Bishops invest in future of the Church

At their semi-annual meeting last week in Kansas City, the American bishops made an investment in the future of the Catholic Church by unanimously adopting a 75-page statement titled "Renewing the Vision -- A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry."

It has become commonplace -- and accurate -- to say that Catholic young people are not just its future but also its present because they are involved right now in so many ministries, service works, prayer experiences and many other aspects of Church life. However, we cannot forget that the Church of the next millennium will be theirs to lead. They will be the bishops, priests, vowed religious, deacons, parish council and hospital board members, and active laity of the 21st century. They will be the evangelizers, catechists, Catholic school teachers, social workers, pro-life activists and spiritual directors as the third millennium unfolds.

To assure that that century's Church is bright with faith, alive with prayer and active in social justice, the bishops passed their document, which calls youth ministry "a top priority for the entire Church community." The message, a follow-up to one passed in 1976, expands on it, as one bishop noted, by "recognizing that youth need to be incorporated into the full life of the Church" and that "the whole parish community needs to be responsive to the needs and concerns of youth."

The statement okayed last week outlines three essential goals for youth ministry: empowering young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ...drawing young people to "responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community"...and fostering "the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person."

We expect that the bishops' action will pay dividends not only now among young people but also within the same group as they pass through young adulthood and middle age and into their senior years.

(06-26-97) [[In-content Ad]]