Why go to Mass? Teens answer

Feel like sleeping late on Sundays? So have seventh-graders Nolan Driscoll and Erica Norton, and seniors Natalie Terry and Kwang yeon Lee.

The focus group of students from Catholic Central High School in Troy shared about their experience with reluctance to go to Mass and how they deal with it.

Snooze time

The teens all admitted they've had weekends when they weren't wild about spending time in church. Wanting to stay in bed on Sunday was their biggest excuse.

"After a whole week of school, you feel like you can sleep in," explained Nolan, who goes to St. Augustine's parish in Troy.

Natalie, a parishioner of St. Jude's Church in Wynantskill, remembered that "getting me out of the house was the struggle" when she rebelled against going to church -- particularly since her family attends an 8 a.m. Mass on Sunday.

"It's just that it's so early, and there are so many other things to do," she remarked, adding, "but I realize it's only an hour of your time."

The teens noted that with their busy schedules, even weekends don't often provide much down-time. Kwang yeon, an exchange student from Korea, said that his host family sometimes goes to the Saturday vigil Mass at St. Bonaventure's parish in Speigletown so they don't have to get up early on Sunday mornings.

No lectures, please

All the teens said they understood why their parents attend Mass and want their children to do the same. Their church is "a place we can all be together, and it helps us grow in our faith," said Erica, whose family attends St. Joseph's Church in Troy.

Natalie noted that her parents grew up going to church regularly and got more involved in parish activities when they were encouraging their children to do so.

However, the focus group agreed that it isn't motivating when parents lecture teens on why they should go to Mass.

"When they say, 'You have to be religious,' it prevents our freedom," Kwang yeon complained. "We're teenagers; we think we can do anything we want!"

"The more they push you, the more you don't want to do this any more," Nolan put in.

Invitation

Both seniors recalled a recent instance when their class was asked to encourage more singing at school liturgies by singing themselves.

The students took on the challenge because they weren't forced to do so but asked for their help.

"The seniors made a real effort to sing; we wanted to get everybody involved," Natalie observed. Conversely, "it puts a damper on things if somebody yells at you to do something. It doesn't help when people are harsh."

Being involved

Involvement and encouragement are key, according to the teens. Nolan, Kwang yeon and Erica have all been altar servers, while Natalie is a Eucharistic minister and lector. All the teens have participated in youth ministry activities or service projects, as well.

Mass "is more interesting when you're up on the altar," said Emily. "You know what's happening next."

Since a lot of her friends signed up to be altar servers, too, they spent time talking about who was going to serve at which liturgy or work on a particular service project.

Nolan said that more than half his class last year were altar servers, so that when servers were requested for a special Mass, "seven or eight hands would shoot up. If you see your friends doing something, you think you might like to do it, too. We used to want to be in the Mass -- to be involved."

Age links

Nolan wanted to stay involved because of the feedback he got from parishioners and the Augustinian Fathers who serve his parish.

"My priests always say I do a good job altar-serving" and that they like seeing him in church, Nolan explained. "It makes you feel you've done something important."

Natalie approved of a parish effort to unite older parishioners and teens: for instance, youth ministry members working with members of the Altar Rosary Society.

"When we got together, it formed a bond," she said. And "helping out at youth ministry stuff is motivating" in keeping teens active in their faith.

Staying involved

All of the teens plan to keep going to church, even after their parents no longer make the decision for them. In fact, the group agreed that the hour they spend at Mass each week is often the only time they have to sit still and "de-stress."

"I like to go, because I always feel refreshed" afterward, said Nolan. "I never feel that way any other time during the week. It's a great time to settle down. Without church, I'm never sitting down and relaxing!"

Kwang yeon, who was one of the winners of The Evangelist's teen essay contest this year (see page 4), echoed that thought: "Going to Mass relaxes me. It's just me and God."

As he heads toward graduation, he said, "I recently started to think religion is a big part of me. I think about God more than I used to. When I go into that 'God zone,' it reduces a lot of my stress."

While the teens called Mass "something you can hang onto" as their lives change, they also hoped their peers would find things that made them want to practice their faith.

"Don't think you have to" go to church, Emily advised. "Do it because you want to."

(11/10/05) [[In-content Ad]]