Part III of the series I wrote for Loyola Press’ DRE Connect is online now:
We have spent some time delving into the formal moments of return for young adults, but what about the informal interactions we have with young adults at our parishes? We cannot underestimate the incredible opportunity that lies in these casual day-to-day interactions with young adults.
There are many moments within our ministries when a young adult comes in to ask a question, to ask to talk to someone, or when someone asks us to meet for a cup of coffee. Each of these moments holds the potential to be a moment of return for a young adult. Often it has taken a young adult awhile to get the courage to seek someone out to talk to, whether it is a priest or someone on the parish staff. What can appear to be a simple request for a meeting could be the beginning of, or return to, a faith life. These moments of face-to-face time with young adults capture the essence of pastoral ministry as we sit and listen to the stories of their lives, the holy questions, and their joys and struggles.
Becky Eldredge
Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.
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