Luke moved from Columbus to Cincinnati in 2022. After attending a candlelight mass at St. Cecilia (Eastside Family of Parishes), he networked with a group of young men who introduced him to a biannual event called “Behold.” This event is hosted by the Center for the New Evangelization (CNE) and consists of a candlelit Holy Hour followed by a lively social gathering.

A year later in the Spring of 2023, Luke attended Behold at St. Monica – St. George Church (Uptown Catholic Family of Parishes), and was introduced to a young lady named Susan. Luke and Susan spoke for a few minutes and developed a friendship. This led to a first date, Mass together, and now. . . Luke and Susan are engaged to be married in August of 2024!

Although these two people did not come to Behold with the intention of meeting a future spouse, they were blessed to meet one another and share the excitement of God’s calling in their lives. When the faithful in our Archdiocese gather before Christ, we are never surprised to see it result in fruit for the Kingdom of God. Luke and Susan’s story is just one example of how the work at the Center for the New Evangelization is creating opportunities for young adults in the archdiocese to connect and seek out their vocation.

Events such as Behold are now more critical than ever as younger generations of Catholics are moving away from the Church in record numbers. Today, children in middle school through college are faced with record levels of loneliness, mental health crises, and hardship. CNE’s Young Adult Evangelization team is critical in developing resources, events, and programs for young people in the archdiocese to come together to worship Christ and bear fruit for His Kingdom.

Paco Patag is the Associate Director of Young Adult Evangelization in the CNE. He states, “Empowering young adults to discover, receive, and respond to their personal vocation so they can go forth and lead as missionary disciples is fundamental to how we, as the Body of Christ, must respond to heal a culture filled with so much confusion about our identity, meaning, and purpose.”

The CNE also oversees “GENESIS,” a one-day retreat for engaged couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony.

– This article was written and submitted for use by the Center for the New Evangelization. 

Your support for the CMA helps fund these and other worthy programs focused on youth, young families, parish directors and educators in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Click here to learn more about the CNE.

Also, keep Luke and Susan in your prayers as they prepare for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in August, 2024.