Connecting to young Catholics goes beyond the walls of Holy Trinity in Casco and St. Mary’s in Luxemburg for Pastor Dan Schuster. A 2018 Gallup poll shows weekly Catholic church attendance among people ages 21-29 has slipped to just 25 percent, down from 37 percent in the mid-1980s and 73 percent in 1955.  Friday morning bible study with high school students, newly married couples as mentors for those in marriage preparation courses, and even pick-up basketball games are just some of the ways Schuster is helping cultivate its younger base. He says it is important to connect with Catholics at a young age so their faith does not become just a subset of their life.

In addition to its two schools, St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity have approximately 90 kids enrolled in their religious education programs. Schuster hopes to add more worship opportunities in the future while still embracing its traditional weekly liturgy.