The retreat begins late Friday evening and ends in thebearly afternoon on Sunday and is held at the Bellarmine Retreat Center in Blue Ridge, PA about an hour and a half from DC and Baltimore. Carpools are available. This retreat is intended for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s. The retreat fee is $100 and includes meals (dinneron Friday night through lunch on Sunday), lodging, and all materials. Register by visiting us at www.trinity.org/yac.

Their engagement in the parish is particularly consoling to me given the much-publicized experience of the American Church that young men and women largely disappear from our parishes during their young adult years, sometimes – though not always – reappearing briefly when they get married or have children to be baptized.

It was not until the 1970s that dioceses and parishes in significant numbers began to see the need to reach out in specialized ways to young adults. About that time, many Church leaders began to realize that the Church could no longer count on young men and women remaining active in the Church once they left their parents’ homes. The reasons for this are many and varied. It is enough to say that Church leaders now know that that they need to better understand young adults and their expectations of the Church and to respond to them if the Church is to retain its young people.

The continued involvement of these young adults is critical to the vitality of the Church. They are the future of the Church. It is important that we at Holy Trinity serve them well and, in turn, receive from them the gifts of their own talents and energy.

One of the ways Holy Trinity has tried to respond to the needs of its young adults is through the creation of the Holy Trinity Young Adult Community, better known as the “YACs.” The YACs were begun by young parishioners in the late 1970s in part to provide an entry point into the active life of the parish for young adults who had left their parents’ homes but who had not yet started families of their own.

Understandably, part of the appeal of the YACs is the opportunity they provide to meet one another, to socialize, and to support one another in a Christian setting.

Frankly, that would be enough for me, but the YACs also encourage their members to participate in retreats, monthly Masses, faith sharing, and prayer groups specifically designed to appeal to younger men and women and to help them integrate their spiritual lives and their work lives. The YACs also promote community service among their members, including service within parish organizations like Hands on Housing, Maria Madre de los Pobres, and the McKenna Center.

My hope is that, as they “age out,” these faithful young men and women will continue to contribute to the well-being of Holy Trinity parish.

Learn more about the YACS by speaking to a YAC representative at this weekend’s Ministry Fair, or by going to their blog at:
www.holytrinityyacs.wordpress.com.

Fr. Mark

http://www.trinity.org/sites/default/files/file/Communications/Bulletin/2010Sep19Bulletin.pdf

The retreat begins late Friday evening and ends in the early afternoon on Sunday and is held at the Bellarmine Retreat Center in Blue Ridge, PA about an hour and a half from DC and Baltimore. Carpools are available. This retreat is intended for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s. The retreat fee is $100 and includes meals (dinner on Friday night through lunch on Sunday), lodging, and all materials. If cost is prohibitive, please contact Father Greg at GSchenden@holytrinitydc.org.

For additional information, questions, or to join the Retreat Team, please contact Beth at YAC.Retreat@gmail.com.

To register, please either:

-Mail this form, along with your check for $100 made out to Holy Trinity Catholic Church, to:

Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Attn: YAC Retreat, 3513 N Street NW, Washington DC 20007

-Click here to register at Survey Monkey and make your online payment by going to http://www.holytrinitydc.org/online-giving and selecting “YAC Retreat” under donation type.

We hope to see you!

Holy Trinity YACs Digest, April 9, 2010: The “Wait a minute! Dogs don’t talk!” Edition

“I will follow like a puppy dog if I can only find a way to salvation.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola

And the YACs will follow right along like St. Ignatius, particularly to the Spring Retreat.  If you have any upcoming events or announcements for our bulletin, your YAC Digest Guy can be reached at digest@holytrinityyacs.org.  And if you know anyone who isn’t a member of the YACs, but you think they’d like it, feel free to pass along this digest, or tell them to e-mail welcome@holytrinityyacs.org.

First:  The Spring YAC Retreat will be held next weekend April 16-18, 2010,  with our special guests, Fr. Tom Reese, S.J. (Columnist for the Washington Post’s “On Faith” section, Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Woodstock Center, and frequent celebrant at Holy Trinity’s Masses), and “Flannery” (see below….) If you haven’t decided on whether or not to come, take some time to pray about it this weekend.  Then come anyway.  We’ll be talking about the Resurrection; the cost is $100, but to paraphrase, the life that gets resurrected may be your own.  The HT YAC 2010 Spring Retreat Registration Form is here.

