What is the YAG?

The YAG (short for Young Adult Get-Together) is a weekend every July at St. Gertrude the Great Church in West Chester, Ohio, a little north of Cincinnati. It brings together single sedevacantist Catholics ages 18 to 35 from all over the United States and beyond. Most years, between 70 and 100 people come.

Why it exists

Traditional Catholic young adults are spread thin. Many grow up in a chapel with only a handful of people their age, or none at all. The YAG gives them one weekend a year to be in a room with dozens of others who share their faith, and to come home with friends in other states and countries.

What happens

Every day starts with Mass. Around that there are talks by the priests of St. Gertrude’s, meals together, a bonfire, square dancing, board games, sports and a famous Nerf battle. Mostly, though, there’s a lot of talking: in the car, over pizza and late into the evening. About half the people at a typical YAG have been before, and newcomers are pulled into the group from the first evening.

Is it a matchmaking event?

Not officially. The goal is friendship, and nobody should come expecting to leave engaged. That said, the YAG has a habit of producing weddings. Since 2017, about 30 couples who met or courted at the YAG have married, and you can read many of their stories on the Weddings page.

Who runs it

The YAG is organized by volunteers under St. Gertrude the Great parish. The organizer goes by the title of YAGermeister: Colleen Eldracher (now Klabenes) revived the YAG in 2017, and Nathaniel Arnold took over in 2024. The history page tells the longer story, back to the original YAGs of the 1980s.

Want to come?

See YAG 2027 for dates, tickets and the requirements for attending.