One of the goals of youth ministry is "to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today." (RTV, 9) The young people are challenging us to follow through on our promise and help them develop the skills they need in order to affect change in their own lives and in the lives of their peers. They strongly believe that a relationship with God serves as a protective factor against the negative influences in their lives. They also view the youth group as a type of support group and they encourage the Church to offer more... more groups, more activities. It was fun to watch them during the focus groups gently invite one another to take part in each other's parish programs.
These young people want more than prayers. They are looking for immediate solutions. They want the Catholic Church to do whatever it takes to meet the needs that are present in their communities: raise funds for needy families, offer affordable day care for teen moms so they can go to school, provide tutoring programs and host job fairs. They want us to show them the possibilities and help them get there.
As I mentioned last week, one of the major challenges facing Latino teens is their relationship with their parents. One young person felt that priests would be a good resource to address this particular topic. The priest was described as someone that could help give advice to parents on how they can improve their relationship with their teenage children. These teens were very understanding of their parents' situation but the "when I was your age" stories are getting old. These teens are looking for someone who can advocate for them. Someone to help their parents better understand the generational and cultural differences they are living. They would like someone to talk to their parents about how to communicate with their kids without judging them. They also feel their parents would benefit from a workshop on how to address the tough issues like the "sex talk." Overall, they want to have a better relationship and more meaningful conversations with their parents.
To me, the hopefulness shared by these young people is an expression of the relationship between the Hispanic youth ministry leaders and the teens. Their experiences and the support that they receive through youth ministry has made such an impact on their lives, that they are confident that it can have the same impact on others. They believe that the Church can make a difference, one person at a time.
There was one thing that they felt powerless to change. They felt racism and discrimination was so real, so big and so pervasive that they could not imagine a time when it would not be an issue. It's just the way it is. While they believe that there are ways to increase cultural awareness and build community within a parish, some did not think that you could do anything to change society. And they would not be alone. If this is the case, what can we do to help them cope with the negative effects of racism and discrimination? How can we help them heal?
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