Next YAC Mass:  This Sunday, April 11^th at 7:15 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, adjacent to the Holy Trinity main church.  The Chapel is located on N Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets.  Please join us for worship and fellowship afterwards at the YAC Café!

We finally made the leap into the 21^st Century with the new Holy Trinity YAC Blog!  Check it out at http://holytrinityyacs.wordpress.com.   It’s still a work in progress, but we have a calendar and a few announcements up.  And there will be more to come!

Are you on Facebook?  Aside from being tremendously useful for keeping in touch with old friends, it’s also a place where you can find out what’s going with the Holy Trinity YACs, from retreats and YAC Masses to service activities and happy hours.  So if you’re on Facebook, become a member of the Holy Trinity YACs page…  http://bit.ly/HTYACs.

Highlights!

• Next YAC Mass:   This Sunday, April 11, at 7:15 p.m, Chapel of St. Ignatius.  YAC Café afterward!
• YAC Spring Retreat:  April 16-18, 2010 at the Bellarmine Retreat Center in Buena Vista, PA. Registration information here! All are welcome!
• YAC Softball Begins! E-mail co-captains Matt Reuter (mjr73@georgetown.edu) or Sarah Murray (sarah.marie.murray@gmail.com).  All are welcome to play!
• Join the YACS on Facebook! - http://bit.ly/HTYACs.  (It’s the way we keep in touch!  And we have pictures from past YAC events there, too!

YAC Retreat Next Weekend!

Join us next weekend, April 16-18 for peer talks, Mass, small group faith sharing, individual reflection, music, and other community-building activities as we discover God’s call to live our faith. Together we will explore the elements of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, finding how God has been present in our lives, considering how to put our faith into action, and becoming more fully women and men for others.

We extend a special invitation to all those who are newcomers to the area, have been away from the Church, or are looking for a faith community.  The retreat begins late Friday evening and ends in the early afternoon on Sunday. Bellarmine Retreat Center is located in Blue Ridge, PA about an hour and a half from DC and Baltimore, two and a half hours from Philadelphia. Carpools are available.

Our chaplains will be Father Greg Schenden, SJ and Fr. Tom Reese, SJ, and we will be joined by Martina O’Shea for spiritual direction.  The retreat fee is just $100 and includes meals (light dinner on Friday night through lunch on Sunday), lodging, and all materials. If cost is prohibitive, please contact Father Greg at GSchenden@holytrinitydc.org. Space is limited! Registration is accepted on a first come, first served basis. Guaranteed registration deadline is April 4, 2010.

Please fill out our HT YAC 2010 Spring Retreat Registration Form and email the form to yac.retreat@gmail.com. Make your payment by going to: http://www.holytrinitydc.org/online-giving and selecting “YAC Retreat” under donation type. For additional information, questions, or to join the Retreat Team, please contact us at yac.retreat@gmail.com.

Spiritual

Next YAC Mass:  This Sunday, April 11th. The April YAC Mass will take place Sunday, April 11th, at 7:15 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, adjacent to the Holy Trinity main church.  The Chapel is located on N Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets.  Please join us for worship and fellowship afterwards at the YAC Café.

Readings for the Mass are online at http://www.usccb.org/nab/041110.shtml.  To volunteer for the YAC Mass (as a lector, petition reader, or Eucharistic Minister), please e-mail our Mass Coordinator at spiritual@holytrinityyacs.org. And e-mail John Wells at music@holytrinityyacs.org if you would like to get involved in music for YAC masses (and retreats) and you haven’t already.

A note about the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Liturgy at Holy Trinity: Team Digest would just like to take this opportunity to invite you, on the Sundays when there is NO YAC Mass (which happens to be the first, third, and fourth Sundays of each month), to join fellow YAC members at the 5:30 p.m. liturgy in the Church.  We typically occupy a few pews near the back of the sanctuary on the right-hand side as you enter from the center doors from 36th Street.

Anam Chara Young Adult Women’s Fellowship:  To all Young Women: please join us for our next meeting of the young adult women’s fellowship. Topics discussed include: discerning our vocations as women, careers, love, relationships, friendships, being a woman in a man’s world, our unique place within the Catholic Church and more! We meet bi-monthly on Monday Nights. To find out more information, or to be added to the email invite, please email Beth or Elena at womensfellowship@holytrinityyacs.org.  [Anam Chara is Celtic for “Soul Friend.” – Ed.]

