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Café Catholica
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Café Catholica 2026: Rest in Him
The Café Catholica summer series is open to all young adults (ages 18–39) and features dynamic speakers, prayer, and fellowship. Café Catholica 2026 will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Parish (6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston) on four Thursdays: July 9, 16, 23, and 30.
Each evening will include Confession at 5:15 pm, Mass at 6:15 pm, Dinner at 7:15 pm, and a Talk at 8:15 pm. This year’s theme is “Rest in Him.”
Come for all or part of the evening—no registration is required and donations are accepted.
Further information regarding speakers and topics will be available soon. For more information, contact the Office for Young Adult and Campus Ministry at [email protected]or 713-741-8778.
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Café Catholica Lite: May 21st
The next Café Catholica Lite will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 7:00–8:45 PM at Mary Queen Catholic Church (Friendswood, TX). Our guest speaker, Joseph Matrangelo, owner of Zelie Beans Coffee, will present a talk titled “Discerning the Vocation of Marriage: How It Can Save You!”
Discerning marriage is not simply about discovering whether God is calling you to marriage, but also about discovering who will help you live this life well and prepare for the next. In this talk, Joseph will explore how the Sacrament of Matrimony gives grace to grow in holiness and how, like all the sacraments, it builds upon our human nature. When God calls a couple to marriage, He desires that union to be good, holy, and life-giving. Discerning marriage therefore invites two people to honestly explore their compatibility, desires, and goals so they can prepare a strong natural foundation that is open to the supernatural grace God desires to give.
The evening will include lite snacks, the talk, time for Q&A, and communal prayer.
About Joseph Mastrangelo:
Early in life Joseph knew what he wanted, until God presented His hope for him. He discerned priesthood and religious life with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the Salesians of Don Bosco. He discerned out of diocesan seminary to discern life with the Salesians, then when God revealed that he did not need to be ordained to do what he was called to do. He met his wife, Victoria, while working in ministry at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in West Houston. Together, they have four daughters. He is currently living in Sugar Land, TX, with his wife and four daughters, and owns and operates Zelie Beans Coffee.
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Café Lite: Speaker Bios & Recordings
- Michelle Miller, September
- Michael Gormley, November
- Stacy Allen Barrow, January
- Apostles of the Interior Life, March
- Joseph Mastrangelo, May
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Michelle Miller, MS, LPC
Michelle Miller is a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Luz de Luz Counseling, where she provides a safe, faith-centered, and trauma-informed space for healing and growth. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of St. Thomas and has experience serving individuals, couples, and families in both private practice and Catholic settings. Michelle and her husband, Darnell, are parishioners at St. Matthew the Evangelist Catholic Church in Houston and cherish time with family, prayer, and daily walks. Beyond her work she loves journaling, praying the rosary, going on daily walks and spending time with family over cafecito and pan dulce.
September 18, Talk Recording:
"You are not what hurt you"
Resources for Mental Health:
Scroll down and look for Resources Titled "Resources for Cafe Catholica Lite Talk on 9/18"
Worksheets — Luz de Luz
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Michael Gormley, Mission Evangelist for Paradisus Dei
Michael has been leading evangelization and ministry efforts for the past 17 years, both as a full-time parish staff member and as a speaker and consultant for parishes, dioceses, and Catholic campus ministries. He has his Undergraduate Degrees in both Philosophy and Theology and a Masters in Theology and Christian Ministry, from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He currently serves as the Mission Evangelist for Paradisus Dei, a ministry dedicated to helping men, couples, and families discover the superabundance of God. Michael is also the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, the co-host to two successful Catholic podcasts: Catching Foxes and Every Knee Shall Bow. He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and they have 4 amazing children and get 3 hours of sleep a night, which is fine by him.
Talk Title: The Sheer Joy of Evangelization: How to win souls without losing yours
November 20th, Talk Recording:
"The Sheer Joy of Evangelization"
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Stacy Allen Barrow, Judge in Harris County, TX
Stacy Allen Barrow is the first elected Judge of the 487th Criminal District Court in Harris County, Texas. Prior to becoming an elected Judge, in 2022, Judge Allen Barrow was appointed as a Felony Associate Judge for the Harris County Criminal District Courts, where she served in that capacity for nearly three years. Before starting her judicial career, Judge Allen Barrow served as an attorney on an array of legal matters including representing victims of the U.S.S. Cole bombing.
