Posted on 10/23/2015 11:48:42 AM PDT by NYer
When it comes to teenagers, you expect a certain amount of eye rolling and apathy, but put those same kids in a faith formation class for an hour and fifteen minutes at the end of a long school day and right at the dinner hour and you’ll see a level of teenage disinterest that could make you wither on the spot. That’s what my husband and I faced when we stood before the 21 high school sophomores we teach at our upstate New York parish.
The scene was nothing new and nothing unexpected. We taught most of the same kids last year since they’re in a two-year program that will culminate in confirmation this spring. However, I’m willing to wager that their apathy isn’t necessarily related to a surge of teenage surliness but rather to a lack of foundational catechesis, and I say that while having taught many of these kids in fourth and fifth grade. I have used every trick in the book—from group activities to stump-the-teacher sessions to outright bribery through baked ziti and brownies—to get these kids to hear me when I talk about the Mass, about the Gospel, about our beautiful Catholic teachings and traditions. Yet every year, when they reluctantly return to class, I find I’m grateful if even half of them remember the Our Father.
When I look out at these kids—regardless of age, regardless of whether they’ve gone to Catholic or public elementary school—I assume I am seeing 75 percent as future ex-Catholics.
The blame falls squarely in the lap of the Church, which has, for decades, let the parents of these children go spiritually hungry, through misguided catechesis in their youth and preaching that failed to challenge and engage them as adults. As Pope Francis told priests at ordination this year: “May your homilies not be boring; may your homilies touch the heart of the people because they come from your heart …”
Some might say that even with unchallenging preaching the Holy Eucharist should be enough to draw people in, but how can that be if people have no grasp of the power and wonder of the Sacrament because no one has taught them—not in a classroom and not from the pulpit?
People are hungry, yes, but before they can run to Jesus in the Eucharist, they must walk into a parish on any given Sunday and hear the words that feed their flagging spirits and find fellowship that reminds them they are not alone. As a speaker and retreat leader I can tell you, from both personal experience and from encounters with other Catholics around the country that neither of those things exist in abundance in US parishes. Some communities are getting it right, but these lucky few are the sad exceptions, not the happy norm.
And so people go elsewhere. Perhaps to the nondenominational church up the street where the preaching is riveting and relevant and the community is fully engaged and made up predominantly of former Catholics. They don’t have Eucharist, but people are feeling fed, and returning, week after week. When you sit in Mass this Sunday, try to experience it as a newcomer, and ask yourself: If this was your first and only experience of Catholicism, would you ever return?
Back when I wrote my Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism, I heard the same refrain time and again from adult Catholics disconnected from the faith: “Why didn’t I learn any of this when I was growing up?” Many of them were raised, as I was, in what I call the “Era of the Collage,” with lots of cutting and pasting of happy Jesus, but little basic information about the things that sustain you for a lifetime, the beauty of a living, breathing faith. I credit my mother with bridging the wide chasm that grew between my official religious education and my actual faith, and that’s why I know we first and foremost need our families to turn our Church around.
Catechesis must begin by drawing families in, by making them feel welcome, by giving them something more than registration deadlines and weekly envelopes. Only when they feel as though they belong in this Church—to this Church—will they be open to retracing the spiritual steps of their childhood and embracing the path of faith as an adult. When they do that, they will bring their children with them, and faith formation will no longer be seen as a ticket that must be stamped in order to receive a sacrament and then “graduate” from religion, but rather as a first step on a lifelong journey.
Of course teens will be teens, and they will still roll their eyes and answer questions with stony silence, but beneath that will be a foundation of real faith, and the powerful, life-giving knowledge that they are loved beyond measure by a God who created them, and saved them, and waits for them.
I believe the kids sitting in our class acting like they couldn’t care less about religion desperately want and need a God like that, as do their parents. Unless we find a way to make God real and relevant to their lives, he will always remain an abstract idea to be sat through, rather than engaged, which is a loss not just for them but for all of us.
