SALT LAKE CITY — The Diocese of Salt Lake City has formed a young adult council to support Catholics between the ages of 18 and 40, seeking to bridge the gap that often exists between high school youth ministry and active adult parish life.This initiative is vital because young people are already the heartbeat of the faith, said Michael Edwards, the director of diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry. "They're not the Church of the future. They're the Church of now, and they're going to be leading us here very quickly."
The inspiration for this diocesan-wide group grew from the Zion young adult organization, a local group that had been active for about five years.  Zion was spearheaded by young adults from various parishes along with Father Dominic Sternhagen, the former pastor of Saint Ann Parish who is currently on leave outside the diocese. Hannah Myers, a St. John the Baptist parishioner, was one of the organizers of the young adult organization.  
Recognizing that the ministry needed a more sustainable structure, Myers, along with seminarian Michael Weight, sought Edwards’ help to add prayer to the community’s gatherings and to organize into a formalized council. The diocese hopes to provide reliable resources, fellowship and spiritual direction that aligns with the goals of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, Edwards said. 
The spark for this transition was the arrival of Edwards as the diocesan youth and young adult director. Recognizing this new resource, and facing the departure of Fr. Sternhagen, the Zion group’s organizers saw a need for formal pastoral support. Finding such capacity is often difficult because "our priests are already at their max capacities," making it the right time to attach the organization to the diocese, Myers said.
The new structure is incorporating representatives from each parish to serve as a voice for local activities. More than 500 members of the council have already connected through group chats, and hundreds more are following on social media. Bishop Oscar A. Solis has expressed full support for the council as it moves toward official authorization.
To ensure the council effectively serves the needs of all young adults, leaders are working with Father Joshua Santos, the council’s spiritual director, and Angel Garcia, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. Fr. Santos was the Church’s young adults administrator for the Philippines when he served there, “so he's a great resource to have on our hands, and it's been really a blessing,” Edwards said.
Representation on the youth council is growing fast, and now includes members from the Cathedral of the Madeleine, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, and several other parishes. The council is also focusing on university students at schools like the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Southern Utah University to ensure they feel at home in the Church.
Looking forward, Myers envisions a collaboration offering activities, service and prayer for all young adults in the diocese. The biggest challenge for young Catholics in Utah is "having consistent opportunities to gather in community," she said, noting that past efforts were often not sustainable. She also hopes the council will be able to attain access to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during non-working hours, because young adults who work during the day often are unable to attend this devotion when it is traditionally scheduled.
For young adults to get involved in the council, the first "Catholic Connections" event will be May 15 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Orem. This meet-and-greet will allow young adults to socialize and share their interests. A similar event is being planned for June, and the group is currently holding a contest to design an official logo.
Edwards, who is the father of two young adults, is excited about the new council. 
“It's really nice because there's not a lot of Catholics in the state of Utah, obviously, and anything that we can do to help get young Catholics together to create a social life and definitely deepen their spirituality and their faith is just a bonus for the Church in general,” he said.
Information about the young adult council can be found by scanning the QR code on the image that accompanies this article, at https://dioslc.org/young-adult-ministry or by emailing [email protected]. The website is still being updated with specific parish representative links, but Myers is eager for the road ahead. 
"I'm just excited for this to continue developing," she said.