The recent Fordham Conference brought to everyone's attention the divergence of young people's lives from church attendance and Catholic beliefs. Reading through the comments section of different blogs here suggests many different hypotheses and it is interesting that a common theme is lack of connection of young people at the parish level. We hear of young people searching for a parish where they might feel "at home" or "comfortable" and learn at least one young person spent two years unable to accomplish this task even in a big city surrounded by many parishes. We note many complaints about music, sermons and liturgy. We may even know from experience that at many Masses, most heads are grayer than President Obama's, and this is especially seen if you sit in the back. One regular commenter quotes another in asking about the structural role of the parish itself:
I think things are really happening in the various movements that move beyond (or span a variety of) parishes. Catholic Underground, Charismatics, Neo-cats, Focolare, Communion and Liberation, the Catholic Worker, and in some cases, college campus ministry engage Millennials in profound ways. At Fordham (I graduated last May), we enjoyed great liturgies, great preaching, great retreats, and many communal meals. It makes me wonder if the future will involve less emphasis of identifying with geographic parishes, and more with these general movements.
Although not focusing on young people, Vincent Gragnani called lay movements and their specialization of focus "A Symphony of Church Life." (America, August 14, 2006). Modern day movements display a spectrum of Catholicism and include Focolare, Communion and Liberation, Regnum Christi, Cursillo, Catholic Worker, Opus Dei, or even Courage. Members may become more involved in such a movement than their own parish and their major emotional investment may be to the movement. Then-Cardinal Jospeh Ratzinger wrote about the history of these movements in the church and stated: "The pope has to rely on the ministries, they on him; and in the harmonious interaction between the two kinds of mission, the symphony of ecclesial life is realized."
On the other hand, some of these groups become controversial and some such as Legionaires, Regnum Christi, and Voice of the Faithful have even been refused permission to use church property. Gragnani says the experts agree that the sign of a good lay movement is that the person is encouraged even more to invest in the life of the parish:
Lay movements always bring challenge to the church in at least two ways,” said H. Richard McCord, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women and Youth. “They represent a certain amount of new energy, new insight, a pushing out of the edges of mission. That’s a challenge probably in a good sense. But they also bring a challenge in that they need to be tied to the larger community of the church, which is institutional and hierarchical.” Most of the movements he encounters meet that challenge, he said. “None try to claim you body and soul,” McCord said. “They keep releasing you back to your parish for service.
Ratzinger's research amply indicates that, when there has been a specific spiritual gap, movements have arisen in the church to meet this need. Perhaps it will not be the parishes that are the key players in keeping our young people in the church but rather new movements—yet to be imagined and put in place—that will engage them and challenge them with the Gospel's call. An important task—each young person is a potential mustard seed from which great things might grow. As you read this, the beginnings of such a movement may already be flourishing...maybe on a Jesuit college campus near you!
William Van Ornum
However, I find that there is a tremendous amount of openness in the Movements that’s not found in a parish.
Lastly, just a point of clarification - Regnum Christi is an ecclesial lay movement; Voice of the Faithful is NOT.
P.S. I am involved in my parish as a catechist and as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and so I do technically participate even though I wouldn’t call that “participation.” I am more interested in showing the relevance of the Faith to life!!!
I think they probably will offer the most enlightment about the issues raised there.
Obviously this thread sees the furture in movements, but...
at this same site is a piece on the German theologians and the Irish Church calling for broad lay particiaption and voice.
That seemed to me to be in tune with the America (current piece Fr. Crowley, chair of religious studies at Santa Clara) on young theologians and the perspective of not taking top down perscriptions as the answer (say whether groups are banned from Church meetings. I must say I found the coupling of VOTF (which I see as a moderate voice of reform) with the Legionairres this way to be a strange way of looking at group dynamics of what's happening in the Church while controversial groups like Opus Dei, which some think cult like, are yoked with the "movements" that are acceptable to approved authority.
Moving forward, I think reaching the young in the Church will need fresh eyes and perspectives and be more congruent with view that the young students Fr. Crowley talks about bring to the table.
One obvious advantage of "movement" (or whatever term one uses to classsify them) is to be able to associate with people of like-minded ideas. This can lead to comfort and belonging-good things.
