Special young adult issue - Cover story - First comes love - How young couples are altering the path to marriage

Oct 13, 2026

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Special Young Adult Issue focuses on love, dating, and marriage decisions among people in their late teens through late 20s. Cover story explains how young couples are reshaping approaches to church teaching on marriage and family. Supporting sections include a countercultural call to delay or reconsider weddings, faith experiences shaped by travel and community organizing, and essays exploring prayer, digital connection, and faith-sharing practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time1 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

S special young adult issue

Cover story

FEATURES

ESSAYS/OPINION

COLUMNS

Girl talk

# Special young adult issue Traveling mercies:A year in Guatemala US.Catholic # Hope is JustAround the Corner...Please Give Today.www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org1-800-919-9338CatholicCharitiesUSA。 Working to Reduce Povery in America.O Phoro:Sreve Liss inthisissuSPECIAL YOUNG ADULT ISSUE12First comes love:How young couples are altering the path to marriagage More couples are creating ther own var at ons on the standard progress on from lovto marrlage-somet mes wth stops in between.HEATHER GRENNAN GARY explores hocouples are tack ng church teach ng on marmiage and fam ly,for better and for worse ## COVER STORY SOUNDING BOARD 18Don't wait for marriage Wth many young adults delaying mariage to ther late 20s,JOHN VANEPP ssues a countercultural cal to put a ring on it in Soundng Board InFeedback readers marmed and singe debate the best age for weddng bells. ## FEATURES 23 In good company Young adults are find ng they have to do somecommunity organizing of their own if they want to make achurch connection,writes CHRISTINA CAPECCHI. 28 Traveling mercies After eight months in Guatemala,ALEXANDER ZOLTAI had to saygood-bye to new friends,but he took with him fond memoriesand a deeper faith,along with the images in this photo story. 37 Goal keeper DAWD MLCAHY may be young,but he's already scored big with his ideasto fight poverty,writes In Person author DANELP.SMITH. ## ESSAYS/OPINION Om-schooled 32 V.hat's the connect on between Hndu yoga and Christian prayer?It's all in the way you stand,writes MM.HUBELE Or s t.Or kneel.Or le down iPray 35 It turns out there's an app for that,too,writes CHRISTOPHER WLLSTON,who catalogs some ofthe best ways for dig tal-age Catholics to stay connected to the divine. BYO faith 47 Sodalit es may have an old-school feel,but they do share some things with today's fa th-sharinggroups,writes JOHANNA HACHin Practicing Catholic.For one,they both start around thekitchen table. 51Word of God,Word of life Though not qute a rock star,the late Eugene LaVerdiere,SSS helped U.S CATHOLC readers fnd n the B ble rock solid fa th,writes Executive Ed tor MINRAD S H R E D.4 Editors'Note8 The Examined Life5 You May Be Right LETTERSBryan Cones ## COLUMNS DEPARTMENTS PROBLEM CHILDREV9 Signs of the Times NEWS10 Catholic Tastes HUMOR39 Margin Notes Kevin ClarkeUNION MADE IN CHINA42 Culture in Context REVIEWS40 Culture in Context46 Glad You Asked IS SOCIAL JUSTICEPatrick AMcCormickTHE SAME AS SOCIALISM?NO FRE RIDES49 At Home with Our Faith44 Testaments Alice Camill50 Eye of the BeholderWORDS OW SDOMJerry Blcen OFA ontheweb More spirituality on your smartphone·U.S.CATHOLIC on relationships:uscatholic.org/dating love love s how s how rse. rse. editors'note- ## Girl talk Both in therr late 20s,editorsMegan Sweas and Tina Her-man talk relationships frontwo very ditferent stages oflife: Megan:Well,I'n single.My boyfriend and I broke up,andaccording to "Don't wait for narriage”(pages 18-22),I'm destined tobe a spinsteror divorced because the best marriages start when you'reyoung.I should have gotten married inmy early 20s like you did! Tina:Yeah,I joke that I was a child bride,but I don't think mymarriage is any better than those of my friends who married later. Megan:Why did you get married so young then? Tina:We were good little Catholic students who met at ouruniversity's Newman Center.We wanted similar things in life andfigured we would navigate young adulthood together.My husband and I were and still are best friends,andour relationshiphas always been based onmutual respect.It nade sense to us.So whathappened between you and your boyfriend? Megan:We met in college,but likeso many young adults,we spent our 20sfiguring out who we are as individuals andputting education and careers over therelationship.As it turned out,we don't sharethe same priorities in life.We weren't on thesame page—let alone in the same state! TomAWrght Tina:So it's ac

FAQs

What is the main theme of this Special Young Adult Issue?

Love, dating, and marriage decisions shaped by faith, personal priorities, and church teaching among young adults.

What does the cover story say about young couples and marriage?

It describes how couples are creating their own variations on the standard path from love to marriage, sometimes with stops in between.

How do other sections address marriage timing?

The Sounding Board section argues for reconsidering traditional expectations, focusing on young adults delaying marriage and debating the best age to marry.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Jiven