Catholic 20 Somethings Survey 2012 Interim Results
If you are interested, interim results (as of 1/21/2012) are available below. There are multiple tabs in this Excel document, each open-ended question received its own tab, while all of the statistical responses are on the first tab.
In the first tab, the highlighted cells are the modes (the option that was picked the most) for each row. “n” refers to the number of people who answered that question.
If you have any questions on how to read this document and understand the numbers, please contact Matthew (matthew@catholic20somethings.com).
If you would like to discuss any of these results, you may contact any of the Leadership Team members, Sabrina, Kevin, Travis, or Matthew. (leadership@catholic20somethings.com)
Remember, the survey will stay open until the end of the month and final results will be published in early Feb 2012.
Thanks!
Click to Download : Catholic 20-Somethings 2012 Survey - Interim Results
January 2012
Congratulations to Katharine on being Member of the Month for January!
Katharine Brumbaugh
Name: Katharine Brumbaugh
Age: 23
Birthday: August 22
Job: Graduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering
School: The University of Texas at Austin (Grad School); Purdue University (Undergrad)
Grew up in: Minnesota, Colorado and Illinois
Fav. Movies: All Disney, Count of Monte Cristo, Sabrina (Bogart version)
Fav. musicians: Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Mumford and Sons, Josh Turner
Fav. activities: Cooking and baking, walking/hiking, playing string bass
Fav. foods: Anything chocolate, fruit, peanut butter
Fav. prayers: My quiet time with the Lord every week
Fav. scripture verse: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough troubles of its own. ” Matthew 6:34
What does being Catholic mean to you?
Intimate communication with God each week through communion and prayer.
Why is your Catholic faith important to you?
It’s the only place I truly feel connected with God, Jesus and Mary.
What is your favorite part about the Catholic 20-Somethings?
All the awesome people and fun events! I’ve met some of my best friends through the 20-Somethings.
December 2011
Congrats to Ian, member of the month for December!
Name: Ian Hoffman
Age: 23
Birthday: March 11
Job: Test Engineer for National Instruments
School: University of Oklahoma! Boomer!
Grew up in: Oklahoma City, OK
Fav. Movies: Shawshank Redemption, Man On Fire
Fav. musicians: RJD2, Smashing Pumpkins, Explosions in the Sky
Fav. activities: Krav Maga, Haganah, anything athletic
Fav. foods: Bratwurst, Phad Kee Mao, Pineapple Cake
Fav. prayers: Morning Prayer of St. Patrick
What does being Catholic mean to you? To me, being Catholic is about having a community that I can rely on wherever I go. The people that I meet are inspirational, always reminding me that I can be a better person and serve others in everything that I do.
Why is your Catholic faith important to you? My faith provides a constant in my life. It’s the only thing that has always been with me, and it is reassuring to always have it by my side.
What is your favorite part about the Catholic 20-Somethings? I love the people of the 20-Somethings! They’re an incredible group that is always aspiring to help each other in any way that is possible. This also extends over into all the service opportunities that are available through the group (my second favorite thing about the 20-Somethings).
November 2011
Marie Granado
Congrats to Marie for being Member of the Month for November!
Name: Marie Granado
Age: 25
Birthday: August 2
Job: Pre-School Teacher
School: University of Texas at Austin
Grew up in: Dallas, TX
Fav. Movies: The Red Violin, Lock, Stock and Two Smokin Barrels, Super Troopers
Fav. musicians: Muse, Mumford and Son, Incubus, Toadies
Fav. activities: Volleyball, oil painting, wood carving, singing (karaoke!)
Fav. foods: Anything Thai
Fav. devotions: St. Theresa, my confirmation saint
Fav. prayers: My constant conversation with God
Fav. scripture verse:
Trust the Lord with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He shall direct your paths
- Proverbs 3:5-6
What does being Catholic mean to you?
Being Catholic to me means living my spirituality internally and also sharing it with the community of the Church and everyone else too.
Why is your Catholic faith important to you?
