How can we get more young people to go to Mass?

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lak611 said:
Wow, this is great! 👍 How did your pastor initiate these groups? I would like to know more. My parish could use this sort of thing, but I would like to know how it got started so I can mention it to my pastor.
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Our pastor did not initiate any of the groups himself. Lay people (mainly who were fired up after going through Christ Renews His Parish) discerned a need in the parish and decided what would fill it. They then presented the ideas to the pastor who gave permission for the new ministries and organizations. This has been a gradual growth over 20 years from 0 to about 70 things.

We have had CRHP for more than 10 years in our parish with more than 1000 pariticipants. It begins with a separate weekend retreat for a group of up to 36 men or women. They then prayerfully decide if they will continue in spiritual formation for the next 6 months as a team. At the end of that time, the ones who continued have discerned their roles for presenting the retreat to the next group. This process seems to increase attendance at mass and active participation in parish life in general for the people who complete it.

At the end of giving to the next group, these men and women have learned a lot about themselves and what their gifts might be. They are charged with going forth into the parish in whatever capacity they can best serve. Since they are of all ages 18 and up, some focus on raising their young children and participating in associated things like volunteering in our Sunday nursery or religious ed classes or Mothers of Young Children group. Others have started entire ministries as an individual with a good idea.

What it takes is a pastor who is open to lay participation in the parish and an individual with a good idea and the drive to get it going. For instance one thing that got started was a group called Brothers in Christ. One young father/husband wanted a group for men in his stage of life where they could talk and share their concerns and support each other while growing in their faith. He proposed a group that would meet in the homes of members.

You can look at my parish website and click on the drop down menu on the left to see a list of organizations and perhaps get some ideas. If you see something that you want to start at your parish, there should be a link to email one of the group leaders. We have a very friendly parish and I don’t think anyone would mind giving you some help or info regarding their group.
www.stannparish.org
 
puzzleannie said:
if you are talking about young people still living at home with parents, light a fire under the parents and scare the pants off them about the threat to their immortal soul if they ignore their duty to their children.
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That’s all well and good but I know that some of the families who were the most active in the Church and had their kids at Mass every week and every Holy day also have kids who never set foot in the house of God once they leave the family home.

But then again, I once heard a parish council member say “You make sure they make their First Communion but then they get to be 8 or 9 and they don’t want to go to Church, what can you do???” I thought he’d meant 18 or 19 but no, before his kids reached the teens he’d given up on taking them to church because they didn’t want to go. Hmm, wonder if he took them to the dentist for their 6 month check-up?
 
Hi,

I’m relatively a new return here and I thought I would only share my “non-devout” perspective. As per another thread in the Spirituality section, my son, never had been to Church before is asking to go.

I thought about "why is that when I’m sure many teenagers/“tweens” have “had it” by the time they are 10-18.

Maybe it’s because it’s the “same ol’/same ol’?” Been there, done that, have the t-shirt as they say?

I think kids/youth naturally want to learn, experience new things, and progress.

Rites of passage have become passe in our society for some reason.

Native Americans used to make their kids climb a tree and stay there for a day battling the elements to pass the muster as a warrior.

I don’t know much about Judiasm but my observation of that religion is that their youth is expected to progress along with challenges of learning/reciting prayers, memorizing them, until demonstrating it at their bah mitzvah.

Maybe a lesson could be learned from these other cultures. . .I don’t know.

My son was assumedly asking to go to church because of a local Protestant program called UPWARDS which is sports. He joined because his friends did, they do religious teaching at half time, giving lollipops out for those who remember scripture and then he brought the request to me. (not suggesting this approach, only reporting it)

Draw your own conclusions. . .I am certainly not an evangelist nor do I play one on TV (ba dump dump 😃 ).
 
Coming out of a Protestant faith. We could learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters. CCD needs to be upgraded to a “bible class” style atmosphere integrated with CCC memorizing along with scripture study. My wife is burned out from that, but I still think its a good idea. We need to extend “youth” group to ages before they are 12 and get more parents involved, good luck because we suspect that many parents drop their children off at CCD and go to mass not bringing their children at all.

