Young adults gather in Sioux City to exchange ideas
Plan for future young adult activities

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
March 30, 2006

Young adults from the parishes in Sioux City gathered in the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center in Sioux City on March 22 for prayer, music, discussion and social time.

The goal of the evening was to gain young adult perspectives and find out what was on their minds. Young adults were encouraged to come and share concerns and issues they would like to see their parish or the diocese address regarding young adults.

The event was for any young adults - single people, married people, married people with children, single people with children - in their 20s and 30s.

"I think things went well," said Jessica La Fleur, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Sioux City. "It was really good conversation. It was a good starting point for figuring out where young adult ministry is going to go in the diocese - specifically in Sioux City. It is a new ministry."

The evening began with a prayer and music. Attendees helped with the readings and all sang along.

The rest of the evening consisted of discussion. Each person in the group was asked to write two concerns they think involve young adults in the church. They then split into pairs to talk about what they had written down and chose two out of the four concerns. Then two pairs got together and picked two concerns from that four and so on.

The concerns or issues were narrowed down to about four or five and were written on pieces of paper and hung on the wall for the whole group to see.

"After we defined the concerns or issues for young adults, we threw out a couple of things that could be done with that," said La Fleur. "What I will do from here is some serious reflection on them."

La Fleur pointed out that one of the concerns was that young adults are not always a focus or drawn in. She plans to compile possibilities about how to remedy that.

"Depending on what the remedy or the possibility is, I will send that out to the parishes or do that within the group that met," said La Fleur. "Part of it is our responsibility. We still have to be responsible for getting involved. It's hard for young adults because, even though we are adults and experiencing things in the adult world, some of us come from a youth ministry background or a college campus where we were participants but not leaders."

She continued that young adults are at a point where they need to empower themselves and be confident in leading a Bible study or calling the parish office to use the parish facilities.

"It is time for us to step up," said La Fleur.

Julie Apelt, a parishioner at Nativity Parish in Sioux City, decided to attend the gathering because "I wanted my voice to be heard. I think the non-denominational and Protestant churches have one-upped us in terms of keeping the interest of our younger parishioners."

"I think Jessica is on the right track in trying to gather information and asking for people's input," said Apelt. "I hope an awareness in the diocese comes out that the people in their 20s and 30s are yearning for something in the Catholic Church. They want to find their niche there, too."

She mentioned that there is a need for Bible studies and other programs and activities that are geared towards the younger parishioners. She would also like to see more contemporary music and child care offered for young families in the Catholic Church.

"This is the first time I have lived somewhere where there was an opportunity to structure what we need and what we want," said Kathryn Fairchild, a parishioner at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. "I am hoping that all of us that were there will take it upon ourselves to be leaders and further answer the needs of our parishes and in the diocese as a whole by providing social and spiritual opportunities."

She added that she thought people had good ideas. She felt a sense of hope and excitement by the end of the meeting.

"We are not alone," said Fairchild. "That is a nice thing. There is something affirming about that."

La Fleur plans to have young adult gatherings at other places throughout the diocese. She would like to have one in each of the deaneries with a similar format.

For those who participated in Sioux City and others interested there will be another gathering on in mid-April. There will also be a social gathering at El Fredo's Pizza in Sioux City at 6 p.m. on May 5 for anyone interested.