On the Coolness of Being Catholic

"When I was 17 years old I wanted to convert to Buddhism. Raised by a Catholic family and forced to attend religious education classes until I was almost 13, I’d had enough of what I perceived to be an overly-conservative institution that relied on 'Catholic guilt' and strict adherence to doctrine.

"So, I sought out a way to be spiritual; a way to be a good person without being handed a rule book on how to do it. Buddhism seemed like it fulfilled this need. However, a year later I found myself a college freshman on the campus of one of the largest Jesuit universities. A year after that, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church, marking a complete 180 from my momentary fling with Buddhism.

"Despite my own spiritual journey back to Catholicism - a journey which is similar to that of many other young adults, many media reporters are claiming Millennials, such as myself, are rejecting religion in droves. If anything, Millennials are aligning themselves with a new and perhaps more effective way of practicing their faith."

In a recent commentary, Shanna Johnson, a student at Loyola University Chicago, reflected on why being Catholic "is cool again" and on how this is reflected in the actions of Millennials.

To access Ms. Johnson's complete post, please visit:

U.S. Catholic: Blogs: Being Catholic is cool again (January 2016)