As the concluding prayer settled into silence at the 10 a.m. Mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in New Carlisle, Indiana, the celebrant Fr. Brian Carpenter stepped forward with the parish announcements. In addition to the typical calls for volunteers or reminders of upcoming parish events, there was one announcement that caught the congregation's attention.
There would be a change to the Thursday evening Mass schedule, Fr. Carpenter told us, beginning immediately. The 5:30 Mass would be bumped back one hour to begin at 6:30. Eucharistic adoration would follow immediately after Mass, he added, available for an hour as well.
And I could have jumped for joy.
Now, let’s be clear: I don’t live anywhere near St. Stanislaus Kostka. I was a visitor for the weekend to this small church that sits nestled in a sea of cornfields, just a ten-minute drive from my childhood home in South Bend. If I’m at St. Stan’s, it’s because I am visiting my parents for the weekend.
So why would I be so excited about a new Mass schedule? Because of why the change was made. Fr. Carpenter explained that he made this decision “after holding listening sessions with 20-to-30-year-olds, many of whom were working professionals. These changes were being implemented so that young people could be involved in the parish.”
After initiating conversations with young adults—both current parishioners and local curious Catholics—and asking them about their spiritual needs, he realized that for young professionals to be able to get to Mass and Eucharistic adoration, the parish needed a slight change in schedule on one evening during the work week. And thanks to him, now a young professional who wasn’t free to make earlier parish events during the week, could still have an encounter with Christ at least on Thursdays after work.
Fr. Carpenter’s action is a heartwarming testament to the loving community he seeks to nourish at St. Stanislaus Kostka. He had the courage to listen to young adults as they described how the parish schedule was failing to meet their spiritual needs. Then he boldly acted to open wide the church doors and welcome to the Eucharist young working professionals eager for connection with the Lord.
There was something astonishingly bold and beautiful in this: a modest parish, opening itself to young adults immersed in the demands of their careers, who were nevertheless eager to come to the Eucharistic Lord.
A Parish with Open Arms
A 6:30 evening Mass followed by Eucharistic adoration may sound like just another Mass on the schedule to most people. But for a young professional, it’s a dream come true. It allows us to get to Mass without racing straight from work or cutting short precious time at home, only to rush into the church a few minutes late. On rare occasions—if we hurry—we might make a 5:30 event on time. But for most of us, that’s the exception rather than the rule.
“Rushing” is a key word in the young adult experience: we rush to work, to the gym, to church, to the store, to someone else’s house, or to a social event. It’s a lot of running, driving, and constantly glancing at our phones to check the time.
To always be on the go is certainly exhilarating, at least a good part of the time, but it can also become quite exhausting. To nurture our most meaningful relationships, we desperately need to carve out intentional time to put all else aside and catch up. No rushing required.
This is especially relevant in nurturing our relationship with the Eucharistic Lord. We long for time to decompress, to talk to Jesus about our lives, to reflect deeply, and to listen. We crave space to give the Lord our rapt attention and sort through our day with his eyes. But to do so, we need to unwind from our day-to-day worries so we can focus on the ways the Lord has worked through our 9-to-5.
By moving the Mass back an hour, Fr. Carpenter showed he understood young adults’ need for time, for mental space, and for spiritual communion. Now not only can South Bend young adults encounter the Lord with time to spare, but that extra hour builds in the crucial space for them to catch their breath after the workday so they can enter that sacred time with open hearts and focused attention.
Open Those Doors!
It has always surprised me how many volunteer opportunities and religious groups meet during the 9-5. So when I find a bible study, Mass, or the opportunity for Eucharistic adoration scheduled in the evenings, I’m sure to be there.
After-hour availability of the sacraments and community have always been at the forefront of my search for a home parish. It was what brought me to St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, when I lived in the Chicago suburbs. It was also why I became a parishioner at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in West Lafayette, Indiana, just a few months after I moved there. These parishes recognized the importance of offering Mass and opportunities for Eucharistic adoration and prayer at a variety of times that worked for everyone.
Offering young adults consistent opportunities for community, connection and rest outside of the 9-to-5 workday is generous and courageous. It makes it possible for them to nourish their spiritual life by helping them keep the Eucharist at the center.
And sometimes all it takes is to move one daily Mass one hour later.
Colleen Schena is an Indiana-based writer with a passion for the stories of disciples moved to action by the Eucharist. She has a degree in theology and spends her days working with college students and young adults to foster Eucharistic community in West Lafayette, Indiana.