Modern Protestant thinking, especially the Mega Church mentality, think its okay to make “church time” entertaining. That’s the problem with the cable /video game generation - they’re looking to be entertained. Pier pressure is also high in those faiths. But sooner or later the youth have to “own” their faith. It starts at home. Parents are in charge of youth. What knucklehead thinks he/she can’t bring their children to church? Parents have to own up to their responsibilities by bringing up their children in the teachings of the Church. The bible says to “train up a child”. If we expect our children to own their faith, we need to own our faith and be able to “give a defense of our faith”, also in the bibile.

I hear 2 ladies in a position of high influence at our Parish say heretical things. One says their are many paths that lead to heaven. The other says that the bible is not really important to learn. Both are false teachings commonly misunderstood and practiced by cradle Catholics. The buck stops here. Learn the faith and teach as you go. Use the CCC as the base and actuall go buy a bible if you don’t have one. Use dvd and cd’s and such. get creative. Instill in children a strong love for God. We can learn from our brothers and sisters in Protestant Churches, but we shouldn’t follow everything they do just because they draw entertainment seekers. If you’ve been there and see it for what it is you will understand what I’m saying.
 
You know. . .I thought a lot about this today and again, I repeat - I am no authority to be suggesting anything but I really tried to think about this from the perspective of youth.

I think there is something to be learned not just from Protestants but maybe all religions/spirituality.

I wonder. . .and I just throw it out to the forum to knock around. . .if there isn’t a way to make Catholicism more “physically” challenging vs exclusively “spiritually” challenging.

Maybe Catholicism is a bit too “sedentary” for youth. Maybe it’s a bit too “sedentary” for the entire American culture, where “sloth” and “gluttony” have argueably taken over as lead capital sins (with lust running a close third).

I look at the martial arts (which have spiritual connotations) and the youth is expected to pass physical tests, hone their mental disipline and test their mettle in combat.

There is a marriage of the physical, mental, and spiritual there. I am not sure of my Asian history but I think Buddhist Monks were skilled in martial arts. Yogi masters exhibit almost supernatural control over their bodies.

Yet, in Western culture. . .everything is so compartmentalized… I am not sure the human experience is compartmentalized when it comes to those things.

It’s not a matter of Church on Sunday. You study during the week. And then you exercise after school. You should be blending the mind, spirit, and body all of the time.

Or is this heretical talk?

This is the type of energy that youth is innately infused with. Yet. . .we kind of expect them to go into Church and sit next to 86 year old Grandma with diabetes and bad case of the lumbago who hasn’t exercised her body in 30 years and somehow cross a couple of few generations and connect with that…

Can we really blame them for lack of interest in Mass?

I am not suggesting we need to turn Catholic youths into world class athletes but maybe more of an emphasis on “physical” worship and adding physical rites of passage.

For instance, all males undergoing Confirmation would carry a 50 pound cross on his back for 200 yards realizing the physical endurance Jesus Christ had and to honor him. They would train for this as well as the normal cathecism. (again. . .I am just brainstorming with you all)

I realize this is a radical suggestion and wouldn’t have 100% appeal but I think it would go a long way to making Mass/Catholicism appear “cool” and an “achievement”, something to boast and receive admiration from society (although humility would have to be emphasized). It would certainly help attract males, who as someone noted in another thread in Spirituality section, think Mass/Church rather feminine, something “moms” make you do.

It may even have the potential to tackle a huge sociological problem in our country.

Okay, it’s a just a brainstorm. . .needs polish I realize. I realize I am almost preaching heresy adding a sacrament/rite of passage. I am just suggesting Catholicism shouldn’t be all about the soul and spirit - I think the body counts for something too.
 
It depends on the parish as to how “physical” the faith can be for the youth. We have Lifeteen which rotates 3 weeks of teaching Lifenights (after Sunday evening mass) with one week of “fun” like having outdoor games or going bowling or going to the pro baseball game as a group.