Women Beneath The Cross Women’s Spirituality Group:  We meet Wednesday evenings, and focus on Ignatian spirituality (with the format similar to the Ignatian prayer services we hold during retreats). We invite all you great women to join! Email Nancy for more information on this, womensspirituality@holytrinityyacs.org.

Men’s Fellowship Group Meeting: Be a man. What does that mean to you?  The YAC men of Holy Trinity are adventuring into what it takes to be a real man.  We’re going to examine leadership, enjoy beer, discuss accountability, watch football, hunt tigers, and explore difficult topics as they relate to Society and our Church.  Our next meeting will be after a 5:30 Mass (precise date TBA)  in the Parish Center, where we will continue to discuss the book Awareness by Anthony de Mello, SJ.  Contact Sante or Brian at mensfellowship@holytrinityyacs.org for more information.

Social

YAC Softball Begins! Spring is here and so is the season for YAC softball!  Games are played weekly from early May through late July and are a great source of fellowship for all YACs, either as players or as fans.  To sign up or for more information about the team please e-mail co-captains Matt Reuter (mjr73@georgetown.edu) or Sarah Murray (sarah.marie.murray@gmail.com).  All are welcome to play and no prior softball experience is required.

YAC Happy Hour… will not be held this month due to the retreat. Soo…

St. Thomas Young Adults (STAY) Happy Hour: Having a long week, and realizing it’s only Wednesday?    Come join members of the STAY community for a casual social gathering to help you unwind from the day.   Whether you hang out for a few minutes, or a few hours, take some time to relax, get to know your fellow parishioners, and gain a refreshed outlook on the rest of your week.   This month’s STAY Happy Hour is, as always at Buffalo Billiards on Wednesday, April 14th. We typically begin gathering around 6:00 PM in the patio room  (keep turning left as your enter the bar).  Arrive whenever you like and just look for the “STAY” signs. [And feel free to talk up our retreat while you’re there… - YAC Digest Guy]

Join the YACS on Facebook! If you’re on Facebook, sign up for the HT Young Adult Community Page at http://bit.ly/HTYACs.  (It’s a great way to keep in touch!)

Holy Trinity Parish Registration! If you haven’t already, please register with Holy Trinity. Registration and stewardship information is available here:  http://holytrinitydc.org/AboutParish/Register and http://holytrinitydc.org/Stewardship/index.htm.

Service

Holy Trinity has a webpage for a myriad number of service activities.  The link is http://www.holytrinitydc.org/Volunteer/Community/index.htm.

Stewardship at Holy Trinity:  For those of you registered at Holy Trinity (see above), you should be receiving a letter asking for your pledge of commitment to the parish.  Fr. Mark, our pastor, urges you to respond to this request.  He emphasizes that there are three things we can do, with the most important first:

1.  Commit to participating in the Eucharist as a community.

2.  Volunteer our time and skills, as a musician, a Eucharistic Minister, a Lector, or a server of the homeless at the McKenna Center at St. Al’s downtown.

3.  Make a financial commitment.

Parish-Wide Opportunities

The Holy Trinity weekly bulletin highlights many different opportunities in the larger parish for YACs.  Weekly bulletins (in PDF format) are available for viewing and downloading at http://www.holytrinitydc.org/Bulletins/index.htm.

Principium:  An Introduction to the Ignatian Worldview for the Life of the Parish: What: A six-month leadership development program for the parish pastoral council and chairpersons of parish committees. When: Saturdays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, with a light breakfast will be provided beginning at 9:30 AM on April 17, May 8, and June 19.  Where: Faber Room, Parish Center. Why: Our hope is that each person will experience a deeper sense of connection to the Ignatian tradition so as to inform and guide the manifold ways we minister in our parish. How:   We will read and discuss Jesuit documents, which will include the autobiography of St. Ignatius, praying in an Ignatian way, discernment, our commitment to justice, and characteristics of a Jesuit parish. Silence, prayer and reflection will be a part of the program each morning. Please join Father Steve Spahn, S.J. and Martina O’Shea for this enriching, provocative, and collaborative experience. To register or for more information, please contact Martina at moshea@holytrinitydc.org or 202-337-2840 x 107.