My Catholic faith is important to me because it gives me the support and understanding I need throughout my spiritual journey.
What is your favorite part about the Catholic 20-Somethings?
My favorite part about the Catholic 20-somethings is meeting amazing people who share the same spiritual desires while also celebrating our differences, often with a good beer 
Angels Among Us
In the Austin area, there are many ways to participate in building a culture of life and love. Some of us do so through volunteering with 40 Days for Life, promoting the good works of organizations such as the Vitae Clinic, Catholic Charities, Heroic Media, Texas Alliance for Life, volunteering with Mobile Loaves and Fishes and so much more. When people ask me about how they are called to build a culture of life and civilization of love, I always say that that is a conversation that they need to have with God in prayer but that as Catholics we are all to promote the dignity of the human person, and it looks different for all of us!
Lauren Anderson, a chemistry doctoral student at UT, a newlywed, and parishioner of St. Louis Catholic Church, volunteers for the St. Louis Gabriel Project as a Gabriel Angel.
Lauren first heard about this ministry through announcements in the parish bulletin, weekend campaigning and at a stewardship fair. The fear of not knowing what being an Angel would be like, initially kept her from volunteering; however, she was also experiencing a tug in her heart to do more.
After some self-reflection, she realized when it came down to her faith all she “had was an opinion and an understanding” but felt shewas not physically doing anything to make the world a better place. When asked what inspired her to volunteer, she said, “We can talk about being pro-life and respecting life at the beginning of conception but what about those women who are scared and in need of some help, whether emotional or financial, when it comes to keeping a baby? If we don’t help those women then we are just using words.” Lauren felt someday she wanted to be able to say she was doing more than just talking about respecting life - - she was doing something about it. “There are women out there who are thinking about having abortions and do not believe that people will help them if they decide to keep the baby. If every parish and every church (regardless of denomination) had a Gabriel Project then these women would know they have resources and people to turn to. I can find a crib and car seat for them. I can bring them diapers, bottles and baby clothes and it is one thing they can be less anxious about.”
When asked how she finally overcame her reservations, Lauren said she realized all she needed to do was ask God to give her the courage to go out and serve mothers in need and He did. She encourages those who are hesitant to join this ministry “to just pray to the Lord for guidance and He will give you the strength you need.” She went on to suggest, “The easiest way to listen to God? Go to adoration! It is a beautiful thing to be in the Lord’s presence.”
In Lauren’s 18 months as a trained Angel, she has had an opportunity to serve three Gabriel moms. She is currently meeting with two women that just had their babies – one had a boy and the other had a girl. She is humbled that during their pregnancies these moms opened up their homes and their lives to her. She loves that she was able to bring them some baby items during their pregnancies. “And now, I’ve been there to say hello to their babies and hold them and tell these two moms that their babies are beautiful. It fills my heart with joy,” she said.
Lauren said the training provided by the Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living helped her by allowing her to play out some scenarios she may encounter as an Angel and this really helped put her mind at ease. During this training she also enjoyed getting to meet others who were actively seeking to serve women in crisis pregnancies.
When asked what blessing she has received as a result of taking on this mission work, Lauren replied, “What more can we ask for than to know that we have listened to God’s call and answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening?’ My faith has gotten stronger and that has a big impact on my health, my day-to-day activities, and how I feel about my future, not to mention the people I have met. Also, the gift of being around so many pregnant women and being there to see their babies - - the gift of life is a mystery and now I am able to experience its joy in abundance.”
Lauren and her husband Mathew have been married 14 months and they hope to expand their family once Lauren graduates. In the meantime, she is dedicated to using her I time and energy in this ministry as she is sure her experiences “can only make [her] a better mother and wife.”
