 

Do young adults really run from organized religion? One might think so if they’ve read the most recent report put out by the Pew Research Center asserting that the majority of young adults born after 1980 are far more liberal when it comes to religion than older Americans. It found that the so-called “Millennial Generation” is “the least overtly religious American generation in modern times. One-in-four are unaffiliated with any religion, far more than the share of older adults when they were ages 18 to 29.”   

But as many move further away from their Christian roots, there is a counter- movement of young adults within the Catholic Church that one might argue resembles more their grandparent’s generation in values and ideals than their secular counterparts. You can find a sampling of this movement right here in the Diocese of Arlington.    

This Pub is always full during Theology on Tap

 

Walking into Pat Troy’s Irish Pub on a Monday night, it would not be unusual to see a number of young adults enjoying drinks and company. However, what might give you pause is that all of these “twenty- to thirty- somethings” are not only there to socialize, but also to listen to Fr. Paul Scalia, a dynamic priest, talking about the Catholic Church and homosexuality (listen to that talk and others here). What is even more striking is that the majority of them are there because they support the beauty of the Church’s teachings and they’ve come to learn how to explain and defend their faith to family, friends and co-workers who might not understand these issues.    

Another event drawing in crowds of young people committed to their Catholic faith is the quarterly event known as Catholic Underground held at St. Charles Borromeo, where you can find hundreds of adults in their twenties and thirties kneeling in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament or waiting in line, sometimes 100 people deep, to avail themselves of the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation.  

It seems evident that there is much work to be done in convincing young people (and old people alike) that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, but, at least in Arlington, there is a glimmer of hope that some are committed Catholics who love the Lord and the Church He founded and are ready to evangelize in word and deed. 

Live music at Catholic Underground

 

The next Theology on Tap “six-pack” begins on July 12 at Pat Troy’s in Old Town Alexandria. Catholic Underground will be held on July 24 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in the city of Arlington.  For more info, contact Kateri Schmidt, Young Adult Coordinator, at yam@arlingtondiocese.org.

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