Revival in the Air

The polls and pews tell the story of a crisis of faith, where over 80% of young people are leaving the church within ten years of Confirmation. Over 50% of Americans raised Catholic no longer identify as such. More than 70% of American Catholics no longer attend Mass regularly.

 

But let us seize the hope before us! Of those who remain Catholic after college, 89% identify a particular event or experience that triggered their faith commitment. Enter Damascus, a missionary movement that exists to provide events and experiences, to reverse the above trends and rewrite the story towards renewed hope and life in Him. 

 

Damascus provides an environment of encounter with Jesus to thousands annually through world-class camps, retreats, and conferences while forming lifelong missionary leaders for the Church. This past summer, over twenty youth from central Iowa, two adult leaders, one priest, and one archbishop traveled to Damascus' Catholic Youth Summer Camp in Ohio and experienced  a week of high-adventure activities leading to high-adventure faith.

 

The Response in Iowa

A group of Iowans who want to see the Church full and alive again are galvanizing and partnering with Damascus to bring their world-class experience to Iowa. This evangelization team is composed of parents, grandparents, youth ministers, clergy, former Damascus missionaries, and more who live and work in all four Catholic dioceses of Iowa. The result is Awaken Iowa — an opportunity for the many to gather around the presence of the Lord and experience God in a new way.

 

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, Awaken Iowa will take place in Cedar Rapids at Veterans Memorial Coliseum and welcome over 1,000 youth, young adults, families with younger children, grandparents, older adults ... in essence, anyone! This is a one-night experience designed to reinvigorate the Church with a fresh understanding of who the Holy Spirit is and inspire a passion for life in union with Him. This is accomplished through a world-class experience that is unlike any church event or service before it. 

 

At Awaken Iowa, every person in attendance will be invited to draw near to God and respond to His invitation with prayer. Those gathered will experience:  

• A welcoming and joyful atmosphere,

• A Jesus-centered, mission-focused, and joy-filled team of Damascus missionaries engaged in the community,

• A high-quality production event with worship, dynamic preaching, and opportunity for a prayer response, and

• An environment where the human heart encounters the love of God in a personal and powerful way through heartfelt prayer and Eucharistic adoration.