Youth
Youth are defined as young people ages 12-18 in junior high school or high school.
Youth MinistriesYouth and Young Adult Ministries
In service to the Bishops of the United States, we, the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office in the Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, aim to provide support and outreach to Bishops in their Pastoral Work towards youth and young adults and in their goal of advancing the New Evangelization.
The USCCB recognizes all these categories and understands the vastness of this age demographic. What unites them all is their youthful enthusiasm and energy, but also the challenges of transition and discovery. Youth and Young Adult and Pastoral Juvenil ministries celebrate the excitement and optimistic outlook of younger generations and offers pastoral care for those in transition.
Young people have a unique zeal for justice, faith, and love of the Gospel, longing for Truth, challenging convention and inspiring innovation. They inject contagious energy into their communities and set hearts on fire. We cannot ignore young disciples for they are active witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ.
Young Adults
Young adults are defined as young people ages 19-39 who are single or married, divorced or widowed, and in college, working, unemployed, incarcerated, or in the military.
Young Adult Ministries
Pastoral Juvenil Hispana
In Latino cultures, "jóvenes" are young people ages approximately 16-30 and ministry with them is called "pastoral juvenil".
Pastoral Juvenil Hispana"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
1 Timothy 4:12
Christus Vivit: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pope Francis launched a synod process in October 2016, seeking to provide a Catholic response to the reality of young people in connection to faith, the community of the Church, and each one’s vocational calling. That journey continued through to the Synod of Bishops in October 2018 and the subsequent release of Christus Vivit, Pope Francis' post-synodal apostolic exhortation, in April 2019. In Christus Vivit, Pope Francis writes “to young people and to the entire people of God.”
We recommend visiting our online guide for Christus Vivit, and our Upcoming Opportunities page for upcoming opportunities related to discussing and implementing Christus Vivit.
IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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YYAM resources