Faith and Spiritual Life of Young Adult Catholics in a Rising Hispanic Church

Edited by Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ

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ISBN: 9780814667958, 6795

Details: 158 pgs, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 3/8
Publication Date: 11/04/2022

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$19.95

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2023 Catholic Media Association Second Place Award, Pastoral Ministry – Youth & Young Adult

2023 Catholic Media Association Second Place Award, Future Church

This book carefully explores the claim that young adults (18 to 35) are leaving Catholicism in the United States. According to primary empirical research, many young adults stay and do so living their faith in engaged ways. Most, however, do not do it in the traditional context of the parish. Young adult Catholics are living their faith and spiritual life largely in small faith communities, ecclesial movements, faith-based affinity groups, at home, and through individual practice. The description of research findings is supplemented by commentaries from leaders in evangelization and young adult ministry, from both a theological and a sociological perspective.

In a church that is more culturally diverse and increasingly Hispanic, this book offers key insights to better understand the spirituality of young adult Catholics today. Contributors include Mark M. Gray, Michal J. Kramarek, Claudia Avila Cosnahan, Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ, Hosffman Ospino, Darius Villalobos, Patricia Wittberg, SC, and Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ.

Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ, PhD, is a Jesuit of the USA East Province. He is the executive director for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). He has a PhD in city planning from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Previously he was the executive secretary of the Jesuit Conference-USA and director of formation and studies for the Jesuits of the Maryland and New York Provinces. Among his publications are: New Faces, New Possibilities: Cultural Diversity and Structural Change in Institutes of Women Religious, Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century, Pathways to Religious Life, and Catholic Bishops in the United States: Church Leadership in the Third Millennium.

ISBN: 9780814667958, 6795

Details: 158 pgs, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 3/8
Publication Date: 11/04/2022

Reviews

"New lessons for new times! This book will provide you critical insight into ministry with Hispanic young people, and crucial aspects overlooked by previous studies. The research reaffirms the role of authentic faith communities to accompany young people who pray and reflect on their daily life, and discern a call to service for others. The well-informed essays will help you explore how to foster new spiritual growth with young adults in your Catholic community and across the country."

Jose Matos Auffant, National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana (LaRED)

"This is not a book to read and place back your shelf. Faith and Spiritual Life of Young Adult Catholics in a Rising Hispanic Church is a call to action; an invitation to transform how we think of and practice ministry with young adults. Drawing on important research from the CARA Report, this book explores how young adults actually practice their faith and what it means for faith communities to engage young people outside the traditional diocesan and parish ministry models. As such, this book invites all ministry leaders, indeed, all people of faith, to transform their understanding of and practice of ministry with young adults."

Tracey Lamont, PhD, Director, Loyola Institute for Ministry, Loyola University New Orleans

"What a breath of fresh air! Amid the sobering realities and statistics we often hear about young adult Catholics, this book offers a ray of hope for what is emerging before our very eyes. Pastoral leaders and concerned Catholics will find, in Faith and Spiritual Life of Young Adult Catholics in a Rising Hispanic Church, hopeful news that young adults are more connected to the faith than we may have realized and that the domestic church in the home is growing in new and exciting ways. While there will certainly be challenges ahead, the insights and ideas of this book give us the confidence to face that future with our heads held high."

Paul Jarzembowski, Associate Director for the Laity, Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

"Filled with research that is both sobering and hopeful, this book invites all of us, whether or not we primarily serve young adults or Hispanic/Latino communities, to critically reflect on the state of the church in terms of these important demographics. It is substantive in breadth and depth without losing the tactile value that supports its reader in discovering a way forward that honors the reality of our times. This research commentary is a valuable lens to which we should all hold up our ministries, asking ourselves if we are truly serving the needs of the church today."

Nicole M. Perone, National Coordinator, ESTEEM, Founding Board Chair, National Institute for Ministry with Young Adults

"This study is groundbreaking as it represents a fresh, new look at familiar questions and expected answers. The book not only has cultural and ethnic implications, but also offers important methods for parishes, ecclesial movements and the church in general to consider when doing outreach to young adults, as it reinforces the point that affirmation of our human dignity and a welcoming attitude are paramount for faith communities."

Fr. Juan J. Molina Flores, President, Mexican American Catholic College

"Ministry and outreach to young adults is complex given the changing nature of the community of young adults. This book provides a wealth of information and insights into how those working with young adults can succeed in leading them to the heart of the Church."

Catholic Media Association

"A helpful portrait of young adults in the pandemic era, along with pastoral strategies to support and accompany them in ministry."

Theological Studies

"The great benefit of this book is that it provides a perspective on how young adult Catholics are practicing their faith that challenges common assumptions, often based on traditional sociological studies. The book provides a source of hope that things are not as dire as feared."

Worship

"This book offers insights and critical reflection on a study that the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) conducted on the faith practice of young adult Catholics. The authors distinguish between the young adult's religious affiliation and engagement in everyday spiritual practices and call for greater listening and responsiveness to their lived realities and changing social contexts."

Pastoral Liturgy