On the LT retreats, they teens are more physical in their worship with adoration time after the evening mass where 100s of teens will spend an hour or more kneeling or flat on the floor before the Blessed Sacrament. Each teen is given a large candle (in glass) for the retreat that they place around the altar to light it for the adoration. Sometimes they have songs during the adoration to give praise to God and they usually pray a rosary also.

All of our teens who want to be confirmed must perform a certain number of service hours. There is an annual mission trip for HS students to Mexico for which they must raise their own funds all year in addition to performing other service hours to qualify for the mission trip.

There is now an annual summer service program in the diocese for middle schoolers called Mission Possible. They do service projects without the travel by working at the food banks, etc.

In our diocese, there is a large Latino population. During Lent there are multiple groups of men who carry actual full-size crosses for many miles. The custom came to the US from Latin America. I have seen teens do it also.

I know a number of people who pray the rosary while doing their regular exercising. We use our fingers instead of beads. I know some young people who walked across the entire US as part of a pro-life group.

There is no reason that Catholics cannot incorporate physical things into our faith life because some of us do it already. I think it is just a matter of passing along the idea of it to more people.
 
I grew up Baptist, and I would go every summer to a Baptist camp, and it was very engaging. You were constantly challenged (I don’t know how things are done at Catholic camps, though I hope to go this summer!) to understand the Bible, Jesus, etc. Worship was always a very rowdy affair (in a good way) and the more enthusiastic worshipers would jump and scream for the song being played, and then there would be a speaker would do a thing, and actually make reference to things in our lives and then show what Jesus taught about it.

Youth group was always exciting, and we would do games and retreats and community service projects all while learning in an applied way to our life.

Now, I cannot speak for all Catholics my age, but the general feeling I get from them is “Yeah, I’m Catholic.” And then that’s about it, as far as I can tell. I’ve been surprised to learn that many of the kids in my school were Catholic, supposedly, and I never would’ve guessed. Also, and I feel embarrassed and kind of awkward, but I’ve actually taught my Catholic friends things about their faith they didn’t even know that Catholics believed.

I can’t tell you what’s wrong, except that as far as I can see from most of my Catholic friends they don’t really seem to believe their faith really factors into their life. Mind you, these are the friends my age.

I don’t know. I can’t understand why they wouldn’t want to learn. I just feel jealous they were born Catholic and that their parents actually want them to learn this stuff. It could be just us kids, I don’t mean to be cynical, but I wouldn’t trust someone in my generation as well as I would trust anyone else.
 
brycelaliberte said:
I grew up Baptist, and I would go every summer to a Baptist camp, and it was very engaging. You were constantly challenged (I don’t know how things are done at Catholic camps, though I hope to go this summer!) to understand the Bible, Jesus, etc. Worship was always a very rowdy affair (in a good way) and the more enthusiastic worshipers would jump and scream for the song being played, and then there would be a speaker would do a thing, and actually make reference to things in our lives and then show what Jesus taught about it.

Youth group was always exciting, and we would do games and retreats and community service projects all while learning in an applied way to our life.

Now, I cannot speak for all Catholics my age, but the general feeling I get from them is “Yeah, I’m Catholic.” And then that’s about it, as far as I can tell. I’ve been surprised to learn that many of the kids in my school were Catholic, supposedly, and I never would’ve guessed. Also, and I feel embarrassed and kind of awkward, but I’ve actually taught my Catholic friends things about their faith they didn’t even know that Catholics believed.

I can’t tell you what’s wrong, except that as far as I can see from most of my Catholic friends they don’t really seem to believe their faith really factors into their life. Mind you, these are the friends my age.