Religious Education Program:  Catechists and Assistants Needed! Catechists and assistants are needed at all grade levels . If you are willing to share your gifts with our youth, please contact Catherine Graveline to learn more. 202- 337-2840, ext. 118.

RCIA Program – Volunteers needed! Each year the RCIA team seeks parishioners who would like to assist in the process of welcoming new members into the faith community. There are many needs: ministers of hospitality, volunteers to assist with Scripture reflection on Sunday mornings, catechists and sponsors. If you would like to learn more about how you can join this ministry or to offer your time and gifts in the RCIA process, please contact Fr. Greg Schenden at 202-337-2840, ext. 103.

Job Seekers’ Ministry:  The Job Seekers’ Ministry at Holy Trinity is a support group for people who are unemployed or underemployed.  The group has been meeting weekly since January 2001 when our then Pastor, Fr. Bill Byron, S.J., saw the need to minister to those who were undergoing career and employment changes.  For more information, visit http://www.holytrinitydc.org/job_seeker.

Volunteer for Holy Trinity’s Meal Ministry…This ministry serves Holy Trinity families welcoming new babies and those parishioners who are ill or experiencing other crises. Every effort is made to assign volunteers to parishioners in the same geographic area.  Offer the gift of a meal and meet parishioners in your neighborhood! How else can you help?  Share the good news of a birth or adoption—yours or another family’s.  Help identify parishioners who are facing illness or another crisis who would welcome the gift of a meal. To volunteer or identify parishioners with a need for meals, please contact Michelle Maynard at 703-533-5574 or michemay@aol.com.

Maria Madre de los Pobres: Special Program:  Holy Trinity parishioners are encouraged to become a Godparent to a child in our sister parish to support and encourage them to remain in school. This sponsorship program continues Holy Trinity’s commitment to the most vulnerable members of Maria Madre. If you would like more information on this opportunity to personally serve a child in our sister parish, call Kathy Opitz (703) 256-8317 kaopitz@yahoo.com or Gerry Sequeira (703) 528-9725 gseq798793@comcast.net.

Be a Part of the Publishing Process! Loyola Press, a nonprofit Catholic publisher, is devoted to nurturing a lived faith in everyday life. To do this effectively, we need to understand your needs. We invite you to join www.SpiritedTalk.org, a unique online community of people who are willing to share with us their thoughts and opinions about Catholic life by participating in short online surveys. Membership is free and voluntary. The information you provide will never be sold or used by a third party. Join us at www.SpiritedTalk.org, or visit www.loyolapress.com/spirited-talk-advisors.htm. Thank you for helping us serve the Catholic Community!

Around the Area

Young Adult Half-Day Retreat with Archbishop Donald Wuerl: The Word of God Join our own Archbishop Donald Wuerl as he encourages us in “the obligation of every believer not only to hear the word of God, but also to share it.”  There will be a potluck lunch, small group discussions, and time for prayer and reflection on the grounds of the Franciscan monastery. The retreat will be held this Sunday, April 11, 2010, from 11:45-5:00 at the Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy St. N.E. in Washington, D.C.  The cost is $20.  Register online at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A9J39M6LW or contact Laura Ferstl at yam@adw.org for more information.

Theology on Tap – Washington:  “Marriage is Forever” continues, April 13^th! Each week we’ll have a different married couple share spiritual reflections on the sacrament of marriage as well as provide practical advice for young adults. Join us this week as Joe and Camille Bissmeyer (married 3 years) share spiritual reflections on the sacrament of marriage, their personal experience of marriage, and practical advice for young adults. For more information, click here.

Young Adult Works of Mercy Saturday April 17 – Join young adults from across the Archdiocese as we join with the St. Thomas the Apostle Young Adults at SOME (So Others Might Eat). Volunteer at a Washington-based organization that helps feed the hungry and much more. To RSVP, contact Jae Ahn at jsequus@yahoo.com.

Diocese of Arlington: Catholic Undergound, Saturday April 24 Join young adults from our neighboring diocese for Eucharistic Adoration, Evening Prayer, and performances by The Understudies and The Vanity Plates at St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington! For more information, click here..

