They have come home from college in droves. They have left campus and their Catholic social groups, and they’re looking for ways to connect, spiritually and socially. Here are a few of the Catholic groups in the Washington metro area that bring together young adults.
“Thursday Night Gatherings”: George Mason University’s Catholic Campus Ministry, Fairfax
Father Robert C. Cilinski was the first chaplain for GMU’s Catholic Campus Ministry in Fairfax, starting in 1986. Since the late ’80s, the campus ministry has hosted weekly Thursday Night Gatherings, or TNGs. Students gather for activities ranging from field games to swing dancing to cooking s’mores over bonfires. During the summer, campus ministry opens up the program to all local college students, including rising freshmen. Campus ministry hosts summer gatherings, every Thursday 7-9 p.m., through July 27.
Campus minister Michaela Robinson said that TNGs offer students opportunities to make local connections and friendships. Over the years, students from more than 20 colleges and universities have attended, she said.
“I love how these events introduce local college students to our thriving community that they may not have known existed before. It encourages them to seek this out at their own campus all year round as well,” Robinson said. “I also love seeing how the community that is created helps the students stay plugged in and engaged with their faith during a time where it is very easy to drift away.”
“P3”: Penance, Prayer and Pub: St. Charles Borromeo Church, Arlington
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, P3 — Penance, Prayer and Pub — at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington provides young adults with opportunities for prayer and fellowship. Every Wednesday, there is Eucharistic adoration at 6:30 p.m., followed by a meditation at 8 p.m. Then young adults socialize outdoors. The meditations present tangible ways for young adults to live out the faith with topics such as “Leisure and the Lord’s Day,” “How to Get More out of Mass” and “Be Needed, Not Needy.”
With 80-100 weekly participants, P3 is one way for young adults at St. Charles to get involved in the parish community. “We don’t have a young adult group: we have a young adult parish,” said Father Donald J. Planty, pastor. “Young adults are encouraged to be — and are — involved in every aspect of parish life.”
St. Charles Borromeo also holds regular service events, pickup sports, Bible studies, and small groups for men and women.
DC Social Collective
With more than 150 young adults at events, the DC Social Collective strives to foster community among Catholic young adults who share morals and values. While the group attracts young adults from throughout the metro area, founder Christopher Byrne said the collective’s events are primarily in Northern Virginia.
“I founded DC Social Collective in May of 2021 as a post-COVID-19 effort to reestablish and build community among Catholic young adults,” Byrne said.
Having hosted a variety of events, including barbecues, networking panels, live concerts, and ballroom and country dances, Byrne said, the collective’s more recent events are designed to give back to the Catholic community. Recently, the collective held a concert featuring Catholic singers Marie Miller and Kenny Kohlhaas to raise funds for the Sisters of Life in Washington. Last fall, it held a winery social to raise money for Catholic Charities.
“Our group is composed of primarily Catholic members, but it is a sneaky form of evangelization to expand the church and invite non-Catholics to be around a good group of young adults,” Byrne said.
Catholic Sports, Alexandria
Originally founded by former FOCUS missionary Paul Spotts, Catholic Sports began as a group for young adults seeking a Catholic community outside of college. The group originated in Denver, Colo., in 2010 and has since expanded to San Diego, Chicago and Alexandria.
A former FOCUS missionary herself, Helena Briggs launched the Alexandria branch of Catholic Sports in 2021. Starting with 90 adults playing volleyball every Sunday afternoon at Founders Park in Alexandria, the group has expanded over the last two years to include more than 500 young adults.
“Although professional networking events and parish young adult groups are very valuable and capable of bringing young adults together, Catholic Sports casts a wider net beyond parish boundaries, job industries and social circles in a unique way,” Briggs said.
The group continues to meet weekly at Founders Park for games of wiffleball, ultimate frisbee, basketball, indoor soccer and, most popularly, volleyball. This summer, more than 140 adults have participated, and the group has expanded to include monthly events, such as group hikes, hockey games and trivia nights.
“It has been so cool to see so many friendships form and grow in the past two years, and to see many participants start to attend Mass together,” Briggs said. “And that is the whole goal of Catholic Sports: to build an authentic community of young adults through sports which is centered around Christ and brings individuals into a deeper relationship with our Lord.”
Find out more
For GMU Catholic Campus Ministry’s Thursday Night Gatherings, go to gmuccm.org/schedules-summer.
For P3 at St. Charles Borromeo Church, go to stcharleschurch.org/young-adult.
For DC Social Collective events, go to dcsocialcollective.com/events.
For Catholic Sports, go to catholicsports.net/dc-sports.