I don’t know. I can’t understand why they wouldn’t want to learn. I just feel jealous they were born Catholic and that their parents actually want them to learn this stuff. It could be just us kids, I don’t mean to be cynical, but I wouldn’t trust someone in my generation as well as I would trust anyone else.
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Maybe the Holy Spirit is calling you to incorporate the positive aspects of the Baptist youth group into a Catholic youth group. You may be the person to lead something new in the Catholic church! 👍
 
I guess what I am saying (to avoid the long dissertation as before) is that Catholicism, to incorporate the body into it’s spirituality, would have to make the physical be part of the sacraments.

I don’t think just an optional “Youth/sports” group is enough.

It would have to be that being Catholic is synonomous with being “physically disiplined” as well as “spiritually and morally disiplined.”

Again, I can only think of the martial arts as analogy/comparision - but you are expected to rise, perform exercises, stretch -perhaps meditate, avoid certain foods, study, practice - the mind, spiritual health and physical health are all blended into one (along with moral instruction - karate/judo is defense, not offense, etc.).

This becomes a way of blending everything into your life vs. I go to Church on Sundays and then I’m done til next Sunday except on Christmas.

Just a brainstorm.

I think this is why people are turning to yoga in droves. . .they feel out of shape and out of balance and the stretching routine brings at least one aspect of physical fitness into their lives.

With childhood obesity on the rise in America to record proportions, I think there’s potential here.

Does anyone here think kids don’t need a little more physical disipline, as well as moral and spiritual disipline? Do the majority think the 2 are seperate?
 
I was recently invided to speak to a group of honors students at my lcoal school…they wanted to know about how it was to be a teen back in the 50s ,heros,villians,values etc…as I unfolded my life to them they began to really listen and ponder. The mere notion of having ‘heros’ and role models with no faults they at first glance was thought almost humorous,but then as I slowly revealed to them the importance of having role models…people to look up to and how they reacted in certain circumstances well…frankly it is both sad and shocking that the wonderful mysteries and ultimate faith of childhood have been lampooned and destroyed for them! I would relate stories from the childhood of Teddy Roosevelt and how he overcame sickness and built up his body…of the Lone Ranger and how he would do good for people and not stick around for a medal…then relate how these individuals…Madame Currie,etc etc…helped me thru life…and thus it must be for the kids going to church…take the plaster saints off of the wall niche and show the scars,the humor and the victory…and most of all…show Jesus and how He lived for us and how relevant He truly is…the tinsel of bands and dances are just a second rate immitation of broadway and JC superstar…and so my little interview with the students went well, I left them with a handful of items…wished them well …mounted Silver and rode away…
 
Well… I used to go to Mass with my parents at my parish, but I didn’t want to be there.

Since then I’ve started going to the university chapel… and I enjoy going every week.

There are some things I’ve noticed that I like about the chapel:

1-The windows. They’re big, and made of normal glass instead of stained galss. I’m not saying stained glass isn’t pretty, but it’s only pretty when the light is shining through it. Which it isn’t really during the day at my parish… so it gives the effect of the parish being very dark, whereas the chapel is always full of light.
Basically, whether you have stained glass windows or not, make sure there’s enough light so that it doesn’t make it seem gloomy.

2-The priest’s homilies. At the university, they don’t bore me out of my mind, and I can relate to them.

3-The fact that my parents aren’t there. I really like this. I feel awkward when they’re there - like they’re watching me to see if I’ll take part in the Mass. And for that reason, I generally don’t when they’re around. 🤷 (Yes, I can be very stubborn and rebellious :whistle:)

4- The music. It’s not the same thirty-or-so songs I’ve heard at Mass all my life. Change is good. 🙂

5- It’s at a university… so there are other youth there. Youth who want to be there. Sure, they’re a bit older than me, but they’re youth nonetheless. It really helps to have concrete proof that little kids and people over 30 aren’t the only ones who go to Mass.

Oh, and there is one thing that my parish has started, to try to be a little more “youth-friendly”: they have a Youth Mass once a month where they play more modern songs and have youth do the readings. The only problem is that not many youth show up… and the reason is really quite simple: it’s at 9:00 AM! :eek:

So those are my ideas. Not that other youth will agree with them necessarily. It’s important to realise that these “young people” you want more of at Mass aren’t all the same.
 
