Our vision for young people in our parish communities.
"The Church now belongs to you!"
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily Bellahouston Park, 16th September 2010
With these words, Pope Benedict reminds the whole Church that our young people already fully belong within the community and as such are called to play a full part in every aspect of the mission of the Church according to their gifts and the opportunities presented to them.
What does this mean for your parish community?
How does your parish engage young people in prayer, in liturgical life, in social events, in discerning the priorities of the parish mission, in providing care for the most vulnerable of our world?
When we think of youth ministry, we tend to think firstly of things specifically for young people as a separate group, such as youth clubs, youth groups, youth retreats and youth events.
Whilst these things obviously have their place in helping the young people of the parish get to know one another, they should be considered as steps towards the greater goal of giving our young people a strong sense of belonging within the whole life of the parish. We learn to be Catholic by doing Catholic things, by seeing others (young and old) live out their faith.
How well do we enable people of different ages to meet one another in our parish? How could we provide pathways for young people to enter into faith apprenticeship within the parish?
This is what is needed: a Church for young people, which will know how to speak to their heart and enkindle, comfort, and inspire enthusiasm in it with the joy of the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how to invite and to welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which to commit his whole existence; a Church which is not afraid to require much, after having given much; which does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such as that of the following of the Gospel
(John Paul II, 1995 World Day of Prayer for Vocations).
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily Bellahouston Park, 16th September 2010
With these words, Pope Benedict reminds the whole Church that our young people already fully belong within the community and as such are called to play a full part in every aspect of the mission of the Church according to their gifts and the opportunities presented to them.
What does this mean for your parish community?
How does your parish engage young people in prayer, in liturgical life, in social events, in discerning the priorities of the parish mission, in providing care for the most vulnerable of our world?
When we think of youth ministry, we tend to think firstly of things specifically for young people as a separate group, such as youth clubs, youth groups, youth retreats and youth events.
Whilst these things obviously have their place in helping the young people of the parish get to know one another, they should be considered as steps towards the greater goal of giving our young people a strong sense of belonging within the whole life of the parish. We learn to be Catholic by doing Catholic things, by seeing others (young and old) live out their faith.
How well do we enable people of different ages to meet one another in our parish? How could we provide pathways for young people to enter into faith apprenticeship within the parish?
This is what is needed: a Church for young people, which will know how to speak to their heart and enkindle, comfort, and inspire enthusiasm in it with the joy of the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how to invite and to welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which to commit his whole existence; a Church which is not afraid to require much, after having given much; which does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such as that of the following of the Gospel
(John Paul II, 1995 World Day of Prayer for Vocations).
