Young adults focus on role in Church life

This time, they gathered to talk about their role in the Church. Rev. James Walsh, associate pastor of St. Pius X Church in Loudonville, told the 20 young adults present that he wished to serve not as a lecturer but as the moderator of a dialogue. He got that started by asking the young adults what they believed the Church was not doing to serve them.

That question sparked the entire night's discussion and provided those present with a forum to voice their hopes and concerns for the future.

Gap seen

"Many events are geared towards families with children," said Christine LaVarnway of Our Lady of Grace parish in Ballston Lake. "There's nothing to meet our needs."

Bill Valosin, from Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville, feels that singles are largely ignored within the framework of parish life. In a Church where all people should be welcome, "singles have been treated as odd," he said.

Closed

Timothy Bonner, a parishioner at St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Gloversville, has noticed that sometimes "a lot of people are closed to young adults," specifying that some parish councils and priests can unwittingly or purposefully shut their ears to the petitions of young adults.

Brian Evers, a coordinator of youth ministry at St. Pius X Church, argued that that attitude doesn't necessarily mean that the parishes don't want a young adult ministry; "it's just that they don't know what to do."

Driven away

"Maybe young people don't feel welcome," said Ms. LaVarnway, mentioning that people have been rude to her in church simply because of her age. "They think that if you are in your twenties, you are not reliable, interested or responsible, when the opposite is true."

Sara Barrett was driven away from regular church attendance partly because of a lack of support in her old parish, saying that youth ministry ended at 15 and support didn't begin again until the young adult became a parent.

Rick Daigle, a parishioner at St. Clement's Church in Saratoga Springs, knows that he belongs at Mass, but not necessarily in his parish family. "There's nobody my age to talk to or connect with. When Mass is done, I'm out," he said.

Solutions

Mr. Bonner believes that encouraging young adults to be active in their parish by giving them a voice in parish affairs or simply listening to their concerns can make a significant difference in young adults' attendance and involvement with their parishes.

"You gotta hit the nerve; you gotta make the connection," said Connie Beemer, who is a member of the diocesan Young Adult Ministry of Albany (YAMA), which hosts "Theology on Tap." "Parishes are afraid of what they don't know, but they also don't know what they're missing."

Another YAMA member, Tanyalynette Rosmarino, a parishioner at St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Gloversville, agreed, referring to the adults present when she said that "the gifts and talent in this room alone would knock your socks off."

First steps

Ms. Beemer, who attended World Youth Day, indicated that young adults are thirsty to be involved with the Church, and that giving them an opportunity to speak, be heard and be seen within the context of parish and parish council will begin to seal the gap between the two extremes of young and old.

"The Pope gave us an incredible message," she said. "He told us that we are the Church of today. He told us what he wants us to be now: disciples of Jesus Christ."

(For more information, visit www.yamalbany.org.)

(09-12-02) [[In-content Ad]]