Catholics learn how to attract youth to Church

The event, held at St. Pius X in Loudonville, drew more than 200 priests, youth ministers, youth, religious educators and others. It was sponsored by the diocesan Office of Religious Education, Office of Prayer and Worship, Continuing Education of Clergy and Catholic School Office.

The day was led by Tom Tomaszek, lead author of the NFCYM document, "From Age to Age: The Challenge of Worship With Adolescents." A campus minister at Alverno College in Milwaukee, he has worked in that Archdiocese's Youth Ministry Office.

Involving youth

Through a series of small group discussions, larger group sharing, presentations and music, Mr. Tomaszek discussed ways to incorporate youth participation in parish liturgies.

A skit at the beginning of the in-service provided a glimpse into the lives and concerns of youth, parish priests, parents and youth ministers.

Jonathan Sozak, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist in Schenectady, who conveyed the concerns of youth in the opening skit, said, "People like to keep youth ministry away from other parish activities. Why do we have to have a separate youth Mass. Aren't we good enough for every Sunday?"

Mr. Tomaszek challenged participants to see youth as part of the current Church, saying: "It takes a millennium thinking to see young people as right now. If a young person is only part of the future Church, they aren't part of right now."

Barriers

He asked participants to think about if it would be better to have youth involved in parish life to the degree that they are able to be rather than not at all. If a young person is a talented musician, could a parish use that talent two Sundays a month rather than each Sunday?

Expecting young people to make adult commitment is a mistake. "We have to honor adolescence for what it is," Mr. Tomaszek said. "As adults, if we expect them to be children, shame on us. If we expect them to be adults, shame on us."

The gifts of adolescents can enliven the whole parish community, he noted. These gifts include vision, questioning, service, enthusiasm and prophecy. "The idealism of young people energizes our own vision," he said.

Blocks

* Teen styles (nose rings, hairdos and clothing) are viewed as inappropriate by some adults for wearing to Church;

* Some teens prefer to stay in the back of the church during liturgies;

* Some teens talk during services; and

* Teens often prefer to sit with their friends rather than family during liturgies.

Mr. Tomaszek did not have solutions to all of those challenges. "Sometimes, it's enough just for them to be there," he said of youth attending Mass. "Young people don't go to things alone. We need to encourage them to attend with their friends and know they are going to talk."

Invitations

Katie Hoose, a 14-year-old from Sacred Heart parish in Gloversville, agreed to the importance of personal invitation, noting: "You have to invite kids. You have to make it exciting so they want to be a part of it."

In fact, she was at the in-service as a result of personal invitation. She had attended Spring Enrichment, a week-long Office of Religious Education program, where she was told of the in-service and invited by Mary Harrison, associate director for youth ministry of the ORE.

In-service

"Set up apprenticeships," he said. "Not just `here let me show you what to do' but 'walk with me.'"

For example, he encouraged priests to bring youth with them on hospital rounds, and parish groups like St. Vincent de Paul Societies to invite youth to join. When young people become involved in Church ministry, they are less apt to fall away from the Church later in life.

Go and come

"We need to tell the stories that we left," he said. "The questions don't stop. Some of the questions we still struggle with."

It is also common for young people not to want to go to Sunday Mass because, they say, they get nothing out of it. "If we didn't get much out of Mass, we have to ask what we put in," Mr. Tomaszek said. "We substitute Mass for the real experience. It's much easier to watch football than to play it. We're a people who like to watch. If we haven't been living the experience, of course, it's going to be boring."

Young people also don't understand that their presence at liturgy can enrich the experience for others. Mr. Tomaszek asked: "Do our young people hear us say, `We're less when you're not with us'?"

Inviting liturgies

"Music is tough because everyone has their own opinion of music," he said. "It can be multiple styles. It's the sound of music that makes a difference -- the rhythm and the percussion. People will sing more when you sing songs they like."

He encouraged parishes to look to young people's musical gifts. Teens who play instruments should be personally invited to participate in the parish music group with the understanding that they might not be able to commit to every weekend.

In order to preach well, Mr. Tomaszek said priests must listen first. He encouraged holding regular focus groups with youth to get an understanding of what is happening in their lives.

Seeing Church

The importance of visuals was demonstrated at the beginning of the inservice when brightly colored banners depicting the charisms of youth led the prayer service procession.

Another important visual is facial expression. "We need liturgical faces," Mr. Tomaszek said. "If it's `Good News,' you better tell your face."

In discussing the importance of community, Mr. Tomaszek urged "radical hospitality." Radical hospitality moves beyond greeters and communicates the importance of each member of the community. "It is how your life is a part of my life and how my life is different because of it," he said.

(06-25-98) [[In-content Ad]]