On Saturday night, while much of the city rushed past on East 90th Street, another kind of gathering was taking place at Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Catholic Underground, a monthly event hosted by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, brought hundreds of young adults, families, and neighbors together for an evening centered on Eucharistic adoration, prayer, and music. It was standing room only on Saturday, and they said it is normally even more crowded.
The night begins not with a concert, but with silence. At the heart of Catholic Underground is time spent before the Eucharist, offering space for reflection and encounter in a city often marked by noise and constant motion.
“What we would like to do here is to share our love for the Eucharist,” said Brother François Fontaine, the friar who organizes and oversees the event. “That’s really the main point of the evening is the adoration.”
Brother Francois said the goal is to create a place where people can step away from distractions and be present before Christ.
“Our Catholic faith is a faith of the Incarnation,” he said. “God was made man. And as if that was not enough, he made himself Eucharist. He is here in front of us.”
After adoration, the evening continues with live music and fellowship. This month’s guest was country musician Bradley Banning, who traveled from Nashville to perform for the crowd.
Banning, who converted to Catholicism in 2015, said his music is rooted in his own faith journey and his desire to share it with others.
“I hope that people walk away with Jesus,” Banning said. “That’s the whole point.”
Banning traces his conversion to a simple invitation to attend Mass. During his first experience of kneeling in a Catholic church, he said he felt something he could not explain but knew immediately that he was home.
Catholic Underground draws people of all ages, including families who attend together. Kayla Camilo of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in the Bronx attended with her mother said the night offered a powerful reminder of the gift of the Eucharist.
“It was completely beautiful,” she said. “Seeing prayer, confession, and even little children here reminds you how much grace is available.”
As the new year begins, Catholic Underground continues to offer Catholics across the Archdiocese of New York an invitation to step away from the ordinary rhythms of city life and encounter Christ in the Eucharist.
Catholic Underground takes place monthly at Our Lady of Good Counsel on the Upper East Side.