Judge Allen Barrow is a proud 2011 graduate of Howard University School of Law, in Washington, DC, where she served as President of the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team. Prior to attending law school, Judge Allen Barrow graduated cum laude from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and she was awarded the St. Edwards University’s Presidential Award. A native of Colón, Panama, Judge Allen Barrow is proud to call Houston home. Judge Allen Barrow gives back to the community by uplifting youth and young adults, and by regularly participating in activities that help transform the local community. Her subscription to former Howard Law Dean Charles Hamilton Houston's creed, "a lawyer can be a social engineer, or a parasite to society," is readily apparent in the energy and attention she devotes to her work both in and outside of the courtroom. Judge Allen Barrow is the proud wife of Doris Martin Barrow III.
Talk Title: Speak Truth, Judge Well, Make Peace: The Call to True Solidarity in Times of Division
Description: The Church espouses that we are One Bread, and One Body in Christ. Through this discourse, we will explore how we can embody the Catholic Social Teaching of Solidarity in times of division.
January 29th, Talk Recording:
"The Call to True Solidarity in Times of Division"
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Sr. Tatum McWhirter & Sr. Raffaella Cavallin,
Apostles of the Interior Life
The Apostles of the Interior Life are consecrated women who live the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience. They live in community and have prayer at the center of their day. Their ministry is often done on college campuses, and it ranges from evangelization to spiritual formation, including spiritual direction. The Gospel passage that most inspires their charism is that of the Samaritan woman who encounters Jesus face to face at the well and can’t help but leave her jar to immediately go announce Him to everyone she meets (Jn 4).Sr. Tatum is from Nebraska and graduated from Benedictine College. While she was a college student she met the Apostles of the Interior Life who helped her grow in her prayer life and vocational discernment. Once she discerned a call to consecrated life she was drawn
to join the community God had placed in her life and also help other young people through vocational accompaniment and spiritual direction. She has been consecrated in the community of the Apostles of the Interior Life since 2014 and currently lives in College Station, TX.
Talk Title: Growing in prayer & facing its challenges
Description: The thirst for union with God in prayer is in each one of us but sometimes it can be hard to navigate when it is such an interior experience. Sometimes we think we are the only one struggling in prayer but it is not true. What is true is that all those struggles can be leveraged to actually get us closer to God and grow deeper in prayer. The talk will contain motivations for making a commitment to daily prayer and unpack the five most common struggles in prayer.
March 5th Talk Recording:
"The Call to True Solidarity in Times of Division"
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Joseph Mastrangelo
Founder & Owner of Zelie Coffee
Early in life Joseph knew what he wanted, until God presented His hope for him. He discerned priesthood and religious life with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the Salesians of Don Bosco. He discerned out of diocesan seminary to discern life with the Salesians, then when God revealed that he did not need to be ordained to do what he was called to do. He met his wife, Victoria, while working in ministry at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in West Houston. Together, they have four daughters. He is currently living in Sugar Land, TX, with his wife and four daughters, and owns and operates Zelie Beans Coffee.
Talk Title: Discerning the Vocation of Marriage: How it can save you!
Description: Discerning marriage is not just about discovering God's call for you in your life but discovering who will help you live life and prepare for the next. The Sacrament of Matrimony gives grace to become holy and like all Sacraments, it builds upon nature. If we are called to marriage, God desires us to have good and holy marriages. So, discerning marriage is about two individual subjects discerning their compatibility, desires, and goals together so they can better prepare the natural marriage to receive the supernatural graces that God is offering!
Come see Joseph at Cafe Lite in May 21, 2026 at Mary Queen Catholic Church!
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Upcoming Events
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Thursday, May 21
Mary Queen Catholic Church, Friendswood 7:00 pm - 8:45 pmRead More
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We invite all young adults (ages 18-39) to sign up for a Café Connect Discussion Group. These groups will meet in person once a week during the month of July in conjunction with the main Café Catholica program. We will have more than 20 groups available, so young adults can sign up for a time/location that works with their schedule. You do not have to attend the Monday night programs to join a Connect group. Registration will open in June 2025.
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Café Connect Facilitator Sign Up
Are you interested in helping make the Café Connect groups possible to more young adults? Are you a leader of a young adult ministry and want to host a group at your parish? Then, please join us as a Café Connect Facilitator!
Café Connect Facilitators are young adults who volunteer to help lead the discussions for the Café Connect groups. In order to become a facilitator you must:- Commit to attending one of the training sessions offered online
- TBD (from 7-8pm)
- Commit to leading 4 Café Connect sessions in July.
