About

Catholic Underground was founded by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York City – www.franciscanfriars.com. It is a direct response to a call that began with Pope John Paul II, and is continued by Pope Benedict XVI. JPII said that because the Gospel lives in conversation with culture, we must be fearless in crossing the cultural threshold of the communication and information revolution now taking place.

The first part of the evening is Eucharistic adoration, and begins with Vespers (Evening Prayer). This is the universal prayer of the Church – prayed by the Catholics throughout the world in every time zone and in every language. After Vespers, there is a time of simple praise. This provides a window for each person to personally encounter Jesus Christ. The beauty of the darkened Church illumined by candles helps us enter the mystery of our Lord’s presence in the Eucharist. The holy hour ends with solemn Benediction.

For the second part of the evening, we move downstairs for a social gathering and a performance. Here we experience the “new evangelization”. Catholic Underground/CT showcases Catholic artists and promotes modern Catholic culture for today’s generation. The event may include music, poetry, visual art, dancers, film, drama, etc.

We end our evening as we began, with the prayer of the Church. Compline (Night Prayer) is simple and beautiful. It concludes with a hymn to Our Lady.

The following video shows Fr Agostino Torres of the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal giving a poetic presentation about what Catholic Underground is supposed to be about.

 

To learn more about the history and background of Catholic Underground, follow this link…