A few years ago I went to my pre-Vatican II Catholic h.s. class reunion. About half are Catholic, half not. I asked who sent their own kids to Catholic school. Not one hand did I see raised. Not one!
That’s obviously not what I was advocating. Sheesh
“Adam and Eve are a myth like the Easter Bunny”
“Anything that seems like magic in the Bible is probably made up”
Two things my young kids learned in “Catholic” school....smh
Yes, I suppose you could do it on the weekends. In our area (NYC/Long Island), I have never seen that done. It may be more common elsewhere. I think a Sunday School would be a good idea, followed immediately by Mass.
You are correct when you say that it is ultimately the parents’ responsibility to have their children confirmed (or to receive any of the sacraments). Sadly, many parents will not do so if it interferes with schoolwork, the parents’ work schedules, the work schedules of the kids themselves, or some other activity (usually sports).
Scheduling Confirmation for sophomores or juniors in high school only exacerbates the problem, IMO. I’m not sure why some dioceses decided to make it so late. Again, in our area, Confirmation is usually scheduled for anywhere from the 6th grade to the 8th.
I’m glad you were able to receive Confirmation! So many young people never return. God bless you!
Regards,
They can't have it on Sunday because that might interfere with (choose one or more): Soccer practice, little league, football practice, family weekend, the non-custodial parent has the kids half the weekends, etc, etc, etc
Personally, I'd love to see the classes split up by "grandparents are pressuring us to have the kids confirmed 'Catholics' " and "serious Catholics". It would be about 75/25 ratio, but you could tailor the classwork appropriately for the audience (sort of like regular classes and Honors classes in school).
Just a point of clarification: Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before being admitted to marriage, if this can be done without grave inconvenience. (CIC 1065)
Personally I think it should be strictly enforced. I have a Niece and Nephew that were never confirmed and were allowed to marry in the Church.
It is so gosh darn cute when people that claim to have been Catholic express opinions with no foundation.
Well the Bible does call the Catholic Church the pillar and foundation of truth.
It's a matter of choice and necessity at our parish. We've grown to be the sixth largest Catholic parish in the country over the past 20 years, and the largest in the Diocese of Dallas. We can't keep up with the growth, classrooms are limited.
I've taught 6th grade for over 15 years, opting to teach our Wednesday night sessions. We have two classes on Wednesday and seven or eight on Sunday. Attendance is usually consistently at 80% and up, this year it's been 90%+ every class.
I spend 15 minutes of the 75 minute class trying to build a community in the class. There are usually five or more middle schools represented in each class, so they need that extra time every week to get to know each other.
Our Old Testament curriculum is excellent, focusing on life lessons that can be learned from Abraham, Moses, Esau & Jacob, David, etc.
Really? I honestly have never heard that. I am sadly acquainted with several young people who were told they had to go through the entire RCIA program and be confirmed before even being allowed to set a wedding date.
I suppose “grave inconvenience” is subject to interpretation on the part of the priest or bishop.
Thanks for the info!
Regards,
PS: I say “sadly” because the young people of whom I speak chose not to go through RCIA and tack on an extra almost year to their engagements, and their children have not been raised in the faith — most of them are not even baptized.
I agree, “grave inconvenience” is too loose of a term, and it seems like a convenient out for too many people.
“...when the Church itself rarely criticizes sodomy or the adultery of divorced/remarried Catholics?”
What’s much more startling is that the Church almost never seems to make the point that Catholics should go to church every Sunday!
Jesus did not grab hold of a door and say, "This is My Body." Jesus did not touch a vine and say, "This is My body." But Jesus did pick up a piece of bread and say, "THIS IS MY BODY". Therein lies the difference of why the door and vine are not the Eucharist and what once was bread is.
I have, many times. Nothing there about “This is My Body”. You’d have to agree, right?
Is He a physical door or not? Have you walked through a door and into pastures?
Where??
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