News

Catholic young adults 'see-ya' in faith meetings

Heather Chrudimsky
Compass Correspondent

	Upcoming C'YA "Integration of prayer into our daily lives" by Dr. Karin Posdal, who teaches integrative spirituality in the Commissioned Ministry Program. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, at the Sports Corner, 500 Grant St. in De Pere.

Green Bay Catholic young adults are liking what they see - each other - and hear - outside speakers and their peers talking about religion - at a monthly gathering in an area sports bar.

The attraction is C'YA, pronounced 'see-ya." It stands for Catholic Young Adults and caters to 20- and 30-year-olds in greater Green Bay.

"This group provides a forum where one can discuss concerns, grow in faith, ask questions, share spirituality and pray as a community," said Carrie Miller, youth minister at Our Lady of Lourdes in De Pere.

Miller, who coordinated Theology on Tap in De Pere last summer, said she was impressed with the crowds of young adults who were coming to it each week.

"At the last Theology on Tap session, we discussed why it only runs for four weeks in the summer - why not throughout the year," Miller said.

There was a lot of interest in keeping the momentum going and C'YA was born.

"I took it upon myself to make that happen," Miller said.

She and Julianne Donlon, director of religious education at four linked westside Green Bay parishes, began brainstorming for C'YA last August and September. The first official meeting was held last November.

The monthly meetings run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Sports Corner, 500 Grant St. in De Pere. Each evening begins and ends with prayer. C'YA activities include guest speakers, Scripture studies, prayer, social events and community services. There is no fee and they are open to all young adults, regardless of faith.

Some of the monthly guest speakers are young adults. Speakers and topics so far this year include Dr. Chris Gustafson, "What is truth"; Jeannie Hannemann, founder and director of Elizabeth Ministries, "The ethics and implications of right to life;" Fr. Quinn Mann, "Seeing the unseen"; and Tony Pichler, diocesan lay ministry formation director, "The biblical basis of justice."

Other speakers have included Carrie and Paul Miller; Julianne Donlon; and Bob Atwell, president/CEO of Nicolet National Bank; and Dr. Karin Posdal, who teaches integrative spirituality in the Commissioned Ministry program.

"We (the young adult committee) had a hunger and a desire to learn more about our faith, the history of the Catholic church, and the role we should play in it," said Rick Hallet, a member of St. Bernard Parish and a C'YA attendee. "We enjoyed Theology on Tap, but wanted to offer something at our parish that allowed us to explore other topics and build community."

What Miller likes most about C'YA is meeting other young adults who are enthusiastic about God, Catholicism and putting their faith into action.

"Many of them are role models to me," Miller said. "I also enjoy learning about such a broad range of topics that we've already had speakers talk about."

The young adults hang out and mingle before and after the meetings - often over food and drink.

"C'YA may evolve to become more than this - other group activities, service, etc. - but we wanted to start off slowly with something that we knew there was a demand for - learning about various relevant faith topics," Miller said.

Attendance at C'YA varies, usually ranging from 10 to 50 people. Miller said that shows Catholic young adults are looking for more doses of faith geared to their age group.

"There seem to be very few opportunities for them and an organization like C'YA helps young adults strengthen their faith-life in ways beyond simply attending Mass," Miller said. "It also helps Catholic young adults connect to other Catholic young adults who are seeking similar opportunities to deepen their faith."

"You can come to as many or as few activities as you wish," Miller said. "We welcome any young adults who wish to learn more about Catholic Christianity and grow in their faith, whether they are Catholic or not."

"I recently heard someone say 'You wouldn't think of running a marathon without training, why would you think that you would be prepared for a spiritual test without training spiritually?'" Hallet said. "I have a real desire to learn more about my faith, prayer and spirituality. Another huge part of it is community building. Growing in your faith alongside your peers is such a great experience."

C'YA is growing.

"We are starting to work together with other young adults in Combined Locks and Appleton to offer more opportunities such as Bible studies, Theology of the Body study groups, trips to Holy Hill, other social events including camping and hiking and a monthly young adult Mass in Combined Locks," Miller said.

More information on the C'YA program is on the group's Website at http://cyagreenbay.googlepages.com/home.