Dana Catherine addresses young adults during a retreat in St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton. Elizabeth Zimak photo
UPDATED Sept. 4, 2025
“What are the plans God has for me?”
About 25 diocesan adults, ages 18 to 39, considered that question during an evening retreat at St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton.
PHOTO GALLERY: Dana Catherine leads young adult retreat
The retreat, titled, God’s Plan for You: Living Life with Identity and Purpose, was held Aug. 28 and hosted by the Young Adults of Southern Burlington County. The group, which welcomes members from in and around the Trenton Diocese, is a partnership between St. Isaac’s and three other Burlington County parishes: St. Mary of the Lakes, Medford; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Maple Shade.
“We’re trying to actively minister to people and make this one big community of fellowship in Christ,” said Peter David, one of the group’s leaders and a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish.
After dinner and fellowship, the young adults gathered in the chapel, where they heard a talk by Catholic speaker and recording artist Dana Catherine. Originally from Freehold, Catherine now resides in the Nashville area and regularly performs and speaks at Catholic events around the country.
Catherine began with one of her original compositions, “Surrender Song,” then told how she discovered her own identity in Christ.
Finding a new identity
During her high school days, Catherine defined herself by what some might call “worldly” standards: as a soccer player, a good student, and someone who loved to talk. “I liked that people saw me as Dana: someone who set goals and reached them.”
However, when she arrived at college in North Carolina, all of these preconceived notions about her identity were challenged. She began spending her time with other students, whom she saw as overly preoccupied with the ways of the world.
Desiring to fit in with her new friends, Catherine transformed herself over the course of a month. “I went from the girl who was voted ‘Most Talkative’ in school to being this less confident version of me.” As the weeks went by, she stopped participating in events on campus and began commuting home as often as possible.
During this time, Catherine’s projected career path was also in jeopardy. Originally intending to go into the medical field, those plans were scrapped when she discovered that she had an aversion to blood. “All of a sudden, that path I had set up for myself, where I was in control…it wasn’t there anymore.”
In that moment, Catherine chose to deepen her relationship with God.
“As I got to know Him, I realized that I’m a child of God,” she said. “I stopped looking to the world to tell me who I was, because I knew how loved I was and that I was His.”
Eventually, Catherine sensed that the Lord was calling her to a career in music, a path she still pursues today.
“When God allows your dreams to be crushed, that’s when that still small voice of the Holy Spirit says, ‘Actually, this is what I have for you, and it’s so much better than anything you could have imagined,’” she said.
Kyle McBride of St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, said he was pleased with Catherine’s message, adding that it is extremely important for young adults to “find their identity in God instead of the world.”
David said he also found Catherine’s points relevant.
“God always has a plan for you,” he said. “It’s up to us to work with Him, so that we can truly find our purpose in life.”
Monitor correspondent Elizabeth Zimak captured a group photo with speaker, Dana Catherine.