With less than one month to go before the opening of the synod on “Young people, faith and vocational discernment,” it is now clear that whatever was on the agenda has been rendered null and void in light of the global crisis in which the church is now enmeshed.
A question that Brother Javier Hansen has been pondering is how to motivate young people to make mature life choices in the faith.
Mention use of digital media, and I’m sure you will find people on either side of the spectrum. Regardless of where you stand, I know one thing is certain — the power of digital networks cannot be underestimated in the lives of today’s young people.
I have long believed that the greatest poverty in this world is a lack of recognition of our own dignity and that of those around us.
It’s critical for young people to be given a welcome spot on parish councils.
Through digital outreach, Pope Francis has set forth a challenge to create a culture of encounter whether it be through emails, text messages, social networks and chats.
Attending my first Mass at the age of 19 was a peculiar experience. The bells and smells were all new to me, as were the collective prayers. But most striking were two other facets of the Mass: the centrality of the sacraments and the reverence in which the Mass was celebrated.
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of Catholics in the United States leave the church at some point in their lives. Four out of 10 of them don’t return.