- Discussion Guides will be provided in advance.
- Each Café Connect group will include 3-10 young adult participants.
- Facilitators can choose their date/time/location.
- The day of the week/time should stay consistent for all 4 weeks.
- Plan to recruit young adults to attend their Connect group.
We ask all facilitators to work in pairs. If you know someone who could be your co-facilitator, please let us know. If you don’t have anyone in mind, we can help pair you with another facilitator. - Commit to attending one of the training sessions offered online
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Volunteer for Café Catholica 2026!
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Café Catholica would not possible without caring, generous young adults (like you) who are willing to give of their time and talent to help. If you are interested in serving in 2026 on either the Café Catholica planning team or as a Café Connect Facilitator, please let us know!
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Become a Sponsor for Café Catholica 2026
Please consider advertising your ministry or business with us at Café Catholica. We are anticipating between 700-800 young adults to attend each session. Café Catholica 2026 will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church (6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston). The schedule for each night will include: Confession (5:15 pm), Mass (6:15 pm), Dinner (7:15 pm), and the talk (8:15 pm). The highest time for foot traffic will be during dinner from 7:15-8:15 pm.
If you are interested in sponsoring one or more of our events, we encourage you to register when it opens (registrations will open in May 2026!).Café Catholica 2026 Dates:July 9Archbishop Joe VásquezArchbishop of Galveston-HoustonRegister by July 2!July 16: Spirit Night!*Katie HartfielCatholic Author and SpeakerRegister by July 9!July 23Fr. Patrick Gonyeau, C.PPS.Catholic speaker,Encounter School of MinistryRegister by July 16!July 30Ceclia Flores,Director ofThe Catholic Volunteer NetworkRegister by July 23!*Spirit Night: This is a special night of Café Catholica when we will invite all participants to show some Spirit, either for their school, favorite sports team, or fandom. We hope to especially invite any recent graduates from high school or college to attend as newcomers to Young Adult Ministry.There are two main ways to advertise:- Purchase an ad in our Café booklet. The booklet is handed out to every participant each week and includes information about the speakers and topics, upcoming young adult events, and ads from our sponsors. This is a great way to get your name, ministry, or business seen by hundreds of young adults throughout all four weeks. Total image size should be:
Full Page (vertical) 7.5 x 5 $200 Half Page (horizontal) 3.5 x 5 $100
Graphics must be sent in an image format (JPG, PNG, etc.). Please no PDF files. All graphics need to be sent to [email protected] by June 18, 2026.- Sponsor a table during the event. Sponsors are allowed to sign up for any of the nights, however they will be limited to one table per night (cost is $50). Tables give appropriate groups and businesses the opportunity to educate young adults about vocations, service opportunities, ministries, Catholic religious goods, and more. Organizations are responsible for bringing their own linens and table decorations. The time for the young adults to visit the sponsors will be from 7:15-8:15 pm. Setup is available starting at 5:30 pm each night, and all sponsors must be cleaned up by 9:30 pm. Register at least a week before the event to reserve your spot!
All ads and table displays are subject to approval by the YACM office and venue staff. All Café Sponsors must register online by the deadlines listed above: booklet ads register by June 18th; Tables register at least a week before the event. Please send all graphics to [email protected].Thank you for supporting young adult ministry
in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston!
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Thank you to our Cafe Catholica Summer Sponsors for 2025!
Adore Ministries
Begin Again Counseling & Consulting, PLLC
Cathedral High School
Catholic Beer Club
Catholic International University
Catholic Life Mindset Coaching
Catholic Sports
Concert for Life
Christian Renewal Center
Emmaus Spirituality Center
Archdiocesan Development Office
Gratia Plena Counseling
Guadalupe Radio Network (KSHJ AM1430)
Houston Office of Vocations
Jesuits USA, Central and Southern Province
Loving Choice Catholic Pregnancy Help Center
Luz de Luz Counseling, PLLC
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers
Miles 4 Matthew
Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order
Office of Communications - Texas Catholic Herald
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Office of Pro-Life Activities
Office of Vocations
Office of Worship
Renew FertilityCare
Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
SPIRITUS Ministries
The Houston Coalition for Life
The How To Foundation
Young Catholic Professionals
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Support Café CatholicaCafe Catholica is run 100% through sponsors and donations from young adults like you! Please consider supporting Cafe Catholica to help make sure these events continue. Click below or text the keyword CAFE25 to the number x41444.
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