Young Adult Ministry

A ministry for those in their 20s and 30s. New to the area or have specific interests? Send us an email or click below to be added to our email list and receive our monthly email newsletter.

Purpose

Anchored in the Catholic faith, the Young Adult Ministry (YAM) identifies spiritual, service, and fellowship opportunities for young adults (18-40) to strengthen their faith. YAM provides apostolic ministry at the service of others and is a welcoming community for Holy Name Cathedral for all to encounter Jesus Christ.

Staff Liaison
Fr. Ton Nguyen

Pope Francis once said, “Dear young people, the Church expects great things of you and your generosity. Don’t be afraid to aim high.”

In response to this invitation, we offer three guiding pillars to help you aim high and let Christ come alive in you:

1. Communion—fostering formation and fellowship
2. Prayer—through small group journeys
3. Service—through various opportunities to serve others

Communion With Jesus

His Mission and His Ministry

“Then He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me… ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” Luke 22: 19-20. The goal of our first Pillar is to deepen young adults’ communion with Jesus Christ by helping them to know Jesus, who poured out His life and made Himself the Bread of Life for us as a gift. We aim to bring others to encounter Jesus through the Eucharist, community-building events, social and sports activities, and various formation talks. Our hope is to enable our community to know Him as His disciples did, fostering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to create a space for young adults to get to know one another.

Monthly Gathering – the First Sunday of each month

Join us on the first Sunday of each month after the 5:15pm Mass, in the Courtyard or Clubroom, for an evening of fellowship! Enjoy dinner, connect with other young adults, and engage with a relevant topic in a relaxed social setting.

Our next event will be on Sunday, April 6 following 5:15pm Mass

Young adults are warmly invited to join us for an evening of dinner, a talk, and fellowship. We look forward to gathering in community and deepening our understanding of Franciscan spirituality through the lens of the Eucharist.

Our guest speaker will be Sister Mary Ann Spanjers, OSF is a Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity currently part of the vocation team with an emphasis on outreach to young adults. She is a theology teacher of many years the last nine years at San Miguel Cristo Rey high school, Tucson, AZ with previous experience teaching as an adjunct at the former Holy Family College, Manitowoc, WI; in the Green Bay diocese adult education in English and Spanish. She has a Master in Theology and Religious Studies from St. John University, NYC. Sister Mary Ann ministered for ten years with her congregation in Lima, Peru and the mountain villages of Otuzco.

Monthly Hour Holy – Second Wednesday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Pope John Paul II often said, “From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.” Take time to pray before the Eucharist and reflect.

Our Next Monthly Holy Hour will be a special event: Live Stations of the Cross

Young Adult Small Groups

Young Adult Frassati Small Groups

What is the Frassati Small Group?
Inspired by Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Frassati Small Group is a fellowship of young adults who desire to live a life of holiness, in imitation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, within our modern era. Forming a small group will create opportunities for members to deepen their faith via sharing spiritual conversation, forming good disciplines, and developing authentic friendship.

Young Adult Bible Study

Join other young adults in their 20s and 30s as we gather for Bible study every Tuesday at 7:00pm in room 209 or 201 at the Holy Name Cathedral rectory, 730 N. Wabash Ave. We’ll explore the Bible, pray together, and grow in fellowship as young adult men and women in Chicago. Our current focus is “God’s Covenant Plan,” using materials from the St. Paul Center Institute. No advance registration is needed. 

Young Adult Ministry: Service

Answering Jesus’ Call: Service and Charity

“For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay, you invited me in, and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison, you visited me.”

(Matthew 25:35-40)

Service means working alongside God in the great effort to restore Eden. Answering Jesus’ call to live a Christian life means serving Him through acts of charity for our community. Our goal is to help young adult parishioners understand the true meaning of living out their Christian duties, rooted and grounded in charity. As we serve our city’s residents, we are directly serving Jesus.

Service Opportunities
Migrant clothing and toy drive, beach cleanup, and various other service opportunities within the parish to help integrate young adults into parish life. These include the Thursday/Friday Suppers Ministry, Gardening Ministry, World Day of the Poor, Feed My Starving Children, Chicago Food Bank, and more.

Mission Trip to Peru in March 2025
Our Young Adults went on the Peru mission from March 13 to March 21. Click on the link below to read their daily journal and see the photos. 

“I will go anywhere and do anything to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him.”
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.