|
Teens seek more youth-friendly
liturgies
By JOHN L. ALLEN
JR. NCR Staff Kansas City, Mo.
Organizers who brought thousands of Catholic teenagers here Nov.
20-23 wanted to discern the voice of the young church, and the yearning it
seemed to speak most clearly was for more youth-friendly Sunday liturgies.
Kids get bored with going to Mass, said D.
OHara, 17, of Kansas City, Mo., expressing a commonly voiced sentiment
among participants in the biennial National Catholic Youth Conference.
Its supposed to be a celebration, but if it is, its one of
the worst parties Ive ever been to. Nobody gets up to have fun. We need
to have more celebrating.
Hearing such perspectives was part of the purpose of the
conference, sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministers.
The event -- the nations largest gathering of Catholic youth -- also
aimed to build leadership skills so that the 14,000 teens and 3,000 adults who
took part can invigorate parish youth ministry programs. Over four days in
Kansas Citys Bartle Hall, delegates discussed what it means to be a
Catholic teen today -- and how teens might contribute to shaping a more dynamic
church.
On the positive side, participants spoke of the value they attach
to their identity as Catholics and of their respect for the churchs moral
teachings. They sought ways to apply the enthusiasm and creativity of young
Catholics more integrally in parish life.
While desire for change in the liturgy bubbled up in informal
conversations, in working sessions, in liturgies planned by the youth, and in a
dialogue between 23 bishops and 300 teenagers, that desire did not center on
many of the issues familiar from adult debates. Participants didnt have
much to say about restoring Tridentine observances or correcting postconciliar
abuses. Instead, they said they were seeking more energetic and
involving liturgies, regardless of the form they take or the language in which
they are celebrated.
Often-heard suggestions for improving the Sunday liturgy
included:
- Better and more modern music -- including occasional use of
musical styles that appeal to youth, such as alternative, pop and rap.
- Involving laity, especially youth, more extensively --
including delivering homilies.
- Activities that get people up out of their seats and doing
something -- whether it be dancing, clapping or moving around and
interacting.
I have a big problem with the kids at our church not taking
part in the Mass, said Miranda Daugherty, 17, of Youngstown, Ohio.
Change the tradition a little bit ... make it fun, so we can understand
it and want to be part of it. Dont be so strict, loosen up and let people
enjoy themselves.
Make it more like this, said Andy Pace, 14, of Kansas
City, Mo., referring to the involving style of liturgies at the conference,
instead of just sitting down listening to the old guy speak. This is
fun.
Attendance at the conference was up 60 percent this year,
attributed by organizers to stirrings in parish youth ministry dating back
almost two decades, as well as the energy generated by Pope John Paul IIs
visit to World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. This years gathering was part
music festival, part high-tech trade show, part big-tent revival, and part
nonstop lunch break at the biggest Catholic high school in America. There were
concerts, workshops, testimonials, interactive computer exhibits, service
opportunities and most of all virtually unlimited opportunities for Catholic
youth to hang out with other Catholic youth.
Theres an incredible energy here with all the
kids, said Lauren Flamingo, 17, of Stromsville, Ohio. Theres
a real sense of unity. Its so much fun meeting kids from all over the
country.
One focal point over the four days was the Forum on the
Voice of Youth, which brought 300 teens and 23 bishops together in one
room -- though the prelates shuttled in and out -- for several hours of
conversation. The participants were divided into groups of six to 10 teenagers,
an adult moderator and a bishop. Each group gathered around a table. The goal
was to give young Catholics an opportunity to talk about the gifts they bring
to the church and to air their views on church issues with the bishops.
It was here that concern about liturgy seemed most prominent.
While the youth represented a fairly wide spectrum of political, social and
ecclesiastical views, a surprising degree of consensus emerged that too many
parish liturgies turn young people off.
Ely Guess, 17, of Birmingham, Ala., said teens in his area are
sometimes allowed to plan special youth Masses, but they need
involving, enjoyable liturgies on a more regular basis. We need it every
Sunday, not just on special occasions, he said.
Candace Hartz, 17, of Chattanooga, Tenn., gave a brief talk to the
forum on how another youth gathering had inspired her to see Christ in other
people. She said the most frustrating thing to her is how people can be
so on fire for God at events such as the youth conference, but when they
return home, it goes away. Her answer? Better liturgies in the
parishes. They [youth] will come if you put forth the effort, she
said. But it has to be exciting, empowering and fun.
When participants in the forum were invited to respond to the
question, How can we bring youth into the church? most answers
seemed to center on the liturgy: a mix of modern and traditional
music, youth homilies, liturgical dance and, most
ubiquitously, make the Mass more fun. When asked to list the gifts
young people bring to the church, many answers focused on energy,
excitement, involvement and making the church
come alive.
Its a great lesson, Bishop John F. Kinney of St.
Cloud, Minn., said of the emphasis on the liturgy. We have to make the
parish and especially the Mass a welcoming place for youth to be.
The point I would emphasize is that the kids were not just
talking about teen Masses, said Mike Moseley of the Center
for Ministry Development, who moderated the bishops forum. They
were talking about being a full part of the worshiping community. Moseley
said that making liturgies more accessible to young people would require adults
taking adolescent stories and experiences seriously, as well as involving teens
in the liturgical ministries available to them -- serving as lectors,
eucharistic ministers and in other roles.
Its not really a matter of fixing the liturgy,
Moseley said, but of how we enliven communities. Well have the
right liturgies when we have young people involved in all aspects of community
life.
The culminating Mass on Sunday -- planned and executed by
conference participants -- provided a glimpse into what a youth-oriented
liturgy might look like. There was an eclectic mix of music, some of which
sounded like it came straight off the top 40 charts, and some of which would
have been at home in a Cistercian monastery. The central motif seemed to be
involvement, as youth were invited to sing, dance, clap, move and generally get
into it.
During his homily, Msgr. Ray East of Washington called on the
youth to shout amen at certain points, and the resulting din
reverberated through the large hall. At the close of his remarks, East borrowed
from the evangelical tradition and asked the youth to make an altar
call, standing if they were willing to witness to Christ at home. East
called on them to make an emotional, personal commitment. As the youth stood
up, East turned to the bishops and said, I give to you, at least 14,000
strong, not the church of the future but the church of today.
The young people who gathered in Kansas City seemed to identify
solidarity as their biggest gain from coming together.
Sometimes you feel alone if you try to live your life in a
good, moral way, said Flamingo. Here, with so many kids who share
the same values, its a great affirmation. Here youre in the
majority.
Im so glad Im here. Im so glad I
came, said Kelly Annino, 17, of Norwich, Conn. Its incredible
-- the number of kids, all here for the same reason, because we believe in God.
You dont get that every day ... Here, you come and everyones
chanting, We love God! Its just incredible. No ones
walking around like, This is so dumb. Everyone is glad to be here.
It helps me keep going on.
OHara put the point simply. Here at this
conference, he said, you know youre not standing
alone.
It was this aspect of the conference -- the mutual support offered
by teenagers struggling to make the right choices -- that National Federation
for Catholic Youth Ministers executive director Bob McCarty wished to
emphasize.
I hope the media takes away the story that there are 17,000
pieces of good news here, he said, suggesting that teenagers normally
draw attention from the press only when drugs, violence or crime are involved.
In truth, McCarty said, Our kids are alive and well and doing great
things in the church.
National Catholic Reporter, December 12,
1997
|
|