By Sam Lucero, Catholic Herald Staff

MILWAUKEE — It’s the latest craze in young adult ministry since Theology on Tap, and ministry leaders in the Milwaukee Archdiocese are hoping adults ages 18 to 35 will plug in to iPray. Like Theology on Tap, which brings young adults together in a social setting to learn about Catholic theology and other religious topics, iPray seeks to offer young adults a chance to experience several forms of prayer — all in a non-threatening and relaxed atmosphere.

According to Laurie Kish, director of the Office of Young Adult Ministry, the new program was conceived about one year ago during a strategic planning session. “We were brainstorming ideas to reach out to young adults,” she said. “I thought, what if we did different kinds of prayer experiences?” The idea blossomed as discussion continued.

“There are so many different kinds of prayer in the Christian tradition, and we wanted to expose young adults to them,” added Kish.

Young adults are looking for ways to grow spiritually, said Kish, citing a recent example. “At one of the Theology on Tap sites, a young man asked me, ‘Is the Our Father the only way to pray?’ There’s a real need to equip young adults to experience different forms of prayer.”

While the idea of offering prayer experiences seemed to have potential, marketing the program to a young audience presented another challenge. The answer came to Kish while visiting the Harry W. Schwartz Bookstore.

She picked up a copy of MacWorld magazine which had an Apple iPod on the cover. “I was looking at the article about iPods and that’s when the idea for iPray clicked,” she said. “It obviously speaks to this generation.”

Kish said that numerous factors have come together, making outreach to young adults a fruitful endeavor in the church today.

“The success of Theology on Tap, the hunger by young adults to be connected to their faith and to God, and parishes concerned because they are not seeing young adults in church — this could be the perfect storm,” she said.

The inaugural iPray session was held Jan. 13 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Milwaukee. The focus on this session, led by Capuchin Fr. Michael Bertram, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, was the Liturgy of the Hours.

This form of prayer includes official liturgical prayers sanctifying the parts of each day. According to the Catholic News Service Stylebook on Religion, church law requires ordained ministers — bishops, priests and deacons — to pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily. Some religious orders also require their members to observe this prayer.

Once referred to as Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Hours consists of morning prayer, daytime prayer, evening prayer, night prayer and the office of readings. The latter is suitable for use any time of the day or night.

“Church norms encourage all Catholics to make it, especially the primary hours of morning and evening prayer, part of their prayer life,” according to the CNS stylebook.

Kish said that Fr. Bertram “did an amazing job explaining the Liturgy of the Hours, and its history as the common prayer of the church.”

On Feb. 10, the second of a six-part iPray program for 2006 was held at St. Joseph Church in Wauwautosa. The focus of this session was Taize prayer.

Taize prayer comes from the ecumenical society in the village of Taize, France. Founded by Br. Roger Schutz in 1940, the Taize community today consists of more than 100 brothers who take traditional monastic vows. Young adults from throughout the world make religious pilgrimages to Taize each year, seeking to deepen their relationship with God.

In addition to the movement’s dedication to reconciliation, Taize has spawned a meditative style of worship music based on Scripture, particularly the Psalms. Repetition is a hallmark of Taize music and it is intended to promote meditation and prayer. To learn more about Taize and to listen to sound clips of Taize music, visit the community’s Web site.

Jim Gill, director of adult formation at St. Joseph, showed a video of the Taize community in France. He explained what the movement is about and how it has grown. Gill also led the group of about 20 adults in singing hymns written by members of the Taize community.

Next up for iPray is the Stations of the Cross, which will be held March 10, 7 p.m., at St. Anthony on the Lake in Pewaukee.

The Stations of the Cross are a traditional Catholic Lenten devotion that date back to the 1500s. Villages in Europe began creating small shrines of the way of the cross as a way to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Fourteen of these shrines, or stations, were eventually created, and today these Stations of the Cross are found inside churches as decorative wall hangings. Leading the March 10 iPray gathering will be members of the Milwaukee TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) Community and Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan.

For those interested in an online stations of the cross meditation (English or Spanish), go to this link on Creighton University’s Web site.

The remaining iPray sessions for 2006, all beginning at 7 p.m., include:

• Practicing for the Triduum, April 7, St. Vincent Pallotti Church, 201 N. 76th St., Milwaukee. During this session, participants will learn more about the three days preceding Easter Sunday, known as the Triduum. They will walk through the various rituals and actions that take place in Catholic worship, including washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, veneration of the cross on Good Friday, and Baptism on the Easter Vigil.

• Eucharistic Adoration, May 12, St. Mary Church, 1260 Church St., Elm Grove. Participants will learn about the history and practice of this increasingly popular devotion (see “Quiet hour with Jesus,” Catholic Herald, Jan. 26; read online at this link.

• Walking the Labyrinth, June 9, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 3722 S. 58th St., Milwaukee. In this session, young adults will have an opportunity to learn about the labyrinth as a path of prayer.

All iPray sessions are free and registration is not required. For more information go to the Cross Connected web site, or contact Laurie Kish, (414) 769-3361, or by e-mail

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