Young Adult Mass is part of
a vital Catholic ministry

By Brandon A. Evans

On the second Sunday of each month, a group of Catholic young adults gathers for a 5 p.m. Mass at St. Mary Church, located at 317 N. New Jersey St., in Indianapolis.

The liturgy is a time to praise God as a faith community as well as grow in friendship by sharing refreshments and a meal after Mass.

It is a ministry that finds its roots in a July 2003 discussion among Catholic young adults from several archdiocesan parishes, who noticed that many times young adults do not attend Mass on a ­regular basis.

The same group noted that other cities, such as Chicago, offer young adult Masses.

The first young adult Mass was held in November of that year at Marian College in Indianapolis, and drew about
100 people.

Matt Slate, a member of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood, has been involved in the monthly Mass from the beginning.

Slate said that activities are often hard to plan due to the busy schedules of young adults, but the monthly Mass and dinner have succeeded in bringing young adults together as a community.

Laura Johnson, a member of St. Lawrence Parish in Indianapolis and a teacher at Lumen Christi School in Indianapolis, has attended the Mass from the beginning. She directs the music for the liturgy, including playing the piano.

“It’s nice to meet other young adult Catholics—people my own age,” Johnson said.

One of Johnson’s friends got her involved, and she said the event has resulted in other friendships.

Father Jonathan Meyer, associate director of the archdiocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, is the official priest contact for the group and a regular celebrant for the Mass.

“I’m a fan of it,” Father Meyer said. “It allows them to go their parish on a normal basis … then it allows them to come together as young adults and to have a Mass, and then to socialize afterward.”

The group provides its own servers, lectors, readers and musicians from within the young adult community. The Mass usually features a combination of contemporary and traditional music, and the priests who celebrate the Mass are chosen for their ability to connect with young adults.

Upon entering the church, those attending the Mass are warmly greeted, and at the end of the liturgy the group gathers in the vestibule for refreshments and conversation before heading to dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Indianapolis has a good start when it comes to young adult programs as compared to other dioceses, Slate said.

He is involved in the Frassati Society, Catholic Young Adult Network ( CYAN) and his parish’s young adult group.

Johnson is also involved in the Frassati Society, CYAN and Theology on Tap.

Still, Johnson said that the Church should do more for young adults.

Father Meyer said that young adults in the Church often are caught in a ministry vacuum that exists between programs for children and students and those for senior citizens.

The young adult Mass and related events are a step in the right direction, he said. “It’s a start. There’s still a lot more that needs to happen there. This is a scratch on the surface, but it’s a good one.” †