Find or be a mentor. Ministry associations are great, but informal groups work, too. “I’ve really found a lot of support in the older women who have paved the...
In the Pews
Stories of real-life Catholics living out their faith, with reporting on parishes, ministries, and vocation.
Dung Tran remembers attending the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress several years ago and being struck by a particular scene. "The deacons...
The modern deacon has been around for 40 years—and some are still finding their place in the parish. Beverly Hills, California deacon and author Eric...
Editors’ note: Sounding Board is one person’s take on a many-sided subject and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of U.S. Catholic, its editors...
The day after their farewell Mass, parishioners of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church were locked out. Archdiocesan officials had changed the locks days ahead...
(This story accompanies The need for closure: What happens when a parish closes its doors.) Whatever church leaders do, parishioners aren’t going to be...
Parish leaders and young adults might be missing each other. While some wonder where all the 20- and 30-somethings are on Sunday morning, the young...
It can be hard to find your place in the church when you are in your 20s and 30s. You’re no longer a teenager in a youth group or a college student at a...
If you’re looking for a faith community, you’re not alone. The day after graduating from Marquette University, Michelle Scaperlanda packed her...
The Second Vatican Council unleashed a wave of lay participation in the church—and there’s no turning back. Joan Higgins remembers when things began to change...