–Rebecca Niemerg
If you are interested in learning more about the Gabriel Project and how to be a Gabriel Angel, please join us for a Gabriel Project Training on Saturday, November 12th from 9 AM to 4:30 PM at San Jose Parish in Austin. You can register by contacting Rebecca Niemerg at the Office of Pro-Life Activities and Chaste Living at rebecca-niemerg@austindiocese.org
October 2011
Geoffrey Miller
Name: Geoffrey Miller
Age: 23
Birthday: January 7, 1988
Job: Graduate Student and Research Assistant
School: Texas State University, San Marcos
Grew up in: Austin, TX
Fav. Movies: The Passion of the Christ, The Fountain, Dragonfly, Batman: The Dark Knight, The Land Before Time
Fav. musicians: Lisa Gerrard, Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Chloe Agnew
Fav. activities: Reading, Creative Writing, Mathematics, Conversation
Fav. foods: Chick-fil-A and Chocolate
Fav. devotions: Daily Office, Bible Reading
Fav. prayers: Jesus Prayer, Rosary, Serenity Prayer
Fav. scripture verse: John 1:5
What does being Catholic mean to you?
Being Catholic means enjoying a seat at God’s family table. A rich fare of spiritual food is continually served from an unbroken Judeo-Christian religious tradition stretching back for thousands of years. There’s no other religion like it, and the best part is, it’s true.
Why is your Catholic faith important to you?
God sustained me through the various trials of growing up with a physical disability. Knowing that there’s a great crowd of victorious Christians cheering us on from the other side gives me the strength to keep going. If there were no place of final joy and rest, all life would come to nothing but despair and futility. My Catholic faith is important to me because it gives meaning to everything else.
What is your favorite part about the Catholic 20-Somethings?
Definitely the people. I love making new friends and getting into interesting conversations. I’ve learned so much from everyone and I hope the bonds I’m building will last well beyond my 20s and into eternity. Also, thanks for introducing me to deep-fried cookie dough!
September 2011
Congrats to Lindsay Wilcox for being our Member of the Month!
Name: Lindsay Wilcox
Age: 25
Birthday: August 30 (which is so awkward because I’ve always worked on the academic calendar, so I’ve always *just* met a ton of new people right before it rolls around)
Job: campus minister at the University Catholic Center at UT in Austin
School: University of Maryland undergrad, Notre Dame for grad school
Grew up in: southern Maryland, but also Japan and Germany (I’m an Air Force brat)
Fav. Movies: The Truman Show, Men in Black, Miss Congeniality, What Women Want, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Nemo
Fav. musicians: Switchfoot, Matt Maher, Lifehouse, *NSYNC, Aly & AJ (now 78violet), Mandy Moore
Fav. activities: reading, blogging, trivia and party games, hand-writing letters
Fav. foods: French fries and sweet potato fries, fresh spinach, chips of all kinds, orange juice, pasta
Fav. devotions: the Holy Souls in purgatory, the rosary, the Divine Mercy
Fav. prayers: also the rosary, the Angelus, the prayer of abandonment by Blessed Charles Foucault, the Litany of Humility
Fav. scripture verse: Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
What does being Catholic mean to you?
Everything. Currently, of course, it is literally my job to be Catholic (which helps keep me honest!), but I could never have gotten the job without the foundation of faith built up by my Confirmation instructors and all the amazing people I met when I was a student in campus ministry at Maryland. I used to be a high school English teacher, but I never had joy doing that comparable to the joy I have now.
Why is your Catholic faith important to you?
I didn’t go to church for most of my life after being baptized Catholic, except for my pre-Confirmation years. Just after I started college, I got out of a really destructive relationship, and I needed something new to fill that huge hole in the center of my life. I decided to try God instead. I don’t do things halfway, so I moved steadily into a deeper relationship with Christ and others who loved him, too, and it has brought me a joy I never knew I was missing.
What is your favorite part about the Catholic 20-Somethings?
While I was teaching, I also lived in an intentional Christian community of other teachers (all but one Catholic, and she’s Episcopalian). I learned the hard way how important community is, and since I lost all of my communities when I moved to Austin, I hit Google in search of new ones. The Catholic 20-Somethings is a fantastic community to belong to!
