3/2/2021 report of The "National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults"Read NowToday, a report of The "National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults" was shared via webinar and email. The project began in 2016 and included several national organizations, with input from young people all around the USA, including Canton and Youngstown. While most of the conversations took place prior to the pandemic, findings will be helpful as we plan for the post-pandemic time for ministries. This is a great read for all leaders in parish ministry, and especially for those who serve young people. If you lack time for the full report, at least look at pages 79- 88. 3 members of the team summed it up as such: + Nichola Stein (National Advisory Team on Young Adult Ministry): "Young people want more programming, because it works and provides opportunities to encounter Christ." + Enrique Soros (Director of Training at Instituto Fe y Vida): Young people want to be full members of the faith community - not just with their peers." + Christina Lamas (Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry): they want "authentic points of view" from those in the Church. How might YOU sum up the report? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59514503414fb53b58d679fb/t/6026aae2ffa567280ea2820e/1613146883195/ND+report+EN.pdf https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59514503414fb53b58d679fb/t/6026aae2ffa567280ea2820e/1613146883195/ND+report+EN.pdf
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Handout from:
Ministry Day 2019 Workshop B22: “Christ is Alive with (and for) our Teens and Young Adults” Cindee Case, MAPS, Director Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Diocese of Youngstown [email protected] https://youngstownoyyam.weebly.com/ Find links to Christus Vivit, the Final Document of the Synod, the Preparatory document, and numerous articles from through the three-year process at: https://youngstownoyyam.weebly.com/synod-on-youth-2018.html The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry also had a series of blog-posts about the process including findings of our diocesan surveys, find them posted at: https://youngstownoyyam.weebly.com/office-blog/category/synod-on-youth Christus Vivit Contents: Introductory page Chapter 1: What Does the Word of God Have to Say about Young People? Who are some of the young people you recall are mentioned in Scripture? (Exploring the young people Pope Francis highlighted....) Chapter 2: Jesus, Ever Young A Church always on the defensive, which loses her humility and stops listening to others, which leaves no room for questions, loses her youth and turns into a museum. How then will she be able to respond to the dreams of young people? (§ 41) Chapter 3: You are the “NOW” of God we cannot just say that young people are the future of our world. They are its present; even now, they are helping to enrich it. (#64) … Each young person’s heart should thus be considered “holy ground”, a bearer of seeds of divine life (§67) Chapter 4: A Great Message for all Young People The very first truth I would tell each of you is this: “God loves you”. It makes no difference whether you have already heard it or not. I want to remind you of it. God loves you. Never doubt this, whatever may happen to you in life. At every moment, you are infinitely loved. (§112) For him, you have worth; you are not insignificant. You are important to him, for you are the work of his hands. (§115) Christ, out of love, sacrificed himself completely in order to save you. His outstretched arms on the cross are the most telling sign that he is a friend who is willing to stop at nothing (§ 118) Finally, there is a third truth, inseparable from the second: Christ is alive! We need to keep reminding ourselves of this, because we can risk seeing Jesus Christ simply as a fine model from the distant past, as a memory, as someone who saved us two thousand years ago. (§ 124) In these three truths – God loves you; Christ is your Savior; he is alive – we see God the Father and Jesus. Wherever the Father and the Son are, there too is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who quietly opens hearts to receive that message. He keeps alive our hope of salvation, and he will help you grow in joy if you are open to his working. The Holy Spirit fills the heart of the risen Christ and then flows over into your lives. When you receive the Spirit, he draws you ever more deeply into the heart of Christ, so that you can grow in his love, his life and his power. (§130) Chapter 5: Paths of Youth Keep following your hopes and dreams. But be careful about one temptation that can hold us back. It is anxiety. Anxiety can work against us by making us give up whenever we do not see instant results. Our best dreams are only attained through hope, patience and commitment, and not in haste. At the same time, we should not be hesitant, afraid to take chances or make mistakes. Avoid the paralysis of the living dead, who have no life because they are afraid to take risks, to make mistakes or to persevere in their commitments. Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over, for no one has the right to rob you of hope. (§ 142) Friendship is one of life’s gifts and a grace from God. Through our friends, the Lord refines us and leads us to maturity. Faithful friends, who stand at our side in times of difficulty, are also a reflection of the Lord’s love, his gentle and consoling presence in our lives. The experience of friendship teaches us to be open, understanding and caring towards others, to come out of our own comfortable isolation and to share our lives with others. (§ 151) But I would also remind you that you won’t become holy and find fulfilment by copying others. Imitating the Saints does not mean copying their lifestyle and their way of living holiness… You have to discover who you are and develop your own way of being holy (§162) Don’t stand aloof, but immerse yourselves in the reality of life, as Jesus did”. Above all, in one way or another, fight for the common good, serve the poor, be protagonists of the revolution of charity and service, capable of resisting the pathologies of consumerism and superficial individualism. (§174) Wherever we are, we always have an opportunity to share the joy of the Gospel. That is how the Lord goes out to meet everyone. (§ 177) Chapter 6: Young People with Roots If we journey together, young and old, we can be firmly rooted in the present, and from here, revisit the past and look to the future. To revisit the past in order to learn from history and heal old wounds that at times still trouble us. To look to the future in order to nourish our enthusiasm, cause dreams to emerge, awaken prophecies and enable hope to blossom. Together, we can learn from one another, warm hearts, inspire minds with the light of the Gospel, and lend new strength to our hands. (§ 199) Chapter 7: Youth Ministry (reminder, ages 16 – 29 were surveyed, so he means teens and young adults) requires two courses of action: outreach and growth (§209). A mentor should therefore nurture the seeds of faith in young people, without expecting to immediately see the fruits of the work of the Holy Spirit. This role is not and cannot be limited to priests and consecrated life, but the laity should also be empowered to take on such a role. All such mentors should benefit from being well-formed, and engage in ongoing formation. (§ 246) Chapter 8: Vocation The word “vocation” can be understood in a broad sense as a calling from God…that everything in our lives can become a way of responding to the Lord, who has a wonderful plan for us. (§ 248) Chapter 9: Discernment I would remind you of the most important question of all. “So often in life, we waste time asking ourselves: ‘Who am I?’ You can keep asking ‘Who am I?’ for the rest of your lives. But the real question is: ‘For whom am I?’” Of course, you are for God. But he has decided that you should also be for others, and he has given you many qualities, inclinations, gifts, and charisms that are not for you, but to share with those around you. (§ 286) Conclusion: Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, “attracted by the fact of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive at where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us”.( § 299) Learn more about the timeline of the Synod and process towards Christus Vivit at the Dinner and Presentation on November 4th and learn more about the practical implications of the document during the In-Service Day on November 5th. (See flier in your Ministry Day folder or contact the OY&YAM for more. It is also posted on the office Synod on Youth webpage.) In preparing for the Ministry Day workshop on Christus Vivit and planning to host Paul Jarzembowski from the USCCB office to help us delve more into the document in November, I happened across this short article from the other side of the world that I wanted to share:
Isabella McCafferty from Wellington archdiocese’s Family and Young Church Vicariate was one of 300 young people who gathered in Rome on March 19-24, 2018 for the pre-synod meeting which was a precursor to the October synod of bishops on “Young People, the Faith and the Discernment of Vocation”. Before that, Ms McCafferty and Auckland diocese Youth and Young Adult Ministry team leader Teresa McNamara were chosen as NZ delegates to an international meeting in Rome from April 5-9, 2017 organised by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. The theme of that meeting was “From Krakow to Panama — The Synod Journeying with Young People”. by ISABELLA McCAFFERTY This document as a whole reads almost like a compilation of Pope Francis’ trending quotes from the past seven years. In many places he re-emphasises them in response to the last two years of listening intentionally in the lead-up to and during the synod of bishops. I mean that in the most positive sense, as throughout his pontificate, these words have been a constant source of encouragement in my own faith journey and have inspired me in my ministry. It has been interesting to read a document that both speaks to me personally as a young person as well as in my professional world of pastoral ministry in the Church. The first few chapters of the document address young people directly. The second part focuses more on the practical and practitioner approach; to youth ministry, vocation and discernment. I can feel Pope Francis’ desire for young people, for me, to encounter daily the love of God and the living person of Christ. Our Shepherd shows how much he cares for his people and points us back to what is most essential. Many of the key themes that have become central to this synodal journey and, indeed, my own experience of this journey, are certainly reflected in this document. These