‘Young Catholics Today: What’s Happening and Why?’

Why are younger Catholics less likely to be engaged with the Church?

That’s the question Bill Shea, director for the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, plans to explore during the fourth annual alumni/ae colloquium at the College of the Holy Cross from March 28 to 30.

The colloquium’s title — “Young Catholics Today: What’s Happening and Why?” — provides the focus for the gathering.

Shea cites studies that report the decline of practicing Catholics in general and especially among the millennials, the generation born between 1980 and 2000.

“Some of us are, frankly, baffled and would like nothing better than to get the story straight, get an explanation, and get some guidance for the future,” says Shea. “We are inviting Holy Cross graduates of all ages to join in our inquiry, to hear what the experts have to say, and to ask them questions.”

Speakers will include:

• Rev. Raymond Kemp, a senior fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center and director of Preaching the Just Word, a WTC program. He is immediate past pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Catholic Church (1986-1992) and former pastor of St. Augustine’s, both historic African-American churches in Washington, D.C.

• James V. Davidson, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Purdue University and author of seven book-length studies of the Catholic Church.

• Dean Hoge, Ph.D., Fellow at the Life Cycle Institute of the Catholic University of America and author of six book-length studies of the American Catholic Church.

• Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D., senior research associate professor at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University where she conducts research and manages the CARA databases on the American Catholic church. She is a specialist in Catholic demographics and has published four book-length studies of American Catholics.

Joining them will be 10 undergraduate student leaders from Holy Cross, and 10 current faculty members.