Pope Francis made history by convening the first-ever Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. The gathering was organized so that the Church could listen to young adults from around the world and develop a response to their needs, hopes, and desires. Jonathan Lewis, Assistant Secretary for Pastoral Ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington, was one of about thirty young adult auditors to participate.
In this role, he joined bishops and other young adults in small group discussions and offered a four-minute address, or intervention, to all participants. “I was struck by the openness of the bishops to go out of their way to listen and prioritize the voices of young people throughout the Synod process, especially in the small group discussions,” Lewis remarked. “This spirit of listening is something I hope spreads from Rome into our local communities as one fruit of the Synod.”
Why was it important for the Church to have a gathering on the faith and vocational discernment of young adults at this moment in history?
Young adulthood is a relatively new social phenomenon. It wouldn’t have made sense in past centuries to separate out “young people” (ages 16-29) from older adults. So the discussion is important, first, because it seeks to respond to the lived experience of the Church today.
Second, the Synod on Young People followed two Synods on the topic of the family. It makes sense after reflecting on the family that the Church look to young people who are in the period of discerning whether or not to enter into family life. And perhaps most obviously, this Synod was timely because we are experiencing a dramatic decline in the practice of faith among younger generations of Christians that requires a concrete response from the Church.
What are some concrete action items will you implement in the Archdiocese as a result of the Synod?
One of the key themes from the Synod we are discerning is how to leverage the potential of spiritual mentor relationships in the life of our communities. Almost all of us can look back in our lives and identify the key presence of a spiritual mentor. Yet we hardly see intergenerational mentorship at work in parishes today.
There are countless touch-points for mentors to engage young people: professional mentoring, coaching, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, R.C.I.A., new parishioner registration, service outreach, small group ministry, men’s and women’s ministry, etc. We are exploring practical ways to help parishes increase the number of young people and church elders in friendship and mentorship relationships. We have seen from experience that these relationships help young people stay engaged and grow in their faith and help to renew the faith of elders at the same time.
What are some practical things that Church leaders can do to empower young adults in the work of revitalizing the Church?
Engaging young people in revitalizing the Church is the work of encountering young people, knowing them by name and forging friendships with them, not simply offering them programs.
I think Church leaders can cultivate this culture of encounter with young adults by:
- hosting a one-day ‘synod’ with people of all ages discerning how their local community can empower young people;
- increasing the number of young adults on councils and committees where real decisions get made;
- finding ways for local clergy, religious, and lay leaders to spend less time behind their desks and more time in coffee shops and restaurants engaging young people where they are;
- and hosting accompaniment training for Church leaders as well as spiritual direction training for clergy and lay leaders.
But you don’t need a special title to have a powerful impact on young people. I would challenge every Catholic to get to know one young person by name and to invest in a mentorship relationship with them. Buy them a cup of coffee or invite them for a home-cooked meal. Listen to their story, encourage their dreams, and offer wisdom from your experience.
The synod took place in the wake of the “Summer of Sorrows,” when the global sexual abuse crisis re-emerged. How did this shape the Synod?
It was humbling to experience the catholicity of the Church in such a practical way at the Synod. Every bishop and layperson brought with them the hopes, joys, and sorrows of their people. My friend Safa from Iraq talked about his friends being murdered in church bombings and the reality of Christian persecution in the Middle East. Many bishops talked about the harmful impact of global migration on millions of young people and on the people who remain in countries in conflict. And, of course, those of us from the U.S., Germany, Chile, and other affected countries talked about the scourge of the sexual abuse of clergy and the loss of trust that many young people have in the Church.
All this is to say that the sexual abuse crisis certainly impacted the conversation in the large group and small group discussions, but it did not take center stage. Many bishops and laypeople (myself included) made pleas in the Synod hall for the Church to address this, and I believe those interventions opened the eyes of many participants from other parts of the world where scandal has not taken place or garnered attention.
The major narrative about young adult Catholics is that they are leaving the institutional Church and religious practice in large numbers. Can young adults help to re-engage their peers? Is there a story to be told about young adults who are still engaged and ready to be leaders?
Absolutely. In his recent Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, Pope Francis said, “I want to state clearly that young people themselves are agents of youth ministry” (203). Pope Francis spends significant time earlier in the exhortation telling the stories of young saints in Scripture and in our Catholic Tradition whom God called to do extraordinary things. His point is that God still calls young people to be saints today. Peers know best how to evangelize their peers but they need to be given training and practical support to do so.
My experience is that young people evangelize best when they have mentors who walk alongside them to challenge, encourage, and offer practical wisdom. I love the closing paragraph of the exhortation when Pope Francis says to young people: “The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us” (299).
For more on young Catholics, read the C21 Resources magazine, A Hope to Share, at bc.edu/c21revitalize.