Health Care Reform and our Catholic Faith: Did you know that the Catholic Church is one of the largest private providers of health care services nationwide, including this area? As Congress debates health care reform, it is important to get the facts and to have a voice. This means encouraging legislation that reflects the needs we see daily in our Catholic hospitals and clinics, protects all life, expands affordable access and maintains existing conscience protections for health workers, among other moral and ethical principles. Your voice is important at this critical time while legislation is being written. To get accurate information on health care reform from a Catholic perspective, visit http://www.usccb.org, the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. To receive legislative action alerts, sign up with the Maryland Catholic Conference, http://www.mdcathcon.org/healthcarereform, or D.C. Catholic Conference, http://www.adw.org/service/dccc.asp, and check the Catholic Standard.

Come Make a Difference – Teach in a Catholic School! Discover a diverse, faith-filled environment where teachers are empowered to impact young lives through faith, service and scholarship. Discover a supportive community of fellow teachers, parents and students. Discover the difference you can make in students’ lives.  Faculty positions available across the archdiocese (DC and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties). For employment information and a listing of faculty positions, visit www.CatholicSchoolsWork.org or email schools@adw.org,  or call 301-853-4552.

YAC Web Site & Blog

The YAC web site is at http://www.holytrinityyacs.org, and our blog is at http://holytrinityyacs.wordpress.com. Visit them for more information on upcoming YAC events, committees, contacts, Catholic and Jesuit resources, and photos from our various YAC events.  You and your friends can also sign up to receive, via e-mail, the very same publication you’re currently reading.  Bookmark ‘em now!  And check out YAC photos at http://xavieran.smugmug.com/share/D9Cc8H4prIxgQ.

Contact Us

If you ever have trouble with an above e-mail address, you can contact the YAC Webmaster at webmaster@holytrinityyacs.org.  Check out our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/HTYACs.  If you hear about a service opportunity or any other event/activity that you think other YACs would like to hear about, please send us a message at digest@holytrinityyacs.org.   And if you have any friends or family that you think would be interested in the YAC’s, please ask them to send us a message at welcome@holytrinityyacs.org.

The Doggy of the Week

April 9th  – “Flannery” (The Holy Trinity Jesuit Community’s Dog!)

(photos by Fr. Greg)

And yes, Flannery will be coming on the retreat.  Who needs humor?  We have a puppy!!!

Oh, ok, fine.  One joke – did you hear the one about the dyslexic agnostic? He stayed up nights wondering if there really was a dog. – YAC Digest Guy

Space still available!

Join us April 16-18 for peer talks, Mass, small group faith sharing, individual reflection, music, and other community-building activities as we discover God’s call to live our faith. Together we will explore the elements of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, finding how God has been present in our lives, considering how to put our faith into action, and becoming more fully women and men for others.

We extend a special invitation to all those who are newcomers to the area, have been away from the Church, or are looking for a faith community.

The retreat begins late Friday evening and ends in the early afternoon on Sunday. Bellarmine Retreat Center is located in Blue Ridge, PA about an hour and a half from DC and Baltimore, two and a half hours from Philadelphia. Carpools are available.

Our chaplain will be Father Greg Schenden, SJ, and we will be joined by Martina O’Shea for spiritual direction.

The retreat fee is just $100 and includes meals (light dinner on Friday night through lunch on Sunday), lodging, and all materials. If cost is prohibitive, please contact Father Greg at GSchenden”at”holytrinitydc.org.

Please fill out our HT YAC 2010 Spring Retreat Registration Form and email the form to yac.retreat”at”gmail.com. Make your payment by going to: http://www.holytrinitydc.org/online-giving and selecting “YAC Retreat” under donation type.

For additional information, questions, or to join the Retreat Team, please contact us at yac.retreat”at”gmail.com.

“Ignatian spirituality is intended for the widest possible audience of believers and seekers,” Martin says.

He writes in The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: The Spirituality of Real Life that “within the Christian tradition, all spiritualities, no matter what their origins, have the same focus — the desire for union with God, an emphasis on love and charity, and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God.”

It’s about making a God-centered life accessible to the doubtful as well as the devout, he says.

It’s about realizing that when you are most vulnerable — sick, out of work, lonely, afraid, “God can move through your defenses, strengthen and accompany you.”

And there’s a radical simplicity to that, Martin says.

He says Ignatian spirituality “does not ask you to become a half-naked, twig-eating, cave-dwelling hermit. It simply invites you to live simply.”

The book becomes like a read-along spiritual director, someone to prompt you with questions, redirect your gaze, and help you, Martin says, to “discern where God might be speaking to you.”

Check it out here.