WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Washington hosted a young adults holy hour at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Chinatown last Thursday evening. The holy hour, known as Christ in the City, drew over 50 Catholic young adults for an evening of prayer and fellowship.
“It started in the summer of 2003 and a group of young adults got together and asked what can we do spiritually for young adults,” said Sarah Yaklic, Coordinator of the Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Washington. “It kind of took off and now it actually happens in two places in our archdiocese. The second Thursday is in downtown D.C. and on the final Thursday of the month happens out in Rockville.”
The event started out with a group prayer, one that involves the Virgin Mary. “We usually open with a rosary, and then we move into eucharistic adoration,” said Yaklic. The adoration consists of praise and worship music, scripture readings, scripture reflections, silent meditation, and confession.
Father Thomas Morrow provided the reading from Galatians 6:14 and scripture reflections for the evening. “If we are going to follow Christ as he said, we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him,” said Father Morrow. “There’s going to be a cost.”
Brian M., a Catholic young adult who attended the event said, “It felt like it was a chance to take a few minutes out of the city and just meditate and do something different. It’s definitely a peaceful experience. You get a chance to be introspective.”
Sarah Yaklic said of the event, “I just think it’s a really good opportunity for young adults to come together because we live in a world that is so fast paced and so demanding that it’s beautiful to sit together before Jesus and the blessed sacrament and have moments of silence to be loved by him and offer him our prayers”.
