The following comes from a May 26 Valley Catholic article by Leanne Ruperto:
Santa Clara – Tallying in about 200 attendees each night, Theology on Tap is proving to be a successful means of gathering young adult Catholics in the Silicon Valley.
Theology on Tap, an initiative originally founded in Chicago, aims to provide young adults a welcoming and casual environment to learn about and discuss various topics regarding the Catholic faith. The night typically revolves around a theological talk given by a featured speaker and is followed by a Q&A/discussion session. Afterwards, the attendants have the opportunity to build community, faith-share, and socialize. Theology on Tap Silicon Valley launched their first 5-session series in the spring of 2014 and continued with another engaging session in the fall. This spring, they kicked off their Love & Sexuality themed program at Mexicali Grill with newly ordained Fr. Mark Doherty. He spoke to a packed crowd of 200 young people coincidently about a theme in which our Holy Father, Pope Francis, also spoke about in two of his May Wednesday Audiences: masculinity and femininity.
The Theology on Tap Silicon Valley events occur every other week on Wednesday nights in the spring and fall of each year. This month, after the April 22nd kick off, Father Thomas Steinke, I.V.E, an associate pastor at Our Lady of Peace Church, spoke about pornography and its effects on the individual person. Last week, Fr. Lawrence Goode, the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in East Palo Alto, provided a talk about “Homosexuality & the Love of God.” In the next session on June 3rd, Deacon Craig Anderson will give a talk about dating. He and his wife have been married for 30 years and raised 5 children who are now young adults. Lastly, the fifth and final talk of the spring program will culminate with a reflection on the myths and realities of the Sacrament of Marriage by Deacon Dominick and Mary Ellen Peloso. Attendants who arrive before 7:10 pm have a chance to receive a free drink.
Today, the world and the media constantly defy Christian ideals and offer appealing solutions to live a comfortable life devoid of the “cross.” This wide and open way that our Blessed Lord warned us about is leading countless people from focusing on the true meaning of life and is leaving heap loads of Christians to become disillusioned by religion. In addition, the fact that the typical age of those leaving the Catholic faith is reported to be in the early 20’s shows that the need for ministries like Theology on Tap is apparent and even critical for the propagation of the faith.
For more information, please visit www.totsv.org or e-mail info@totsv.org.
Had these in NYC for a while, always a packed house…
These programs have been very successful in the Bay Area as well. If people in their twenties are not coming to church, the church must go to them. I wonder why this topic isn’t getting thirty to fifty comments from regulars on this site. Is it because it is about something positive or that it just isn’t about the hot button issues? The Church is told to evangelize. Its our most important job. We need to bring back the droves who have left in the last twenty years.
I cannot speak for anyone else, Bob, but it could be because it could lead to other problems. Quite frankly, some of us do not like to hang around the bar scene too often. In fact some of us came from families, not always Catholic either, where Alcohol was abused and led to divorces.
One of my favorite C.K. Chesterton sayings is, “Let us thank God for beer and wine by not drinking too much of them,” or as St. Paul put it, “Moderation in all things.” For those who can handle it, it is fine, but for others it just is not the thing. So there are the sobering (excuse the pun please) facts.
I hope I have made you laugh and drink responsibly, whatever your choice.