I’ve spent the last couple days with nearly 75 young adults, mostly college seniors, who are participating in a new program, ESTEEM, at Catholic campus ministry centers across the nation designed to empower them with the tools and skills to be leaders in the church.
Following a panel of young adults addressing the transition from college life to young adulthood, I was intrigued by some of the questions a few students asked. They were concerned about the encroachment of secularism and its impact on Catholic identity; the lack of catechesis among their Catholic peers; and how young people lack significant spiritual knowledge to operate in a hostile world.
Most of the students seem open to the world and the beauty that animates it, but I was struck by the sense of fear that seemingly compelled some of these questions. Just as a strong leader is comfortable in asking for help and seeking out constructive criticism, I wonder if strong, confident faith lends itself toward more openness toward exploring and engaging different values and ideas. The notion of retreating from the world into a sort of Catholic ghetto is not new, but I was surprised to hear this articulated from fellow young adults.
By equipping young adults with solid foundations in Catholic theology and ecclesiology, we can prepare them for the challenges they will undoubtedly face from the world, but also make them more open to it. Throughout much of its history, the church excelled in being open to the wonders of the world, and engaging those who approach life differently. There is much to learn from the world, and the church has much to offer to it as well. By forming strong and confident Catholics, we are preparing leaders to be prophetic and engaged, faithful and open. With so many challenges in the church, it is refreshing to be around so much vitality and energy from Catholics who, at this seminal time in their lives, have so much optimism and hope about their future and the church’s future.
Michael J. O'Loughlin
The program seems nebulous and general rather than specific. The leaders of Esteem are not identified. So it makes one wonder if anything is being fronted. Most troubling is that it seems like a new casting of the same old polemics. I think David's question is a good one. At the same time I wonder if we should participate in the polarization rather than solutions. For example, we can all agree that we want a vibrant church that stresses that all the members care for one another and work to build up each other through Jesus Crucified. We can also agree that we should keep the emphasis on the gospel and not let anyone get away with insisting on obedience to her or him rather than Matthew 25: 36-41. We can also agree that the leaders have made it about themselves and not God. That attitude has made them squander money and resources which should be used to practice Matthew 25. So it is not so much about the threat of secularism as it is the need to be a church which forms a community of love and caring. We can all welcome catehesis from a group who models how a people can be a church which serves the Lord according to the passage cited above.
Honestly, I don't see how it can be presumed that young 20-somethings are capable of the wisdom needed to inspire others in a faith tradition. Seems to me that any leader worth following or listening to need some experience of FAILURE first.