In order to encourage you to go to the National Catholic Singles Conference in Atlanta this year, let me take a few moments to reflect back on the 2014 National Catholic Singles Conference which took place in San Diego—and what a great conference it was!
Thank you so much to everyone who came out. It was such fun for me to work at the CatholicMatch Institute booth and meet so many of our subscribers and others who had questions about the work we do here at the CatholicMatch Institute.
I also enjoyed talking with some of you personally—Julie, Justin, Lisa and others—who were kind enough to give me a few moments of their time to talk about their impressions of single life and their conference experience.
In this video I ask if it is difficult to meet single Catholics in your area. Many of you shared that you feel alone and it is very difficult to meet like-minded Catholics.
There is one additional thing that stands out to me from the weekend. I love that the National Catholic Singles Conference partners with the CatholicMatch Institute in hosting the National Catholic Singles Conference.
NCSC does great work in encouraging folks who are single. And let's be real—it truly is great work! The real reason that the CatholicMatch Institute and the NCSC are so eager to work together is because we care most about Catholic singles. We care about you and your future.
One of the main things I took away from the weekend was the need we all have to accept God's plan for us.
Right now I am single and rather than lamenting this turn of fate, NCSC encouraged me to ask—what plan does God have for me to serve his Church right now, in this single state of life?
The speakers encouraged us to strengthen our relationships with God and develop chaste relationships with one another. They challenged us to work on our own faults and to learn to live a selfless life now—for God and for a future spouse if that is God's plan.
But rather than dwell on the when, we should do something active now! And this is exactly the question that I asked single Catholics at the conference. Take a look at what they are doing to prepare for marriage right now:
This topic is particularly important to me because I write often about how we are called to live in relationship. That's one reason why conferences like this are so important—what better place to meet new, like-minded folks who become friends? And I don't mean romantically, though if that does happen, all the better for you!
Conferences like this help people to come into their own and build a better relationship with God and with one another. The best marriages happen when people are satisfied with who they are as persons. Why wouldn't you want to go to an event like this?
I invite those of you who attended the conference to share your best conference memories here so we can have double the turnout in Atlanta!