include the importance of accompaniment, a synodal approach and listening, being able to acknowledge the sociological context in which young people find themselves, focusing on discernment and vocation. Finally, there is always a call to action and renewal on the part of young people and the Church. A great document, a gift to the Church and a solid acknowledgement of the importance of our young people. But the challenge remains. This document (and indeed all of the work leading up to it) cannot be the closing of the door on the last two years of active listening and journeying with young people. Pope Francis’ final words address young people directly once again, urging us to keep running since “the Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them!” [CV299] May the Church in Aotearoa make radical room for this momentum to move us forwards. Here are a few practical suggestions to consider in light of this document and the journey that has brought it here. Some of these I have already been suggesting to those I have discussed these themes with over the past twelve months. As with anything, these suggestions are only a drop in the ocean of what we need to be open to if we are really to see substantial change as a result of this document and what it offers us. Constantly return to our source — “God’s Word, the Eucharist, the daily presence of Christ and the power of the Spirit in our lives” [CV35] . Come together — gather young people and the elderly to exchange dreams, with a look to the future [CV192]. Don’t get stuck asking “who am I?” or even “who are we?”, rather be bold enough to ask “for whom am I?” or who are we being called to live for — always our lives must look to the other [CV286]. Risk some time to engage with the document — but don’t let it stop there; be willing to listen, accompany and be moved into action as a result of what you encounter. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for allowing me to share this, NZ Catholic! Published at: https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2019/05/16/christus-vivit-a-great-document-a-gift-to-the-church/ Last week, I had the honor or representing our diocese at the Annual Membership Meeting of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. This is nothing new as I have done so since I became the Director of the OY&YAM, as did the previous directors. What was new and exciting this year though was having Archbishop Christophe Pierre, who serves as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States (i.e. like the Vatican Ambassador.)
He kindly took time to thank all of us that work with young people in America. He shared the excitement he had during the October Synod of Bishops on the theme of "Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment" as well as the recent World Youth Day events in Panama. He encouraged us all to reflect on the well known Emmaus story, focusing on "recognizing, interpreting and choosing" especially as we journey with young people discerning God's call for their lives. We must continue to bear witness to the Good News. We must take time to listen to and really hear young people. And to help them hear the voice of God. And to encourage the young people to choose to engage in a personal relationship with God, while walking with our faith community. Archbishop Pierre promised to communicate our best wishes as youth workers on the USA back to Pope Francis, along with our prayers. May the Holy Spirit continue to bless us all as the follow up work of the Synod continues through our relationships, witness, listening and accompanying of the young people! After months and months of waiting, preparing and praying for the Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, it is finally here! Taking place October 3 - 28 in Rome. The United States is represented by bishop delegates and ordained and lay leaders from across the United States. The bishop delegates are:
Stay involved with the process by praying for the delegates, and that the Holy Spirit leads all in Church leadership to be open to the input and witnesses of the young people (focusing on ages 16 - 29 at this time, but pray also for all youth and young adults.) Additionally, you can follow the Synod: On social media, use the hashtag: #synod2018 Catholic News Service: www.catholicnews.com/specialsections/special-section-synod-of-bishops.cfm The Vatican website on the Synod: www.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/en.html United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website on the Synod: www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/synod-of-bishops/synod-2018/index.cfm Ave Maria Press has posted some support articles and can email you weekly synopsis upon request. Check out this interview with Leonard DeLorenzo and Pre-Synodal delegate Katie Prejean McGrady: www.avemariapress.com/news/2018/10/2/2018-synod-youth/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https://www.avemariapress.com/news/2018/10/2/2018-synod-youth/&utm_content=INTRODUCING+Ave+Explores+%7C+Synod+on+Young+People&utm_campaign=181001+Ave+Explores+-+Youth+Synod+-+Intro&_bta_tid=23762051921401968224973794334629136123912687062931770157776726698379265151159809413963531660494938719617814&_bta_c=fz9dmm2so3owxmxljcdpowonq8klj And, if you are between the ages of 16 and 29, there is a Facebook group for you to be connected with the Synod (in English, although other languages