Youths go beyond in service

Amid the crunch of school, sports, work and social activities, Catholic teens at St. Madeleine Sophie parish in Guilderland go beyond their faith formation requirement in their charitable efforts.

"All the kids are very interested in service," said Laura Conroy, the youth and young adult minister at the church. "They want to have meaningful opportunities where they make a difference."

For her students, who attend grades 6-12 in public and Catholic schools, Ms. Conroy finds that class time and faith-sharing groups only go so far before students turn to real-life applications.

"Even when they are so busy, kids really want service-oriented activities," she said. "They can't get enough of it."

Youths preparing for Confirmation must complete 30 hours of service. "Most go way above that," she said. "They do it not to get hours in but because they want to do it."
Some teens serve as Eucharistic ministers or lectors at Mass. Others are in outreach ministries, as well. The St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Madeleine Sophie parish is especially busy before and during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

"The kids organize the food for the people who pack the food baskets, then load the baskets into cars," said Ms. Conroy. "The reactions of the kids are very positive. And [visiting] the Regional Food Bank was a real eye-opener for them."

Many of the teens participate in the annual "30-Hour Famine." This fundraiser is sponsored by World Vision International, a Christian relief agency, to increase awareness of global hunger.

The number of teens participating at St. Madeleine Sophie has ranged from 60 to 100. They fast from 1 p.m. on Friday until 7 p.m. on Saturday, taking only juice breaks. They give a presentation at the Saturday vigil Mass before ending their famine with a feast.
"We starve for 30 hours," said Abby Kizer, a parishioner and a junior at Guilderland High School. "It's hard to do. But it opens your eyes to world hunger."

The teens keep busy during the fast with fundraising activities such as car washes. They have a sleepover on Friday night to encourage each other and to pray for those whose hunger will not be relieved after 30 hours.

Abby also volunteers at the Teresian House Nursing Home in Albany.

"We make their day brighter by visiting with the people," she said. "We just ask, 'Hey, how's your day?'"

There is a cyber cafe at the home where she wants to teach residents basic computer skills such as email. "God wants us to help people," she said; "to help their day, help them feel better."

To Catholic teens who hesitate to serve God by serving others, Ms. Conroy presents a challenge.

"I ask them, 'What are you making time for? Where is your church on your priority list? If you are in sports, you make time for practice. So if you are in service, you'll fit it into your schedule.'"

Abby agreed: "If you do it, you'll feel better about yourself," she said. "And you'll have a better understanding of problems in the community and in the world."

(11/13/08)