Ministries serving Catholics in their 20s and 30s, such as the annual Vigilant Retreat are thriving. CHARLOTTE — Throughout the Diocese of Charlotte, an unmistakable momentum is building among young adults.
Once considered a difficult group to engage – those in their 20s and 30s navigating careers, relationships and identity – young adults are rapidly becoming one of the most active and vibrant sectors of diocesan and parish life.
For some, an upbringing in the Catholic faith catches fire in college, where demand for Campus Ministry is growing. More than 800 college students are regularly attending Mass through campus ministries across the diocese – double the attendance of a decade ago. And hundreds more young people attend diocesan fellowship activities and retreats, not to mention many more participating in parish-based young adult ministries.
The growing interest reflects a surge in adults of all ages joining the Church locally and nationally. In the Charlotte diocese, the number of adults entering the Church jumped 43% for two straight years and this Easter season is expected to meet or surpass last year’s 1,743 new members, the highest in at least a decade.
Nationally, the Catholic prayer app Hallow reported a 38% average annual increase in adults entering the Church this year. Although ages aren’t tracked, dioceses across the country are anecdotally reporting a noticeable increase in young adults.
“In the last two years, a switch was flipped,” Arizona State University’s Father Bill Clements told Catholic News Agency. The college received more than 100 students, a record, into the faith this year. “I think people are tired of crazy. They’re hungry for some direction, truth, goodness and beauty.”
Organizations are increasing efforts to reach young adults, especially those who have grown up in the Church and may be drifting.
Among them is Young Catholic Professionals, a national nonprofit founded in 2010 that connects young adults through networking events, mentorship and faith formation. The group started its
Charlotte chapter in October 2023 and has seen solid growth since.
“Catholic Sports,” a new sports league catering to young people, launched in January and has hosted more than 80 players in their first, six-week session of beach volleyball.
And “SEARCH,” an evangelization ministry of Franciscan friars in Charlotte, hosts “Friar Fridays” and “Brews and Good News” events at bars and other out-and-about locations, offering fellowship and information about the Catholic faith in casual social settings. The three friars behind the ministry identified Charlotte as the best place to start their unconventional ministry partly because of the large number of young adults living in – and moving to – the city. The median age of those living in Charlotte’s South End and Uptown is 29 to 32.
With more than 30 years of working with young people in Catholic education, Bishop Michael Martin is beefing up support for Youth Ministry and Campus Ministry, and has called on parishes across the diocese to focus more attention on reaching young adults. He spent more than three decades in high schools and colleges, including time as director of the Duke (University) Catholic Center in Durham.
From the day he was announced as Bishop of Charlotte, Bishop Martin has emphasized the impact young people can and should have on the local Church. He has noted that when you bring their energy and enthusiasm together with the Good News of the Gospel, wonderful things happen in the Church.
At the parish level, more young adult groups have steadily emerged over the past decade – adding to longtime mainstay ministries at St. Gabriel, St. Matthew and other parishes. The groups are appealing because they offer opportunities for fellowship, faith formation and service. Among newer groups are “CASA” at St. Ann and “Aquinas’ Finest” at St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlote, as well as ministries at churches from Hendersonville to the Triad.
These initiatives, often spearheaded by lay leaders, have expanded beyond Bible studies to include retreats and outreach initiatives that meet young adults where they are and invite them into deeper participation in the life of the Church.
VIGILANT RETREAT UNITES YOUNG ADULTS
At St. Ann Parish in Charlotte, one annual event is indicative of this growth.
Five years ago, parishioner Katie Cosby recognized an unmet need for deeper connection in the young adult community.
“I was seeing people live both in the world and then in the faith,” Cosby said. “I just really wanted to bring those together and inspire people to become the great saints that they’re meant to be.”
That motivated her to create the Vigilant Retreat. Founded in 2022 with 90 attendees, the weekend retreat has nearly doubled in size – to 150 this April – and has had a waiting list for the past two years.
Speakers typically include a mix of young adults, clergy and religious. This year Catholic influencer Ana Munley spoke at the retreat.
“Every year, I am amazed by how much of an impact it has on the individuals who attend,” said Katie Sholtis, who has attended every retreat since the beginning. “I’ve seen the fruits of this retreat extend past the weekend and can’t wait to see its continued impact on the Charlotte community and beyond.”
St. John Neumann Parish in Charlotte recently launched Nueva Alianza, a Hispanic young adult group.
YOUNG HISPANIC ADULTS CONNECT
The Hispanic community is also seeing strong growth in young adult engagement. Since the pandemic, a cluster of parishes launched dedicated young adult ministries for their Spanish-speaking populations.
At St. John Neumann Parish, “Nueva Alianza” (“New Covenant”) formed in January. It is led by parishioners Juan Sánchez and Martin Rubi Leodegario, who were already involved in the parish’s other young adult ministry, but started Nueva Alianza to serve those whose primary language is Spanish.
“Last year when I became a parishioner, I joined the (English-speaking) group but having such a large number of native Spanish speakers, we decided it was best to create our own group,” Sánchez said. “We also wanted a way so that we could be meet more often, and like that, the group was born.”
The ministry has grown from four to 20 members in a matter of months. Nueva Alianza, which meets every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. focuses on prayer, reading scripture and talking about the faith.
“This has helped me discover more about the Church,” said Yeimy Sánchez, 25, who grew up a Jehovah’s Witness but converted to Catholicism four years ago. “In this group we support one another in our faith journey.”
In Greensboro, St. Mary’s Parish established its first young adult group in 2022 and today has about 25 members. As their reach in the community has grown, neighboring parishes have been inspired to form their own young adult ministries.
“I have seen how this group has allowed each person to express with confidence their faith,” said St. Mary’s group founder, Honorio Valle-Carvajal. “This attracts them because it feels like a family.”
Slaterk Pérez, 26, who returned to his Catholic faith recently after distancing himself from the Church, believes social media has fueled curiosity about the faith among young adults, many of whom are searching for something.
“We now have easy access to so much information about the faith, I believe that it is pushing Gen Z to give this a try,” Pérez said. “Being here, you become prouder of being Catholic.”
— Brian Segovia and Amelia Kudela