Generation unplugged.I used to belong to a small-faith group of women organized around spiritual reading. Of the dozen or so women who met over the course of eight years, nearly all had been born and raised in the Catholic Church. Today only a few still practice their Catholic faith. These are deeply spiritual women, who in previous generations would have been parish council members, heads of parish charity groups, even nuns. Instead they have found spiritual and religious sustenance Sustenance Amalthaea goat who provided milk for baby Zeus. [Gk. Myth.: Leach, 41] ambrosia food of the gods; bestowed immortal youthfulness. [Gk. Myth. and community elsewhere. I also spent time away from the Catholic Church as a young adult. When I was going through my divorce, it was too painful to worship in the church in which my husband and I had married. Other times the sexism of the church has been too much to bear. I know that over the years this has caused my parents--and grandmother--a fair amount of sadness and anxiety. When we ask readers what articles they would like to see in U.S. CATHOLIC, one topic far and away surpasses all the others: why young adults don't go to church. The suggestion usually comes from worried parents or grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl who don't understand why the next generation doesn't participate in parishes like they do. The underlying motive seems to be, "Help me get them back to church!" This special issue on young adult Catholics may not be able to get them back, but it will give readers some insight into this complicated issue--one so complicated, in fact, that it prompted some spirited disagreements among our boomer boom·er n. 1. Informal A nuclear submarine armed with ballistic missiles. 2. Informal A baby boomer. 3. A transient worker, especially in bridge construction. 4. and Generation X editors here about how to cover it. Were the MIA MIA n. A member of the armed services who is reported missing following a combat mission and whose status as to injury, capture, or death is unknown. [m(issing) i(n) a(ction). young adults mostly thoughtful people who, after much soul-searching and examination of conscience Examination of conscience is a review of one's past thoughts, words and actions for the purpose of ascertaining their conformity with, or difformity from, the moral law. Among Christians, this is generally a private review; secular intellectuals have, on occasion, published , just couldn't participate? Or were they just lazy, indifferent, or hungover on Sunday mornings Sunday Morning may refer to:
We opted for all three. So you'll hear from the absent young adults in "We're just not that into you" (pages 12-16), from despondent de·spon·dent adj. Feeling or expressing despondency; dejected. de·spon  dent·ly adv. parents in "It's Sunday: Do you know where
your children are?" (pages 18-21), and from the dean of young adult
experts, Father lohn Cusick of the Chicago archdiocese arch·di·o·cese n. The district under an archbishop's jurisdiction. arch  di·oc in "If you
rebuild it, they will come" (pages 24-28). Finally, for good
measure, sympathetic parent Gregory Pierce offers "10 reasons not
to go to Mass (and one really good reason why you should)" (pages
22-23), appropriate for young and old alike.
While away from the church, I started meeting with a spiritual director. About my lack of church attendance, she counseled, "Don't worry. Sometimes people need time away. I have a feeling you'll be back someday." That advice gave me the freedom to take a break without feeling I had to reject the whole enterprise. And she was right. Eventually, and on my own terms, I came back.--Heidi Schlumpf |
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