If there was any doubt that young Catholic adults thirst for Christ and Christian community, the Diocese of Orange’s monthly Heart of the City events prove otherwise.
Hundreds of young adults from Orange County, Riverside, San Diego, and Los Angeles continue to flock to Christ Cathedral for the weeknight events – despite the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Initially the whole goal was to come together and pray,” recalls Gerardo Butalid, a campus minister at Santa Margarita High School who has managed the Heart of the City events for the past three years. “We were extremely excited about the response. One of the biggest surprises was the amount of zeal and ‘yes’ that a lot of people give to the ministry.”
Advertised on Instagram at @hrtofthecty_ or instagram.com/hrtofthecty_ and on Facebook at facebook.com/SoCalCatholicYoungAdults, the events feature prayer, community, and the sacraments, as well as adoration and a guest speaker on a particular topic. A creative team collaborates on preparing the space, creating materials, promoting the event on social media, performing music, developing videos, and coordinating the event.
At present, the free time for young people to socialize is limited because of the pandemic, and seating is socially distanced, Butalid notes. Normally held in the Cultural Center, the events now take place in the atrium area outside the cathedral.
Cecilia Phan, the diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry coordinator, says the group wants to plan a weekend conference in the fall where young Catholic adults can further deepen their community through prayer.
Full story at OC Catholic.
The people in the photo provide music at Solano Catholic Church, which has gone full Saddleback Church in its attempt to make Catholicism more like Saddleback Church’s brand of Catholicism. It’s pathetic.
Billed as “worship”, it’s just a concert with Jesus lyrics. Even Mass at Solano is just a concert with the readings and consecration inserted between songs.
And you know what? It has no staying power because it gets boring really fast. Contrary to what the article implies, this is not what’s going to keep young people in the church.
Catholic Saddleback is not a solution.
Anonymous, rather than only criticizing this outreach to young adults, which is getting them there, why don’t you and others offer something that you think is more appropriate and has more “staying power?”
I’m not familiar with this specific ministry to young people. But, I know similar outreaches that have effectively reached many young people. And, they have the. staying power of much lifelong discipleship, lasting Christian marriages and vocations to the priesthood and religious life. I’ve been involved in youth and young adult ministry since the 1970’s, as have been our now-adult “children.” Our adult children and their spouses are, by the grace of God, all practicing Catholics raising their young children as Catholics.
I’m somewhat pragmatic about ministry, as long as it’s Catholic. The Divine Mercy chaplet, the TLM, the Rosary, one of our Eastern Catholic services and more are all good options. Where there are the Sacraments and Adoration, they haven’t “gone Saddleback.”
What will you be offering young people?
I would be happy to help promote it.
I tuned in to the Solano Holy Thursday Mass video stream:
https://youtu.be/PnkCJtLo0E0?t=333
The first anonymous poster is completely right: it’s praise and worship music on Holy Thursday, music that has no roots in the tradition of Catholic liturgy… it’s Protestant contemporary Christian music. Felt just like a concert instead of Mass. They don’t even sing Pange Lingua Gloriosi at the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament. Solano parish is trying to use Protestant megachurch music to attract people and be cool, I guess, but it just feels empty to me. Whatever they’re doing, it’s not Catholic… it has no relation to what the church teaches about liturgical music… like they don’t know at all what Catholic music is or should be at Mass.
Anonymous Also, as I asked the previous anonymous person who posted criticism of these young adults, what are you going to offer to young adults?
It’s easy to post anonymous criticism of young Catholics doing something to bring young people to the Church. And, there is nothing Catholic about such public criticism.
I understand you don’t prefer their approach, even think it’s not the best. But, only criticizing these young people is not helpful. (Do you think it makes them feel closer to other Catholics?)
What, specifically, was contrary to Catholic faith in what you observed?
(Heresy is, of course, a legitimate concern. But, vague criticism, that something is “Protestant” or “Saddleback” isn’t useful.)
Please invite and teach hundreds of young Catholics beautiful Latin hymns. Yet, withhold offering only criticism to young Catholics singing praise to God in other ways. Remember, the Church is “one.” We really are all in this together, even if it doesn’t always appear the same in every parish.
Beautifully done! and I say this as a Catholic who spent over a quarter of her life washing the feet of babies and children, and tying shoe laces, “thousands” of them, and all for Him.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. And a very Happy and blest Easter to all the faithful.
In my previous post, I was referring to the mass that Anonymous posted. I did not watch any of the other events. Although I think the washing of the feet should be limited to twelve men in remembrance of Christ ordaining the Apostles, the mass Anonymous posted did keep the symbolism of our “washing each others’ feet” in a reverent way and was not done offensively.
Deacon,
I attend an FSSP parish that has 4 TLMs every Sunday. It is often standing room only – we know for example that if we’re not there at least 5 minutes before Mass starts, we’re gonna be standing outside the sanctuary.
The attendees range from babies (lots of them) to very elderly, but the greatest cohort seems to be 20-30 something parents. (I’m 58 so way past them.)
Perhaps the answer to your very reasonable question as to what the solution is, is to give the young adults the TLM.
Happy Easter!
Fred, thank you for being part of a parish that offers the Traditional Latin Mass for all and, understandably, has young people responding.
I was wondering if the “thumbs down” I got for for suggesting, “Please invite and teach hundreds of young Catholics beautiful Latin hymns.”
It’s important to offer good things, not being only critical of others’ legitimate choices. I’ve seen much good Catholic life come from some contemporary expressions as well, so those young adults shouldn’t be discouraged in what they’re doing.
Our Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy is almost as it was in the sixth century, so I love ancient worship.
And, remember, not all Catholic (or other Christian) music is intended to be sung at Mass. (The article is not about Mass music.)
Some contemporary forms can be edifying and inspiring.
For one example, listen to the two young sisters at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3NZEdHQaI
Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!
I watched the video of the Holy Thursday service. It was a holy and reverent Mass. Some of the traditional liturgy was missing, I suspect because of the covid-19 restrictions; washing of feet, in particular, no choir, etc. But it was a very Catholic Mass.
So you didn’t like the music. That doesn’t make it a bad Mass.
“Some of the traditional liturgy was missing.” Like some of Joe Biden’s and Nancy Pelosi’s traditional doctrine is missing? When you miss some things, you ain’t Catholic anymore. You’re protestant.
As a teenager in the 1950s, I’d have been astonished and offended had rock-inspired music been played inside a church. It wouldn’t have had a positive religious impact on me at all. A Missa Cantate, Stations of the Cross, and benediction would have and did indeed impress me. I feel sorry for these kids who have known nothing better. Far better for those kids to get out of Christ Cathedral and to the nearest Vetus Ordo Mass.
I was a teenager in the ’50s, and what you describe is what we knew at the time. The music world is different today with many more genres than we knew. I find it odd that people would criticize people for singing songs that praise God. I’m not a fan of it, but I know that my grandchildren would not want to hear Gregorian at church. Let’s do what we can to bring the folks into church rather than keep them out. Since I’m in my ’80s, I offer this music gauge: If I like it, it won’t attract the younger generation.
The church has very specific teachings about what kind of music should be sung at Mass.
“I know that my grandchildren would not want to hear Gregorian at church.”
Looking at all the 20-somethings that attend the 4 packed Traditional Latin Mass at my parish, I bet you’re wrong Bob.
Do your grandchildren even attend Mass?
God bless you, and Happy Easter!
Thank you for the like and dislike buttons.