Our residents always look forward to Friday nights with our friends from Christ in the City. There is no pressure, no agenda, no “must-turn-up-that-night-or-else.” Our residents know they will be spending a fun and relaxed evening with young people who are simply glad to be with them. 

One night they may all join together for a board game; another night, a Christ in the City guest may bring a guitar for a sing-along. When they break into smaller groups the conversations are personal, the way one would talk to a friend. 

Officially, the visitors are called missionaries, but there is no formality or distance between them and the women of the Julia Greeley Home. Without pushing or preaching, these young people from Christ in the City bring the love of Jesus Christ to the residents in the most effective and loving way possible — one person at a time.

By its own description, Christ in the City is “a Catholic program dedicated both to forming young adults, volunteers, and the greater community to be lifelong missionaries and to knowing, loving, and serving the poor.”

The organization now serves six cities, including Denver, New York and Los Angeles. The movement was inspired by the 1993 visit to Denver of Pope John Paul II, sometimes called “the young people’s pope” for his uncanny ability to relate to younger generations and inspire them to love Christ, and to share their love with others. 

In 2011, Christ in the City began with 15 young people who committed themselves to living in community, learning about their faith, and serving the poor. The program became part of the Christian Life Movement (CLM) as the service arm of their mission in the United States. In 2019, the program has expanded to form 27 year-long missionaries in Denver and started 3-week summer programs across the US.  

Christ in the City describes their outreach as “making friends … coast to coast,” and we are grateful and honored that among their growing number of friends are the women of the Julia Greeley Home.