are also available): www.facebook.com/groups/synod.va.en/?notif_id=1539010208099211¬if_t=group_r2j_approved Following many years of success through parish and school programs as well as larger events such as World Youth Days, national youth conferences, diocesan youth conventions and other signs of the Church’s ministry by, with, for, and to youth and young adults, it is exciting that the Universal Church is taking this moment to focus on ministry to young people through a Synod and the accompanying consultation process. In the Diocese of Youngstown surveys, it was encouraging to see the number and variety of responses representing ages from thirteen through adults, from all areas of the diocese, and representing all facets of the Church: priests, seminarians, staff and volunteers in addition to the direct input from high school youth and young adults. The surveys also seem to represent the broad spectrum of Catholic beliefs and practices. The surveys clearly show that teens and young adults want “more” from the Church – more opportunities for leadership, service and relationship building. However, it is surprising that the surveys did not reflect the view of many in the diocese who have expressed in other forums the importance of increasing the financial dedication of our diocese, parishes and schools for both youth ministries and young adult ministries. Increased funding would allow for more full-time paid staff, more resources, more dedicated physical space, and more support for activities and faith experiences. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry has received many requests for financial assistance for young people to participate in local, regional, national, and international service, formation, spiritual and programs. Aside from the funding issues, the surveys did clearly indicate an important focus for youth ministry and young adult ministry: community. The surveys of young people indicated they wanted a place where they belong and are listened to, as well as more welcoming communities in general. What seems to be working is where committed adults – priests, youth ministers, staff, and other caring adults – are present to teens and young adults. In these situations, the young people are more connected to the Church through these relationships. It was interesting to note that the polarization in the American Church community was evident in our diocesan surveys, from a desire to greater access to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and an emphasis on traditional teachings to a more engaging Mass and changing Church teachings in areas such as priestly celibacy and LGBTQ community tolerance. Our diocese reflects the challenge of being a community rich in both unity and diversity. The challenges that young people face in the culture present both an area of a concern and an opportunity for youth ministry and young adult ministry. Knowing the concerns of youth and young adults - especially peer-pressure, drugs (in particular heroin and alcohol), bullying, and anxiety – require a response of our faith communities to present an authentic witness of God’s love. Discernment is a skill that we must both teach to our young people and practice as a community to empower missionary disciples of all ages. + Did anything you read here surprise you? + Did anything affirm efforts you are already making for/with young people and their families? + In what ways might your faith community do more to help young people in regards to their faith and vocational discernment? If you read the previous blog post about the Diocese of Youngstown Synod Surveys, Part 10, you may have noticed this:
<<other initiatives which are highlighted at the end of the report are a summer mission and discernment trip to Cumberland, Kentucky and St. Andrew discernment dinners. >> Here is that additional information: House of Discernment at the Catholic University within our diocese (Walsh). The House of Discernment is under the charge of the Vocations Office and allows men to be fully engaged as an active student on campus while living in community in a setting that allows them to discern a possible calling to the priesthood. The men participate in communal prayer, formation conferences, service work in the community, and other formation elements. If the man feels called to the priesthood, he can move to a seminary setting before he completes college. If he determines he is not called to priesthood, he will move out of the discernment house into university housing. The second activity is a mission and discernment trip to Cumberland, Kentucky. Each summer in June, men ages 16 to 35 are invited to attend a mission and discernment trip. The Vocations office and seminarians organize the week for those who participate. During the day, the men work around the community helping repair homes for people in need. In the evening, the men work with the seminarians to discuss what they experienced in the day and its theological implications. In addition, they discuss various aspects of discernment and where God is present and working in their lives. (Note: This trip was not offered in 2018 as the program is under review, however, there had been success in previous years, and it may return for 2019.) The third activity is a St. Andrew Discernment dinner. Two times per year, the Vocation Office offers a dinner for high school men and older. The evening runs two hours long. It