Background & Purpose of Theology-on-Tap
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The concept of Theology-on-Tap began through St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, IL, with a conversation in 1981 between Fr. Jack Wall and then college student Tim Leeming. Like so many others in their 20s and 30s, Tim was struggling to find meaning. He said, “Father, I know what I’m doing. I just don’t know why I’m doing it. Can our church help me with the “why” questions? Fr. Wall, working with their youth minister, Mr. Tom James, began laying out a forum for addressing those “why” questions. By the time Tim and his peers returned home from college that summer, there was a 6 week speaker and discussion series in place for them at St. James. They called it “Theology-on-Tap,” and it has become the premier program of catechesis and evangelization of young adult Catholics in the United States and beyond. The first night of the program drew 250 young adults. By the sixth night, more than 400 young adults attended.

Theology-on-Tap was originally designed as a six-week summer program for young adults, college age through their thirties, married and single, in the Archdiocese of Chicago. It was a weekly opportunity for a group of parishes to gather young adults for a speaker, conversation and theology. One parish assumes responsibility as the “hosting site,” and works collaboratively with neighboring parishes. Theology-on-Tap works best with the support, cooperation and presence of parish staffs and young adults from multiple parishes.

Theology-on-Tap has spread throughout the country and beyond as a significant opportunity for dioceses and parishes to focus some time, attention and resources on one of the most overlooked groups of people in the Church today: people in their twenties and thirties. Interestingly, the average age of registered Catholics is about 49. The average age of American people is about 34.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, the program has been hosted in as many as 52 parishes simultaneously. In 2005, we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the program. Over those years, 199 different parishes, universities and organizations in the Archdiocese of Chicago have hosted the program at 3,384 different sessions. Additionally, 46 States in the U.S. have hosted or are currently hosting the program, including Alaska and Hawaii, along with 6 other countries: Saskatchewan, Canada; Rome, Italy; Taipei, Taiwan; the Philippines, Cork, Ireland; and North Point, Hong Kong.

Looking ahead… Renew International is creating new materials to support those hosting the program, and is assisting the efforts of the Young Adult Ministry Office in the Archdiocese of Chicago by taking Theology-on-Tap around the world. Also, the Young Adult Ministry Office is in the process of building a website for Theology-on-Tap, so that no matter where young adults travel, they will be able to find the nearest TOT hosting site.

Rather than offering Theology-on-Tap for four, five or six consecutive weeks during July and August (strategically placed to include all college students home for the summer), most sites around the country offer the program once a month, for six to nine consecutive months. Also, rather than hosting the program on parish grounds as has always been the case in the Archdiocese of Chicago, many other groups prefer to host the event in a restaurant or bar. There are pros and cons to where and when to host the program. What’s important is that those who are serious about hosting the program gather young adult leaders and together find a venue that will work well.

There are many types of people who fit into the category of young adults. Over the past twenty-five years, parishes have chosen to use Theology-on-Tap to outreach and invite one or more types of young adults to participate in the program. Some parishes have a large resident college population who are home for the summer. Theology-on-Tap is a great way to gather returning college people. Some parishes with many apartment buildings, condos and townhouses in their community are becoming increasingly aware of the need to outreach young singles and young couples who are not as present in the parish as they could be. Theology-on-Tap is a great vehicle to reach those young adults.

Many young adults are the parents of the children being baptized today, as well as the parents of the children in the early grades of parish schools and religious education programs. Many of these parents received little formation from the Church fifteen or twenty years ago when they were in their formative years. Theology-on-Tap is an opportunity to present these young adult parents with the Catholic religious tradition they missed or took for granted. Being parents makes everything different. A good number of young adults have stayed connected to their parishes. Theology-on-Tap is a wonderful opportunity to make those younger parishioners feel welcome and at home by their church.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, the program comes to an end every summer when Cardinal George gathers this all participants for Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, followed by a picnic at his residence. This tradition was started by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, the former Archbishop of Chicago, who developed a special relationship with young adults. He presided at the Theology-on-Tap Mass with young adults and hosted them at his residence every year until his death in 1996. Also, in his homily at the Theology-on-Tap Mass in August of 1985, he said, “If I had children of my own, they would be your age. You are very special to me and to this Archdiocese.”

Francis Cardinal George continued that relationship with young adults in 1997. As soon as he arrived as the new Archbishop of Chicago, he enthusiastically agreed to preside at our Theology-on-Tap Mass and host over 1,000 young adults at a picnic on the grounds of his residence. In a letter inviting young adults to attend the Mass and picnic, Cardinal George said, “You are very important members of the Church. Your energy, talent and faith will give me much help as together we build up our local Church to be a vital presence in the Chicago area. Together we can continue the mission of Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel of love, forgiveness and holiness to all the places where we live and encounter others.”