Catholic Transcript Online

MANCHESTER – Some people worry that today’s youth are losing interest in the Church. But the reality is that there is a growing number of them who are becoming engaged with their Church and growing in their faith.

One of the avenues they are using for spiritual growth is an organization called the Catholic Underground. It’s been described as a spiritual and cultural phenomenon that attracts young adult Catholics from all over Connecticut.

Catholic Underground, an event held on the third Saturday of each month, combines elements of traditional Catholic spirituality with a taste of modern culture. It has been operating for six years in New York City, where crowds of 500 or more are common.

It began as a cultural apostolate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in response to the call for a new evangelization by Pope John Paul II, who said the Church must not avoid modern culture, but meet it head on.

The Connecticut operation is based in Manchester. Gatherings are held from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at St. James Church, 896 Main Street.

A typical evening with the Catholic Underground begins with a holy hour in the main church. The sacrament of reconciliation is available to those who seek it during this time.

Then the group moves downstairs for the social part of the gathering. It includes music and refreshments and modern artists who fuse Christianity into their art form. Performances may include any style of modern music, poetry, drama, film, dance or visual art.

The idea is to provide these young adults with a friendly and stimulating atmosphere, but also a place where they can meet the Lord surrounded by a community of fellow Christians who seek to live their faith.

As a cultural apostolate, it is intentionally geared toward young adults and their culture. All ages are welcome, though. Priests, nuns and religious brothers often join them. Many members are college students or college graduates.

“They’ve been very successful and it’s been drawing a lot of people from all over the state,” said Peg Boglarski of the Archdiocese’s Charismatic Renewal Office. “It’s really working out well here.”

Ms. Boglarski said this program allows young Catholic adults to keep their traditional roots while also having the opportunity to “relax with each other in a spiritual atmosphere.”

“This came about as an outreach of the charismatic renewal office,” said Joe Christa, 33, of Meriden, one of the Catholic Underground’s organizers.

He and others from Connecticut were commuting to New York for the program there and decided to start their own chapter. It’s designed to appeal to Catholics in their 20s and 30s.

The important thing is to create a sense of community and to let young adult Catholics know that they are not alone. Mr. Christa was not the only person to point out that when they go to Saturday or Sunday Mass, they tend to see few other people their age.

“We had our first team meeting in December 2007 and our first event the next April,” he said. Catholic Underground “is a place you can come where there are other people like you.”

It’s not uncommon for 100 people to show up from throughout the state. One recent Saturday evening saw an attendance of nearly 70.

“We start with Holy Hour, eucharistic adoration, evening prayer, simple praise and worship and veneration of the Blessed Sacrament,” said Mr. Christa.

There is also Benediction and an opportunity to partake in confession. Local priests volunteer to help out and, he said, “the lines get long for confession,” as was the case this evening.

“We’re following the model from New York. We want to create something statewide,” Mr. Christa added.

“We have a ministry team who will come and pray with people” who have personal challenges or needs and seek counsel in a spiritual form, he said.

After the social time, the night winds to an end with an evening prayer.

Mr. Christa suggested that more young adults are interested in growing their Catholic faith than people might realize. They are trying to get the word out about the Catholic Underground via the social networking site Facebook, their own Web site and by asking approximately 200 parishes in the state to print their information in church bulletins.

Mr. Christa said the group is developing a “sense of rapport, of community, a sense of family.”

Another organizer is Kristyn Bieszad, 21, of West Hartford. She greeted people as they entered the church and distributed two documents, a program for the evening’s spiritual activities and a flier describing how one should prepare for confession. It also explains some of the basic beliefs and doctrines of the Church.

She called the Catholic Underground “a great place for young adults to live their faith, to experience their faith with other adults.” She sees among the many benefits the opportunity to “experience your faith and spend social time with other like-minded Catholics.”

Ms. Bieszad also gained another unexpected benefit from participating in Catholic Underground. She met the man to whom she is now engaged to marry.

Information about the group is available at www.CatholicUndergroundCT.com or at its Facebook group at Catholic Underground CT. To learn more about the Catholic Underground in general see www.CatholicUnderground.com.