Need for young adult programs, catechesis

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
August 30, 2007

Young adults are searching for a place to fit in the Catholic Church community.

"They are in a state of transition," said Jessica La Fleur Malm, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Sioux City. "We are ending our formal education and entering the real world. We are living single lives, getting married and having children."

Most young adults are attaining full-time jobs or finishing up graduate school and are in need of somewhere to enrich their faith.

"Where we used to experience our faith, with our parents, youth ministry, schools and colleges, is now done. We can't participate in the church as we once did," she said.

"Young adults need concrete places of being involved outside of just going to Mass. Chances are that we haven't been shown how to be involved."

In some cases, young adults move to a new town or start attending a new parish. Then they don't know how the social structure of that community works or what committees or circles are doing.

"We just sit there and go to church by ourselves," said La Fleur. "That bridge is in great need of being built."

Parishes need to help young adults feel more comfortable and help them figure out where they fit.

"I would like to see parishes being open, reaching out and inviting young adults in a different way," said La Fleur. "Young adults don't read the bulletins, so using that as your source of communication isn't the best. Young adults need something different."

She suggested putting a notice on the parish's Web site or making an announcement from the pulpit about upcoming events.

In a move to involve young adults, La Fleur is interested in starting Theology on Tap in Sioux City. Begun in Chicago, this nationwide program gathers young adults at a bar or restaurant to listen to a speaker talk about different topics.

"Young adults learned concrete things in school as young people. Now that we are young adults we still have a younger understanding of an adult concept," said La Fleur. "Theology on Tap is a chance for us to get young adult catechesis and for us to learn, ask questions and really have a dialogue about faith in a somewhat formal setting."

An upcoming event for young adults is World Youth Day next August in Australia. Anyone interested may contact La Fleur at the Chancery office in Sioux City for more information or to sign up.

She said, through building young adult ministry in the diocese, "I hope that strong Catholic individuals and families are built and grow within our Catholic Church."