Be Bold - Be Proud - Be Catholic

In our conversations with this particular group of Latino teens, they described being Catholic as a part of their identity. They were born into the Catholic faith and, like their Hispanic culture, it defines them. Being Catholic is something to be proud of, to be a "child of God." As children of God, they are also part of a larger family. This second family, the Church family, provides a network of people they can look up to and go to for help and support in times of trouble.

Being Catholic meant going to Church on Sunday. But going to Church was more than attending mass. It was about helping out and participating at church. It was about celebrating the different liturgical seasons. It was about the family sharing a meal and spending time together after mass. For a number of these young Latinos, family life revolved around parish life.

But as one young person stated being Catholic is not just going church. They also talked about our responsibility as Catholics to build up the Kingdom. Being Catholic is a way of life that requires that you

• follow Jesus and share the Good News
• treat others with respect and help those in need
• study the scriptures and pray
  
• forgive and are forgiven

I have to admit that these kids struggled to articulate what being Catholic meant to them. Their conversations were more concerned with the experience of Church than the content of the faith. But what was clear was their love for God and the Church.