Byzantine Catholic Family Matters

Evangelizing Ourselves and Our Children V

Developing a Youth Subculture

Late afternoon in Newark at the corner of Broad and Raymond young men - late teens to early twenties - converge at the edge of Military Park. They come from all directions it seems, even coming up the stairs from the subway station. And they stand out: coming in twos wearing dark trousers, white shirts, and dark neckties and carrying small knapsacks on their backs. They are youth on a mission, literally. They are Mormon missionaries. A former colleague, himself a Catholic, had studied at Brigham Young, the Mormon university in Utah. He commented on how the two year missionary experience was so important to the development of these youth's Mormon identity. Little wonder that the Mormons are a fast growing denomination.

These young missionaries form a subculture, indeed a subculture within a subculture (the Mormon Church). In the process of going out into the larger world to preach their church's teachings, they find themselves at times ignored, challenged and even taunted. It is a test of their faith and commitment to their Mormon faith.

To the vast, vast majority of Catholic and Orthodox youth this is a very, very foreign experience. I am not suggesting that Byzantine Catholic youth need to go out into the world in twos to evangelize. Rather, they would be well-served to have their own subculture, including and perhaps especially at the parish level. Doctors Strommen and Hardel, wrote in Passing on the Faith that:
For youth to grow in faith maturity and a commitment to living a life that reflects the Gospel, a Christian youth subculture is very important. When the culture of the nation no longer supports the Christian faith, a youth subculture becomes a safe place for youth to discuss their questions and concerns about faith, to develop leadership skills, and to form relationships with other youth and caring adults. (p. 187)

Strommen and Hardel went on to present eight essential components to a Christian youth subculture in the parish. I have adapted their ideas for Byzantine Catholic youth. The components of a subculture for Byzantine Catholic youth in the parish would include:
· A regular forum during which youth have the opportunity to discuss issues in their lives from an Eastern Christian perspective. Meetings would focus on particular issues with designated youth or adult leaders prepared to facilitate discussions.
· Faith-sharing where the youth are free to talk about their faith with one another and adult leaders. These are times when youth can learn about their faith and their church, that is, to continue in their Eastern Christian formation.
· Opportunities for youth to engage in fun and fellowship with one another while simultaneously fostering a closer commitment to God and Church. For example, a day at the beach or a picnic in the park might begin and/or end with a short prayer service, calling to mind who we are and from where we came.
· A commitment to service and to peer ministry. Youth being afforded opportunities to serve at soup kitchens and to prepare and distribute Easter baskets to the homebound of the parish are but two examples. With regard to peer ministry the goal is not for youth to become counselors to one another but to be friends who guide and refer.
· Opportunities for involvement in music. This would involve explicitly inviting youth to learn about cantoring and becoming members of the parish choir. It would also involve exposing youth to contemporary Catholic recording artists which might include going to concerts or sponsoring a coffeehouse and inviting new artists to perform.
· The development of friendships. Teens and their parents can host dinners for other parish youth at their home.
· A team of adults to serve as mentors, models and guides. A troubled young person needs someone to listen and help him or her figure out how to go about handling the difficult situation and to help foster a sense of hope. When appropriate, too, the adult leader should know when to make a referral to a professional.
· Opportunities for leadership and involvement in the parish. Our youth are members of the parish community and should be expected to fully participate - as they already do sacramentally! If your parish is planning a festival or educational event, where can the youth help out and provide some leadership?

Two challenges of our Byzantine Church is the small number of youth in some parishes as well as the great distance some families live from their churches. This might be addressed by having some parishes combine their efforts in establishing a youth subculture. Scheduling of regular meetings needs to take into account the distances some youth must travel.

Finally, the college years should not be "lost years." Those parishes that are located near to colleges and universities should use their creative energies, guided by the Holy Spirit, to develop an outreach to college students.

We need to be honest with ourselves; the less energy we devote to our youth, the more likely we are to lose them to the secular world and to the Western church - both Catholic and protestant. There are glimmers of hope coming from various parishes throughout the Metropolia to the now regularly held Byzanteen youth rally (see www.byzanteen.com) to the Eparchial youth camps at the Carpathian Village. But it is a start that has to catch fire.