It’s funny to me that a lot of people are recommending Life Teen or more modern music. When I ask other Catholics my age (I’m 19) why they don’t want to go to Mass they usually say something along the lines of of, “why?”

We know The Church is old, so we expect it to be old. It looses a lot of credibility and respect when it paints itself up to try and look like that Protestant Mega-Church down the road. Catholicism can be strong and powerful, but I have yet to hear a modern song featuring a bongo solo that conveys that. They’re always touchy-feeley hogwash that kids are subjected to by wishy-washy programs at school that try and teach them to be ok with themselves and get in touch with their inner child. We see these as pointless and ridiculous. When the homilies and music preach these themes, we come to see the Mass as pointless and ridiculous.

I like to observe people, and so my friends get a lot of scrutiny. I can see that they (and myself) don’t bother with something that they don’t see as being important. The classes we hate most are those that don’t pertain to our major. We won’t eat lunch if we get to caught up in a project. To get young people in Mass, you have to make them realize Mass is important. You have to make Mass the strong force it once was to our culture, and The Church has to be seen as the Barque of Peter once again, pushing through the storm.

Finally, we have to preach extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. HMC IS special, but when our churches (specifically the music, but sometimes the building itself) look no different from Protestant ones, people think there isn’t a difference, so it doesn’t matter if they leave for the Assembly of God on the corner, or First Souther Baptist across town. When they find these congregations still preach about sin and hell, and challenge them to change their lives, they get excited and committed to that denomination. Once The Church comes to terms with the identity crisis she’s apparently going through, and gets some footing on solid ground instead of a ‘Let’s-come-together-to-share-our-special-love-bread’ mentality, people will return in droves, and they’ll be devoted, strong Catholics.
 
Rawb said:
It’s funny to me that a lot of people are recommending Life Teen or more modern music. When I ask other Catholics my age (I’m 19) why they don’t want to go to Mass they usually say something along the lines of of, “why?”

We know The Church is old, so we expect it to be old. It looses a lot of credibility and respect when it paints itself up to try and look like that Protestant Mega-Church down the road. Catholicism can be strong and powerful, but I have yet to hear a modern song featuring a bongo solo that conveys that. They’re always touchy-feeley hogwash that kids are subjected to by wishy-washy programs at school that try and teach them to be ok with themselves and get in touch with their inner child. We see these as pointless and ridiculous. When the homilies and music preach these themes, we come to see the Mass as pointless and ridiculous.

…
instead of a ‘Let’s-come-together-to-share-our-special-love-bread’ mentality, people will return in droves, and they’ll be devoted, strong Catholics.
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Rawb, I totally agree. People tell me that I should go to Lifeteen or sing the praise and worship music since that will help me be involved and grow in my faith. Yeah, right. When I was in high school and dealing with going to Mass and my faith, if they had used LifeTeen and modern music, I would not be Catholic today (well, Catholic in name only). I like the fact that when I went to Mass it was familiar. Yeah, the music isn’t great but that is improvable.

The fact is, people ask what to do but DON’T LISTEN. They’ve been trying to start a Young Adult (I have issues with the name but that’s another thread) at my parish and even asked what we wanted. Two of us showed up, not that our parish has that many in the 20s in the first place. But did these people listen to what we wanted? No. It would be nice to have a group that is kind of exclusive to those out of college and on their own and not married but it won’t happen until people LISTEN. I get told I need to go to LifeTeen Mass or get involved in Newman or do a bunch of other activities that don’t reflect my faith at all and are more about emotion. I can’t stand praise and worship music or LifeTeen and yet since I’m 26 “it’s exactly for me” and if I was just open I would really enjoy it. Sorry, been, feel like I’m watching TV instead of at Mass, at Calvary at the foot of the cross. Even the regular Mass on Sunday mornings falls into that same issue of “did I go to Mass or did I just watch TV but in a different building?”

