Finding God Between The Gutters
Thomas wasn’t looking for religion when he walked into his first bowling night with Indy Catholic. He was simply a 25-year-old looking to make new friends and find a sense of community. After returning to Indiana and feeling somewhat adrift, he searched online for local sports leagues. What came up wasn’t just a league—it was a door. One that would lead him, eventually, to the Catholic Church.
The bowling league became a weekly rhythm. Over time, Thomas built lasting friendships with other young adults—none more meaningful than his friendship with Andrew and Natalie, a Catholic couple whose warmth, humility, and genuine friendship began to reshape how Thomas saw faith and fellowship. “They never pressured me,” Thomas recalls. “They simply invited me to be part of their lives.”
After nearly a decade of participating in Indy Catholic's intramural sports and social events, Thomas’ journey took a turn he didn’t expect. Through life’s highs and lows, Thomas began to sense a quiet, persistent invitation. Encouraged by Andrew, he joined OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes. Though he briefly stepped away due to personal struggles, he returned with renewed conviction and was joyfully confirmed into the Catholic Church in June of 2025.
Building Community and Faith Through Friendship and Authentic Encounters
The Young Adult and College Campus Ministry of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis is behind programs like Indy Catholic—the very space where Thomas’ story began. Led by Director Meagan Morrissey, this ministry reaches hundreds of young adults across central and southern Indiana. From Theology on Tap to volunteer events, sports leagues, and campus outreach, the ministry is intentionally low-pressure, relational, and rooted in authentic encounters.
“Today’s young adults are not the future of the Church—they are the Church right now,” Morrissey says. “We meet them where they are—in gyms, breweries, lecture halls, and coffee shops—and walk with them toward deeper purpose and lasting community. It starts with friendship, and sometimes, it leads to faith.”
Indy Catholic and similar ministries are especially vital in a world that often isolates young adults. As more people work remotely and spend time online, opportunities for real, human connection grow scarce. This ministry helps bridge that gap—offering young people not only a place to belong, but a chance to encounter Christ in the ordinary moments of life.
The United Catholic Appeal makes stories like Thomas’ possible. Every dollar given helps fund numerous ministries across our Archdiocese—including Young Adult and Campus Ministry—each one a lifeline of hope, belonging, and transformation.
This year’s theme, Go Forth, is a call to action. It’s an invitation to extend our hearts and hands, to walk with others, and to plant seeds of faith in the lives of those we may never meet. When you give to the United Catholic Appeal, you go forth with courage. You go forth with love. And you make it possible for someone like Thomas to walk through the doors of a bowling alley... and find a new life waiting inside.
