Detroit — The life of a young adult can be very compartmentalized.

Between work, spending time with friends, seeing the family and figuring out what to do with that mysterious “free time” people keep talking about, incorporating faith into one’s life can be a challenge.

But a new group in the Archdiocese of Detroit is looking to help young professionals take their faith into the workplace. Young Catholic Professionals is a national organization of Catholic professionals in their 20s and 30s seeking to connect with other Catholic peers for personal, career and spiritual growth.

The newly established Detroit chapter has been hosting organizational meetings for the better part of the past year, and on Aug. 1, the group plans to host its launch event.

“Young Catholic Professionals seeks to find people where they are in the workplace,” said Don Smith, a member of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester and president of the Detroit YCP chapter. “We spend 80 percent of our life working. Young Catholic Professionals was created with a three-fold purpose: fostering a Catholic identity in your workplace, connecting with other Catholics who work in a professional environment and seeking out guidance from Catholic executives and leaders in the corporate world.”

Smith said he was working in the hotel industry in Texas a few years ago when he came across the group’s Dallas chapter. After going to a few social events, Smith became impressed with the successful CEOs and investors who spoke at Young Catholic Professionals events.

The Detroit chapter established its leadership team with the organizational assistance of the Archdiocese of Detroit and the blessing of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron to establish the 16th Young Catholic Professionals chapter in the country.

“We had a spot for our original launch, but because of interest, we need a bigger venue space,” Smith said. “We were going to be at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, but we got concerned we didn’t have enough overflow space. In other cities’ launch events (the crowds were larger); Chicago had 520 people, New Orleans had 560.”

Many of YCP’s events are free, including a speaker series that will feature Catholic executives from the Detroit area. People can also sign up for $150 annually for a mentorship through YCP, where young professional Catholics can be paired with mentors to discuss ways to live out one’s faith in the work world.

“I go to a lot of young adult events, and they seem pretty similar, but from day one Young Catholic Professionals seemed to bring together the beauty of the Catholic faith with living in the world,” said Christiana Shabo of Holy Martyrs Chaldean Parish in Sterling Heights and membership director for YCP Detroit. “When I went to my first YCP meeting, I knew that this was what I was looking for. I’m looking to grow my faith with young people who are passionate about their careers.”