includes Evening Prayer, dinner, a discussion on discernment and priesthood. The Bishop is present at these dinners along with members of the Vocation team and any seminarians that can attend. Priests in each parish are encouraged to invite young men to the dinners and to attend with them. The combination of the dinner discussion and the discussion following is very fruitful as it gives participants the opportunity to ask personal questions and to understand vocations and discernment in a communal setting. Each dinner is hosted by a parish in the diocese. (I feel like I should now flash that "The More You Know" logo from a certain TV station....since you may have learned something new about a couple of the initiatives in the diocese!) Thank you for your continued interest in the 2018 Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. I hope that by breaking up the overall Diocese of Youngstown survey results and summary report, you have been able to take time to pause and reflect on many aspects of the theme. As this process continues to move towards the October gathering of hundreds of bishops and cardinals, and we await the outcomes from the actual Synod, we can take small steps each day towards helping our youth and young adults to see their importance in our Church and our world! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A question in the Preparatory Document asked about ways we plan experiences for the pastoral vocational program for young people? Our response: In the Diocese of Youngstown, the Office of Vocations reported several initiatives to help young people discern their vocation. There is a discernment retreat every December for men that includes personal and communal prayer, discussion with other young men who are discerning, informational sessions, and the opportunity to talk with current seminarians. The Office of Vocations also encourages participation of junior high to college age men in the “live-in” weekends at the seminaries the diocese is connected to. The weekends offer the experience of what seminary is like, including attending classes, experiencing the prayer life, participating in community recreation, and learning how to discern their vocation. The Office of Vowed Religious invites young people to participate in the annual “World Day for Consecrated Life” liturgy. Along with the other five dioceses of Ohio, the Office of Vocations supports a YouTube channel (Buckeye Vocations) that highlights videos, such as highlights of ordinations, testimonials of seminarians, highlights from mission trips, and more. Two other initiatives which are highlighted at the end of the report are a summer mission and discernment trip to Cumberland, Kentucky and St. Andrew discernment dinners. The diocese also shares announcements from the women’s religious communities in the diocese about discernment events, retreats, and other experiences. Discernment and vocations are topics of workshops and hands-on-learning experiences at the biennial Diocesan Youth Convention and at the National Catholic Youth Conference. Regarding spiritual guidance: As reported by the Office of Vocations, clergy are selected to serve as spiritual mentors for men who are discerning a call to the priesthood. The priests use the book To Save a Thousand Souls to guide their monthly meetings, though the exact amount of time spent varies in each case. In addition, women’s religious communities have vocations directors and spiritual directors who spend many hours with young people to assist their discernment. Parishes reported a wide range of hours spent on personal spiritual guidance (from 0 to 450) with an average of about 18 hours per parish. It was noted that guidance was also offered within catechetical classes, confirmation preparation, and scouting. The Office of Vocations reported a variety of print resources for those who provide pastoral vocational guidance. Priests who serve as spiritual mentors for men discerning a call to the priesthood receive the book To Save a Thousand Souls. All priest and deacons received the book Lend Your Own Voice to Christ to help them share their personal vocation story in order to assist young men and women in their vocational discernment. In addition, there is a wealth of printed resources for those discerning, their parents, and those who are spiritually guiding the discerner. Parish staff reported a variety of ways that they provide vocational guidance, including mentoring, spiritual counseling, encouraging and affirming young people, living as an example, and casual conversations. In addition, many parishes and Catholic schools invite clergy and religious to give talks to students or participate in programs such as the Serra Club “Vocations Cross” wherein families are invited to take the cross into their homes for a week of prayer for vocations. Reflect: 1. What above affirms or challenges you? 2. Are there opportunities that we missed mentioning in this report? 3. What tools/formation opportunities might be helpful for you to as you spiritually guide young people? Pray that young people open their minds and hearts to God's calling in their lives, and that when opportunities come around to assist them in this endeavor, they are open to those as well! On June 19th, the Vatican announced the release of the "working document" or Instrumentum laboris for the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops taking place in October.
