Connecting Young Adults to Catholic Parishes

by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

This resource highlights how to do ministry with young adults and motivates parish leaders to emphasize community involvement.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2010

About the author

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (USCC), it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy (i.e., diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary bishops and the ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) in the United States and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the bishops in the six dioceses form their own episcopal conference, the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference (Spanish, Conferencia Episcopal Puertorriqueña). The bishops in U.S. insular areas in the Pacific Ocean – the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Territory of American Samoa, and the Territory of Guam – are members of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (Latin, Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici).

The USCCB adopted its current name in July 2001. The organization is a registered corporation based in Washington, D.C. As with all bishops' conferences, certain decisions and acts of the USCCB must receive the recognitio, or approval of the Roman dicasteries, which are subject to the immediate and absolute authority of the Pope.

Reviews

[Robert Showers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone on the pastoral staff of any Catholic parish, not only in the United States but anywhere in the Western world. The book reviews studies and experiences of the past 20 years or so, and highlights things that have been shown to work well. Many of the ideas presented are relevant to our pastoral work with all age groups. In short, this book can help any parish staff become more effective.

My only criticism: the book references various studies but does not give enough information about how to find the original studies cited.

[Kevin Coriolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sentiment is crucially needed in American parishes today. In order for the church to thrive, young adults need to start contributing to the parish community and parishes need to create ways for young adults to flourish. It was said in chapter five, "Parish communities are challenged to build a home where young adults are connected to the Church: in the spiritual, social, and service dimensions of their
lives." Young adults want to feel like they belong.