Byzantine Catholic Family Matters

Evangelizing Ourselves and Our Children VI

Moving Toward the Development of a Youth Subculture: the Byzantine Catholic Youth

This week Byzantine Catholic Family Matters is "on the road," looking at two parishes' Byzantine Catholic Youth (BCY) programs. I spoke with adult moderators of two programs in our eparchy. One is a relatively new program - about two years old - at St. Mary's Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The other program has been in existence for something over thirty years at Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Annandale, Virginia.

At Epiphany the BCY's co-leaders Bob and Debbie Wargo were themselves members when they were in high school. Bob reports that the group has upwards of twenty-five active members out of about fifty high school students in the parish. What is most impressive about Epiphany's program is the degree to which the teens assume responsibility in the life of the parish community.

From September through June BCY members meet weekly on Sundays for ECF classes, but the third Sunday of the month is "BCY Sunday" when BCY members attend Liturgy together, serve as ushers, and read the epistle. Following the Liturgy on BCY Sunday, the group has a monthly meeting in lieu of their regular ECF classes. In addition to their active participation on BCY Sundays, the group runs annual parish events such as an annual Halloween Party for the younger children of the parish, an Easter Egg Hunt, and a combined talent show-Spaghetti dinner. In September the BCY is in charge of the "Kids' Games" at the parish's Annual Festival. The group sponsors a flea-market to raise funds to finance the group's activities. The group also has an annual retreat or day of recollection.

Outreach beyond the parish is an important part of the BCY's mission. Group members prepare Easter baskets for children living in a shelter. They participate in walks for the homeless. At Christmas they give gifts to the children of needy families in the surrounding area.

Heading north to Wilkes-Barre's St. Mary's Church, the BCY was re-formed two years ago after an absence of a number of years. I spoke with Georgeann Frey the adult coordinator of St. Mary's BCY who tells me that the parish currently has anywhere from nine to fifteen in attendance at a given meeting out of about thirty-three high school age teens. For a young group, St. Mary's BCY is on the move with two members attending this summer's Byzan-Teen Rally in California. As at Epiphany, St. Mary's teens are assuming some responsibilities at the parish. The BCY is responsible for the Sunday coffee and donuts. They also recently did planting/landscaping outside the parish's cemetery chapel. The BCY also participates in a Thanksgiving food drive and also prepared an Easter basket for a family in need.

Meetings are held monthly on Sunday evenings. The group is about to embark on monthly chat for members on the internet, sort of a "virtual" meeting allowing members to meet twice per month.

Last spring the group saw the Passion of the Christ together and returned to their parish for a discussion led by their pastor Fr. Jim Hayer. That went so well that the group is thinking about screening other films and discussing them afterward.

In an effort to get more teens involved at St. Mary's the group members are planning to personally invite parish teens who do not attend meetings. This is an outstanding idea; in addition to potentially bringing in new members, the group is demonstrating its openness to others.

The moderators at both Epiphany and St. Mary's parishes receive help from other parents.

Kudos go to the adult moderators and all of the teens who participate, forming a youth centered subculture in their respective parishes.

If your parish has an active BCY, would like to form a group or revive an inactive program, send your news, ideas and questions to drtom@byzcathfamilymatters.com ByzCathFamilyMatters.com will use these ideas, questions and news to develop a youth ministry page on the website.