What began as a way to offer Catholic women and men in their 20s and 30s a way to connect for fun and support as people of faith in the world continues to grow through community building events and offerings.
 
The “Young Adult Catholics in Maine” group is an initiative of the Diocese of Portland’s Office of Lifelong Faith Formation which, among other missions, offers support to young adult ministry (ages 18 to 35) at the diocesan and parish levels throughout the state. The office is made possible by the annual Catholic Appeal.

“One of the goals of this ministry is to connect young adults with their peer community through spiritual and religious formation and to deliver programming that educates, forms, and evangelizes them,” said Hannah Gonneville, assistant coordinator of the diocese’s Office of Lifelong Faith Formation . “We also advocate for the roles and needs of young adults in the Church and in society, and promote the role of the Church and the Gospel in their lives.”

As part of that effort, all young adult Catholics are encouraged to participate in the free “Living in God’s Time” virtual retreat on September 11-13. The event will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. and conclude at noon on Sunday. It is being co-sponsored by the Diocese of Portland and the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, to invite men and women from both states to come together for a special and meaningful weekend.

“The retreat will dive deeply into what it means to live on God's time with topics that include identity, connection, letting go, and living your faith in the season of young adulthood,” said Gonneville.

The schedule for the weekend will include a mix of real-time interactions via video conference and time for personal reflection. The retreat will conclude with a live-streamed Mass in southern Maine that, if conditions allow, registrants will have the option to attend in person. For more information or to register, visit www.portlanddiocese.org/olff/ya-retreat.

In addition, the “Young Adult Catholics in Maine” group offers a virtual Lectio Divina (using the daily readings) at 8 p.m. on Thursday nights. The group also gathers for an informal, virtual viewing of The Chosen on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. All are welcome to join in these experiences. During non-pandemic times, the group also participates in a variety of live experiences like Theology on Tap and other special programs.
To gain access to the password or for more information about these and other group events, contact Hannah Gonneville in the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation at [email protected].