How one decides when one group "does" or "doesn't" belong is a difficult decision and it appears there can be different levels of "inclusiveness".
The young people will bring fresh perspectives but they in turn need to bring an attitude of some humility and willingness to learn and adapt, too? Yes?
Tx very much for the link to Commonwseal and the website. bill
Exactly.
And Juan said: "And so, we say, why bother and I walk away thinking do they really believe what they are saying?"
I apologize up front, as this is not directly related to Bill's post, but maybe it points somewhat to the need for these "lay movements". We are a very small parish (35 or so "families") of mostly older, retired, members, so I hope my experience is not reflected in other parishes.
My boys are younger than the group addressed in the Fordham conferences, but I often see the few young people in our parish joining our local Community Church which has a very active youth ministry. I don't blame them. I have actually considered getting my teenage son involved as well. At my parish, I attempted to enroll him in the Bible study group (which he loved, talked about all week, and was excited to go back), but we were politely told it was only for women. I can understand having a women's Bible study group, no problem - BUT what are we to do with the young people who want more? There is "kids club" (their term for religious ed) once a month and nothing else. We pray each week for more vocations to the religious life, but how do we plan to encourage those vocations? I spoke to the church office, and said I thought we needed a Youth Ministry of some kind(and volunteered to do this once my youngerst was older), and was met with an awkward silence and was in effect told "we don't need that here." I was shocked.
How do we engage our young people, our children, in our Faith? Study at home is great, but what about community? What about finding that fire that is kindled in the presence of the Spirit? What about finding out that others closer to your age are alive and active in Christ, too? The youth can bring new energy, openness, freshness, etc... Why don't we tap into that potential and in so doing perhaps unleash some energy in our (older) selves?
I am frustrated, and I wonder if frustration is some part of why young people don't often stay with the Church of their parents. I, too, am often left wondering, "do they really believe what they are saying?"
To address Michelle’s comment – yes, I too have found the same “clique mentality” and it’s a turn off. In my case, I went to the “minister’s lunch” the pastor had and as I was trying to find a place to sit with my plate of food most people's comportment made be believe that I would be most unwelcome to sit at “their” table. So yes, I think there should be a blend (old with young, men with women, those in “Courage” with those who do not struggle with SSA, etc.) in parish activities like Bible study. I am sorry your son had that bad experience.
The psychology of the young is where the Jesuits started.
People are seeking answers and if they are not happy with those the Church give they will go to the world and if they are not happy with the common mindset they will go to the Church and seek out what is most coherent to their vision of life.
With all of its limits.
I know people from all of the movements except Catholic worker and have to say that I have found elements of groupthink in all of them.There is also groupthink in the Jesuits and the Franciscans and all of the others. Those, like Julian Carron of CL, who attack the groupthink in their own movement are open to the future but others like the Legion want us all to look and act like we are in a movie from the 50's. "Sanctity as sideparting" will not wash anymore. There are of course great people in the Legion but they are now all on the way out. The NeoCats are supposed to be great heretics but in person turn out to be just nice people with a passion for life ,but bad guitar music. All of the movements though can learn a lot from the Orders especially the Jesuits. The one thing they all lack to my eye is the discernment of the sons of Ignatius but they in turn lack the fire and wonder of the movements, at least in my experience. All of these movements were up and running by the end of Vatican 2 and some of them such as Communion and Liberation, Community of St Egidio and The Neocathechumanal way started just after it. Pope John's little bird appears to be dying.
From personal experience, the very theology of some modern day movements seems to be more about worship of the founder/Guru, with efforts directed at growing the movement, not the Church (“theologies of self”, or “theologies of bamboozling to advance the movement”). Yet, on the positive side, they are dynamic. If only Jesuits could recapture this dynamism. The Spiritual Exercises are innovative even by modern day standards, yet time tested instruments of Faith, relevant to this day. Most importantly, they are Christ/Bible centered, and not personal, modernistic, musings of a modern day movement “Guru”. The problem, from personal witness, is that extreme ‘60s style leftist “historical context sociology'', with sloppy ministry of Sacraments (“we don’t kneel, we are way too intellectual for that”), are a real turn off for the young. If only “Opus Dei” would let go of their “founder’s” 3 “holies” (“shamelessness, coercion and intransigence”), and, along with other groups, adopt a spirituality focused on what the Spiritual Exercises mean (naked honesty in front of God, with virtue based conduct), that would be great. If only Jesuits returned to basics, they would have retreat houses and seminaries full of young people, it seems. AT.
