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Ministry with Young Adults
[
Programs and Services ] [
Resources and Organizations ] [
Young Adult Groups ] [
Books and Webpages ]
 The Archdiocesan
office promotes the on-going Christian formation of Catholic young
adults in their late teens, twenties and thirties, both single and
married, by providing resources, training and support for those
responsible for this ministry in parishes and in college/university
campus ministry centers. Guided by
Sons and Daughters of the Light: A Pastoral Plan for Ministry with Young
Adults, we seek to promote a young adult perspective within the
archdiocese, and to facilitate communication and collaboration between
and among the archdiocese and regional and parish young adult groups. We have a vision of
the church as a place where young adults are at home; where their gifts
are acknowledged and their lives are supported and nourished; where
young adults exercise servant leadership in worship, catechesis, social
ministry and evangelization.
Who Are "Young Adults"?
When we speak of young adults we mean adults
between the ages of 18 and 35. Most of today's young adults are members
of two groups termed "Generation X" (born between1964-1979) and the
Millennials (born after 1980). The young adult population of our diocese
is characterized by greater diversity than older age brackets, with a
preponderance of Hispanics, as shown in this graph from the Houston
Chronicle, 29 March 2001 (used with permission):
In
1996, the U.S. Catholic bishops gave us a plan for young adult ministry,
Sons and Daughters of
the Light. They
begin their introductory
letter with a confession:
We acknowledge the pain many of you speak of
feeling unwelcome and alone--strangers in the house of God. For any
failure to extend hospitality we apologize and promise anew greater
efforts to welcome you into church life.
They invite young adults to give the Church
another chance:
We know that your talents, and those of other
young adults, can enrich the Church and be a sign of God's presence in
society. We invite you to share them with us and become part of a
welcoming community for other young adults as well. Not too long ago our
Holy Father spoke of your importance to the life of the Church. "The
Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your ideals, in order to
make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming
people's hearts and the structures of society in order to create a
civilization of true justice and love."
Their plan for young adult ministry includes
four goals, addressed to a generation that so often feels disconnected
from the Church and from society. We are to connect young adults
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- with Jesus Christ
- with the Church
- with the mission of the Church in
the world
- with a peer community.
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Programs and Services of the
Office
Pastoral de Conjunto
Hispanic young adult ministry is
coordinated by a team of volunteers, led by Mirna Ochoa and
advised by Joe Castro and Fr. Rafael Davila, M.M.
Retreats
Catechesis
Resources
and Organizations
Young
Adult Groups in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
This list is offered as a service to young
adults of the Archdiocese. If your group has a webpage which you would
like listed, please
let us know.
More Info about
Young Adults
Books
Webpages
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