6 Summer Ideas for Single Catholics

Ah, summertime! For many of us, it means a well-earned vacation after slaving away for months at our job. For those who work through the summer, it may also mean more time for socializing. Either way, summer has often been seen as the quintessential time to revive one’s social life and/or to start dating once again. 

Stuck on ideas of what to do over the summer? Here are 6 ideas to help you get started.

1. Do volunteer work with your local Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

If you have a heart for helping the poor, what better way than to spend a couple of your free hours giving back? Not only will you be doing acts of charity by helping those who are less fortunate, you’ll also be meeting likeminded people. While the focus is on serving others, you’ll end up making a lot of new friends who will greatly enrich your life.

2. Join a local Frassati USA fellowship group or a young adult group.

Each group varies in activities but the main idea is the same: a group of young adults gathering together to grow in your spiritual lives while doing a variety of activities together. Many of these groups are tied to parishes since a spiritual adviser/director must help oversee the group. If one doesn’t exist at your parish or nearby, talk to a trusted priest about starting one yourself! For more information you can visit FrassatiUSA.org

3.  Attend daily Mass and Adoration more often.

Though this suggestion seems like a “no brainer,” many people shrug off the suggestion because they see their summer vacation as a time to sleep in and rest. I’m not going to guilt-trip you into attending. However, I will say (from personal experience) that the peace and graces received from attending Mass and Adoration more often are amazing. Even if it means sacrificing a bit of sleep or an hour out of your social lives, it’ll be more than well worth it.

4. Get involved with your parish.

Sometimes parishes don’t have a huge budget and rely on the help of others to keep it running. Some people offer to help tidy up the church after Mass. Others sign up to teach catechism or run a youth or young adult group. Look at what gifts and talents God has given you and ask what you can do to give back to your parish.

5. Explore a childhood interest.

Think back to when you were a child. Do you remember what interests you had? Did you once have a love for astronomy but then got too distracted by other things? Consider learning about Monsignor Georges Lemaîtr who introduced the theory of the Big Bang or check out the Tears of St. Lawrence meteor shower that happens every year around the feast of St. Lawrence. Loved dinosaurs or a particular time in history? Visit museums and/or your local library and learn more about whatever interested you. Never lose that childhood sense of wonder.

6. Indulge your inner bookworm.

If you are on the introvert side and the idea of going out doesn’t appeal too much to you, catch up on books that will help your vocation or help you delve deeper into your interests! Read books such as Three to Get Married by Venerable Fulton Sheen (or any of the books previously suggested on this website). I personally love looking up old Catholic advice books from the 1950s and 1960s since I tend to be more on the traditional side and the advice is timeless.

Want to modify suggestion number 5 by learning about something that interests you now, but aren’t too keen about going on a field trip? Check out books from the library or use Google Scholar to learn more about your interests.

Whatever you do, don’t waste the summertime just lounging around, mindlessly scrolling through your phone. Go out, have fun, and remember that we must balance work with play.