I feel that young people going to church or not going to church and being religious is their own choice and revolves all around our upbringing. Some people are raised without a God in their life, and some others are raised in catholic schools, receiving the Sacraments, etc. It is true that "each young person is a potential mustard seed from which great things might grow" and each individual has something else to offer than another may not.
Growing up Catholic, I went to religious school on Sundays, followed by a Sunday mass. I went to Catholic High School as well, which was mainly my parents' choice for me. I wish I was a better Catholic and attended church all of the time, but sadly I don't whether or not it may be because of laziness, I'm not sure. My parents both raised me well as a Catholic, and were with me every step of the way through communion, confirmation, etc. I love my religion and my faith, and although I may not go to church every Sunday, doesn't mean that still do not believe in my God or that I am a "bad" Catholic.
Although I was not raised to be religious, the passing of my Jewish grandfather inspired me to become a "better" Jew. Judaism was so important to him that i began attempting to explore the reasons for his passion. In his honor, I began to set up some sort of Jewish organization on campus. As soon as I was able to establish a small group, i began to realize that i was not the only one!
Our group's goal was to set up a chapter of Hillel (a national Jewish organization for college students) at Marist. Eventually, our hard work paid off. We had about 30 members at the time, which was astounding for such a small school.
After we accomplished our goal, we became a much more well-known around campus. I was selected to speak on behalf of the group, as well as to organize events to celebrate the holidays. Oddly enough, as more and more people became aware of our presence, our members slowly began to drop out.
I did my best to salvage the group, especially after all of the hard work we put into its founding, but eventually i gave up. This year, the group has 2 members.
i can't help but wonder why this happened. Perhaps it is because of the "coolness" factor mentioned above. In my experience (which is not my belief at all) being called "devout" or "religious" at a Liberal Arts college is just another way of being called closed-minded. As young people, we strive to become accepted as a part of something from clubs and sororities to friends and significant others , but why not religion? Why is it that my fellow students turn up their noses to those who strongly express their love of God?
Maybe it is because we are convinced to have an answer to everything (as a result of the current cultural zeitgeist of endless information and technology) that we find it difficult to accept the presence of something above us, a greatness we will never achieve. Perhaps the fact that some things cannot be rationally explained frightens us in a time of seeking explanations for everything. To me, being able to accept a power greater than me is comforting, but for some, acknowledging this greater Being simultaneously displays our inability to ever measure up.
Thanks for taking the time to consider solutions to my problem...
I feel as though I did everything I possibly could, including asking the students what they would like to do. The aspect of my group that most students had difficulty with (myself included) was that it had to be run underneath Marist's Campus Ministry (the on-campus Christian group). According to the Director of Campus Ministry, I was not allowed to do anything without having his approval, which I was okay with, until he began making extremely negative and condescending remarks about Judaism as a religion.
I think most of the group members were ultimately frustrated with this, which is completely understandable. Also, Marist operates under a system of Priority Points, in which the more clubs a student is involved in, the more points they get. High points allow students to live in the better housing arrangements on campus. They believed that establishing and participating in a Hillel chapter would eventually win them these points. Once it was clear that was not going to happen was when the students began dropping out. To them, it seemed as though the rewards of Judaism itself weren't worth the fight.
Alyssa – Brava! You should be very proud of yourself and not be discouraged about what happened – which was that you confronted the mystery of this thing called “our freedom.” In the end, all we can really do is offer/propose what we hold most dear to others.
You might think that since Marist College was once catholic, still has catholic affiliations and has a chapel on campus, student would be somewhat religious. However in my opinion that is wrong. Most of the members of campus ministry simply belong for the priority points. Sunday mass is less than half full with students. And on ash Wednesday I couldn’t find one person who was willing to attend the 45 minute mass to receive ashes with me. I think it is sad how much of a gap our age group has with their attendance to the catholic faith.