The fact is, the Catholic Church is over 2000 years old and I don’t have a problem with it. Yet, since I’m 26 therefore I must want everything updated and modern and touchy-feely. No, I don’t. I want the faith that has been handed down for over 2000 years, produced many a saint, and came directly from Jesus. I don’t want touchy-feely, avoidance of serious topics such as sin, watered down teaching, a Mass that looks and feels more like a Protestant mega-church worship my emotion service instead of the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice, or homilies that sound more like pep talks. I want the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice, the teachings of the Church unaltered and unapologetically, treated like an adult who can understand the faith, and the TRUTH. And the sacraments.

Sorry, some of that was rant and a vent.
 
Oh, and when did LifeTeen and modern worship music become a cure all for young adults and reaching them? I don’t understand this at all. I want my faith to be unique not a watered down version of the world that’s made palatable. I don’t want to listen to music I hear and sing at Mass outside of Mass. It’s Mass Music and that is where it belongs.
 
Pacbox,

I actually agree - you can’t “pander” to youth. That will backfire.

That being said, being a coach/athlete/trainer type of guy, I would love to “get ahold” of youth like yourself and submit your bodies to training/purification.

Look at it this way - some schools for male ADD students make the pupils get up and run a mile every 50 minutes for 10 minutes (rest and rehydrate).

Voila. ADD gone. No Ritalin needed. It seems that males, unlike females (as a generalization) are not wired to sit on their derriere 6 hours/day.

I think Western religion needs a dose of that.

Sitting on your derriere 1-5 to 10 hours/week in prayer/devotion/rosary is just not natural to youth any way you put it.

We need to find a way for youth to worship with their muscles, ligaments and heart muscle.
 
Scanner,

Your ideas about getting Catholic youth more physically active are interesting, and I certainly think youth should be encouraged to join CYO sports teams, Catholic summer camps, etc. But in the Catholic Church, we very highly value tradition, so I do not think it will work to just start asking confirmation students to carry crosses. Nor would the Church ever make up arbitrary diet rules.

And I just don’t understand what’s so bad about sitting next to grandma at Mass. I do not get this idea that Mass should be compartimentalized into different age groups. I love seeing young people at Mass, old people, babies, middle-agers. It’s awesome to witness the great diversity of the Church and its universality.

Also, it’s not important for Mass to be “cool.” Mass is Mass. It reaches far beyond cool. Youth need to understand what it is all about. They need to learn, really learn, about God.

The problems as I see it (take it for what it is worth):
  1. The parents. Are they living lives in conformity with Church teaching? Are they taking their children to Mass and teaching them about the faith at home? Are they excited about being Catholic and passing that enthusiasm to the next generation? Not every parent that does everything they can to bring their child into a relationship with God and His Church will be successful, but there is a huge problem with parents not pulling through for their children in terms of passing on the faith.
  2. Prayer. A good friend of mine always says that before anyone can appreciate Mass, they need to know how to pray. IMHO, he could not be more right. When you pray, when you have a relationship with the Almighty, Mass is no longer this boring hour one must sit through. It becomes a conversation with the Creator and worship of Him with all the people gathered in the church, all the Catholics in the world, and all the angels and saints in heaven.
 
My parish has LifeTeen/Bilingual Mass every Sunday at 5pm. We recently began reserving a few rows of pews for the teens and the team members. This is a new program that started 3 weeks ago. I don’t know what impact, if any, this will have on the teens, but I thought I would throw my .02 in.
 
We can try a lot of things but I think self realisation is the best thing. Like my Bishop says, on your knees you will find the Lord. In difficult moments, when there is no place to go, the young people will come to Church.
 
dereks512 said:
We can try a lot of things but I think self realisation is the best thing. Like my Bishop says, on your knees you will find the Lord. In difficult moments, when there is no place to go, the young people will come to Church.
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That is what made me come back. Do you have any suggestions on how to get people in the twenties to come back if they have not yet reached that point?
 
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