Surprising Turnout is Great News for Catholics in Cleveland - Latin Mass Retreat Ignites Young Adults

 Ready for some wonderful news in the Diocese of Cleveland?




This past Saturday at Mary Queen of Peace, a tremendous turnout of nearly sixty young adults showed up for a first ever Advent Retreat sponsored by the St. Oliver Plunkett Club.  


The day long retreat began with a Traditional Latin Mass and included Confessions, Holy Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and three inspiring talks by local priests.  Father Doug Brown gave the opening address on preparing for Advent; Father Daniel Bowen spoke on St Joseph; and Father Kevin Estabrook gave the keynote address on the Immaculate Heart of Mary.





The Oliver Plunkett Club is only in its first year and the retreat was scheduled quickly in time for Advent, so organizers were initially hoping for 20 maybe 30 attendees for its inaugural retreat.  The fact that over twice as many folks as initially expected ultimately turned out shows how hungry young adults are for authentic Catholic teaching. Young adults are clearly tired of the ugliness and chaos the world is serving them and are seeking the Good, the True and the Beautiful that can only be found in the Catholic Faith.





As the Catholic Church struggles with recent scandals and declining church attendance, the Oliver Plunkett Club seems to offer hope and a roadmap - particularly given the club’s amazing success attracting young adults.  To engage the young, it is not necessary to ape the world they are rejecting, but rather, embrace the timeless beauty and truth they are seeking.


The opening Latin Mass at 8am on a Saturday had well over 120 attendees.  The club is one of the fastest growing young adult clubs in the diocese.  Although in existence less than a year, OPC has helped raise funds for inner-city parishes, fed the poor, clothed the needy and organized prayer vigils outside PreTerm.  And it is just getting started.






“The devil fears hearts on fire with love of God.” St. Catherine of Siena


Well over 500,000 Catholics in Cleveland currently skip Mass every Sunday.  As our diocese begins its listening process for the synod, it should pay particular heed to the voices of these young missionary disciples who are engaged in their Faith, who are on fire with the love of God and who are bringing friends and family back to their true home, the Catholic Church. 



 


If you would like to get involved with the Oliver Plunkett Club, OPC meets after the 5:30 Latin Mass at St. Ignatius of Antioch on the second Monday of every month for a friendly get together..It also plans a service project every month in addition to the social on second Mondays.  Upcoming events include Advent carols in front of PreTerm on Sunday, December 19 from 1:30 to 2:30pm in conjunction with the Solanus Casey Project.  Christmas gifts will also be distributed to folks in the neighborhood at this event..





The Oliver Plunkett Club wishes to give thanks to the moms from a local Rosary Group who rallied their troops and provided a delicious lunch.  (Special thanks to Molly, Cheryl and Kelly and the rest of their Rosary Group).  And of course, many thanks to the awesome Fathers Brown, Estabrook and Bowen.




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