This is the table of contents: Introduction The Part - Recognizing: The Church in listening to reality Chapter I: Being young today Chapter II: Experiences and languages Chapter III: In the culture of waste Chapter IV: Anthropological and cultural challenges Chapter V: Listening to the young Part II - Interpreting: faith and vocational discernment Chapter I: The blessing of youth Chapter II: The vocation to the light of faith Chapter III: The dynamism of vocational discernment Chapter IV: The art of accompanying Part III - Choosing: paths of pastoral and missionary conversion Chapter I: An integral perspective Chapter II: Immersed in the fabric of everyday life Chapter III: An Evangelized and Evangelizing Community Chapter IV: Animation and organization of pastoral care Conclusion Prayer for the Synod ~~ As we await the full English translation, please continue to keep the process and all young people in your prayers. The next question posed in the Preparatory Document for the 2018 Synod on Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment was: How do schools and universities or other educational institutions (civil or ecclesial) contribute to young people’s formation in vocational discernment? Our summary of responses was: The major topics of response from parents/families and staff of parishes and schools as to how educational institutions contribute to young people’s formation in vocational discernment centered on positive interactions of adults with young people. The most cited answers were:
Specific people were mentioned as important in addressing vocational discernment, including guest speakers (11), and school staff (7). The importance of young people having contact with priests and religious was also highlighted (11). Prayer (8) and retreats (8) were leading suggestions for faithful discernment, and the importance of God was mentioned by 6 people. Six people also brought up the issue of faith and morals being excluded from public schools. Three people mentioned the importance of volunteering and serving in discerning a vocation. The Office of Vocations provides professionally developed lesson plans and activities available for Catholic grade schools, junior high schools, high schools, CCD programs and youth ministry programs. The curriculum for catechesis includes elements of discernment and this is realized though parish youth ministries, Kairos retreat, and young adult retreats in addition to Catholic School and Parish CCD programs. The Office of Vocations encourages field trips for junior high and high school students to seminaries in order to experience the life of the seminary. In addition the Office of Vocations also offer vocation talks by priests, seminarians, and religious for school classroom sessions, CCD programs, and youth ministry meetings. On the university level, campus ministry programs offer vocation talks, discernment groups, and mission trips that include discernment. At our Catholic University (Walsh), a house of discernment has been established to help young men discern while at college (more information is in the final section of this report). Reflect: 1. Did anything above affirm or challenge you? 2. As an adult, looking back, how were schools and educational institutions instrumental in your own vocational discernment? 3. As a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, how have your observed schools and educational institutions supporting the vocational discernment of young people today? 4. What might you suggest to your local campus minister, department director, PTA/H&SA, or school administration to increase opportunities? Take a moment to pray for those who journey with our young people during this middle school, high school and college years. May God give them the strength and courage to guide our young people along the paths to which God has called them! |
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*** Note: The Office Blog is now inactive, but posted for continued reference as needed (6/30/21) ***Cindee Case, MPSFormer Director of the Diocese of Youngstown Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (2/2002 - 6/2021) Archives
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