Young Catholics keeping the faith

That question was posed to five Catholics attending "Living in Your Spirit: Preparing for the Journey," a recent retreat sponsored by the Albany diocesan Young Adult Ministry. It was held at Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville.

Here are the responses:

* Kim Yund, St. James parish, Albany: My faith is not grounded in man, but rather in God. There is nothing that "keeps" me Catholic. God is in the Church I attend; that keeps me going.

* Anne Della Rocca, St. Francis de Sales parish, Loudonville: What is happening makes me sad, but it's my faith that keeps me Catholic. If I were to abandon the Church over its current problems, what kind of statement would that make about my faith? This isn't the first time that the Church has had problems. I have faith that the Church will learn from its struggles and move on toward a productive future.

* Heather A. Lessan, Assumption/St. Paul Church, Mechanicville: The sense of community from our Church, and the ability of the Church to "bounce back" from troubling times and admit when something was wrong.

* Rendell Torres, Christ Sun of Justice parish, Troy: It is because the Church is undergoing a crisis that I stay Catholic, because I love the Church and the Church needs its faithful and their prayers more than ever. It is my conviction that God can make something good out of anything, and the grave mistakes of some in the Church unavoidably compel us to be active faithful and to show the world what love of Church truly is.

* Tanyalynette L. Rosmarino, St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church, Gloversville: The Catholic Church is my family, and being Catholic is a part of me. Just as I wouldn't turn my back on a family member who is in crisis, neither will I turn away from my Church that needs my support and my prayers most now. Just as a family has its ups and downs, so has the Church over the last 2,000 years. There are no events out of the control of God's will. The victims will become stronger in spirit by overcoming the abuse, and the Church will grow through community support and understanding of the humanity of our priests.

(04-18-02) [[In-content Ad]]