Learn

You may be asking yourself, “Where do I start?” or “What’s the latest?”

First, welcome! We are so happy that you are here seeking to serve young adults.

If you have not had the opportunity to do so we encourage you to start by reading Pope Francis’ Christus Vivit. Christus Vivit, or Christ is Alive, is the foundational document for ministry with young adults* and the foundational document for the Institute. It is the Apostolic Exhortation that followed the years-long process of the XV Ordinary Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment that concluded in 2018. There were other texts from the Synod process that are also helpful. Here is an easy-to-use study guide to Christus Vivit to begin with.

Second, if you want to learn more about the Synod and what it means for ministry with young adults here are five webinars that we encourage you will watch:

What Didn’t Happen at the Synod: Practical Strategies for Next Steps - November 28, 2018
The Synod Document: A Paradigm Shift - February 28, 2019
Disrupting Ministry Bringing the Synod to Life - March 7, 2019
Unpacking Christus Vivit, Pope Francis' Post-Synodal Exhortation Christ is Alive! Part 1 - May 2, 2019
Unpacking Christus Vivit, Pope Francis' Post-Synodal Exhortation Christ is Alive! Part 2 - May 23, 2019

*According to the USCCB:

The terms “youth and young adults,” “young people,” and “the young” are used interchangeably [in Christus Vivit]. The age range designated by the synodal process and in Christus Vivit includes those ages 16-29, which spans across older adolescence and early young adulthood.

In the United States, the U.S. bishops recognize that “young people” referenced in the synodal process and in Christus Vivit to be inclusive of several age groups, due to our cultural and ministerial context:

Youth, that is adolescents ages 13 to 18, often in high school
Young Adults, that is women and men ages 18 to 39: collegiate, single, consecrated religious, clergy, and married, with and without children
In addition, due to the significant Hispanic-Latino population in the United States, this also includes “jovenes,” young people of that cultural community, age 16 through to married life.

In the United States, there are several Catholic ministries associated with this age range: high school youth ministries (in dioceses, parishes, in Catholic high schools, and Catholic organizations), college campus ministries (at Catholic and non-Catholic colleges and universities), pastoral juvenil hispana and young adult ministries (in dioceses, parishes, and Catholic organizations).

Here are a few more resources to get your learning started:

The National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults Final Report includes important findings and recommendations based on conversations with over 10,000 young people, parents and ministers from across the United States.
The V Encuentro process and resulting Conclusions documents is the result of a years-long process to understand the state of ministry with Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the United States and includes specific action items for youth and young adults.
Finally, the Journeying Together process and Proceedings Report, published in April 2022 with a Preface written by the Vice-Chair of our Board of Directors Bishop Arturo Cepeda, is a great way to learn more about intercultural ministry with young adults.

Resources for mental health and relationships:

The i’Mpossible Project is an organization that creates seminars, workshops, curriculum, continuing education, books, and multimedia designed to entertain, educate, and engage on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health in workplaces, college campuses, school districts, communities, professional organizations, and more.
One Love Foundation is a national non-profit with the goal of ending relationship abuse. One Love empowers young people with tools and resources to see the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and bring life-saving prevention education to their communities.

Resources for Specific Cultural Communities

“Young Adults are a very diverse bunch of people in the United States. Do you have any resources to help me out?”

For an overview with statistics, start here.
For resources for Hispanic/Latino young adults (in English or Spanish) check out: LaRED, the National Network for Pastoral Juvenil Hispana, the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, the National Catholic Association for Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry, the Instituto Fe y Vida, or SEPI.
For resources for African American young adults check out: The National African-American Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry Network, African Catholic Association, Institute for Black Catholic Studies, and the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary.
For resources for Native American/Native Alaskan young adults check out: the Tekakwitha Conference, the Kateri Northwest Ministry Institute, the Sioux Spiritual Center, and the Black and Indian Mission Office.
For resources for Asian American and Pacific Islander young adults check out: National Conference of Burmese-American Catholics, Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, the Federation Of Vietnamese Catholics in the USA, Hmong American National Catholic Association, Indian American Catholic Association, and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.
For resources for serving young people with a wide range of disabilities check out: The National Catholic Partnership on Disability.

Not seeing your cultural community on this list? There are also many other cultural communities and organizations for you to explore here.

Looking to expand your anti-racism work with young adults? We suggest beginning with the following documents:

Don’t hesitate to Contact Us for more information, coaching, or consultations.

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