What does the Catholic Church have in common with most major advertisers, retailers, politicians and information gatherers? The desire and need to reach young people. And it's a lot harder than it sounds. Seminarian and Word on Fire blog contributor Christopher Kerzich offers some sound advice on how to, and how not to, effectively reach this "key demographic."
How can the Church communicate with young people today? This question seems to be at the heart of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture, which is currently underway here in Rome. The four-day meeting is focused on the world’s emerging youth cultures. After reading aninterview highlighting the meeting’s themes, this humble scribe began reflecting on ways to communicate with the multitude of emerging youth cultures. From prayer and this reflection, I’ve seen there are four ways to communicate with today’s youth and young adults. Obviously, these are focused on encouraging the most important interaction in this regard, that between the young person and Jesus Christ.
Communicate within the Group
Walking home from dinner one evening I observed a group of ragazzi (a general Italian word for “youth” or “young adults”) outside a local café gathered and talking in a group. Interestingly, everyone looked as if they belonged and no one seemed to be an outsider. All were dressed similarly, were in the same age group, and were speaking Italian. In one sense this can be an analogy for today’s youth cultures (similar dress, similar language and gathered together either physically or virtually). This means those seeking to spread the Gospel message within these youth cultures can easily come up against roadblocks. There are certain “walls” that might exclude outsiders (either of age or background) from engaging these groups. Therefore, a new evangelist must ask him or herself, what is needed to communicate within these groups that might have a tendency to exclude outsiders?...
The Catholic Church is in peril. Doubt, dwindling numbers and the pervasive influence of secularism threatens to say "no" to the religion of "yes." But we are not content to succumb to the naysayers, and instead we ramp up our efforts to spread the joy, the love and the Word to the world. This is the New Evangelization, and this is our story. See the trailer of our newest project here...
Today is the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, a French 15-16th century Doctor of the Church, who wrote extensively about spiritual direction and formation. Word on Fire blog contributor Jared Zimmerer takes a closer look at the saint, and how his message is as pertinent as ever as we aim to fulfill the mission of the New Evangelization.
St. Francis De Sales, Doctor of the Church and spiritual master, was a man who deeply understood the Church’s mission to evangelize. His masterpiece, Introduction to the Devout Life, had an influence on me as a reader, a writer and a Catholic. In his many other works, such as the Treatise on the Love of God, St. Francis imbued philosophical contemplation with theological sophistication. At times his accessible prose will give way to intensely poetic language such as this: “The same humility which conceals graces with a view to their preservation is ready to bring them forth at the bidding of Charity, with a view to their increase and perfection; therein reminding me of that tree in the Isles of Tylos, which closes its beautiful carnation blossoms at night, only opening them to the rising sun, so that the natives say they go to sleep.” (Introduction to the Devout Life Part 3, Ch. 5) De Sales opens his reader’s soul to deeper reflections of an array of subjects, each relating to a different aspect of humanity as transformed by Christ.
Fifty years before De Sales was born, Jean Calvin introduced his vision for the reform of the Church, a vision that rejected many of the principles that had directed the faithful since the apostolic period and severed many of the baptized from communion with the Catholic faith. The divisions of the Protestant reformation ensured that St. Francis would spend his life in an atmosphere of cultural upheaval, which led to state-sponsored strategies that would use coercion as a means of controlling the religious aspirations and practices of people. Christendom gave way to versions of Christianity where oftentimes politically enforced decisions determined what one could believe. Appointed Bishop of Geneva, which had for many years been controlled by a Calvinist theocratic regime, De Sales could see that in order for the Catholic faith make the case for its way of life, it would have to counter hostility and violence through acts of compassion and charity, and it would be through these practices of love that the doctrinal claims of Catholicism would be revealed as the truth. The ardor that St. Francis demonstrated came from his relationship with Christ in the Church, a relationship that manifested itself in practical actions of love and mercy...