Is the “Life Teen” mass good for kids?

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I attended a “Life teen” mass in Indiana over the weekend and I walked away convinced that these masses are not healthy for kids. I wonder if I am the only one who feels this way?

The mass is altered from so many aspects, the rubrics of the mass are clear (and clearly disregarded) about the structure and content requirements. I get the feeling that there are elements that are trying to re-invent the wheel. Flex a little here and a little there and it soon becomes unrecognizable!

Kids are so impressionable and they are soon going to go off to college, and as we know, most universities are unfriendly to any orthodoxy, let alone the Catholic accepted beliefs. I know that is why I left the church for many years. The firm footing that the mass offers is not only comforting but it is important! The rubrics are set for reasons that are not always clear to the lay. That is what the kids need to see, with a greater understanding of each ritual, and to know why we do the things that make us Catholic.

I believe that all these “progressive” masses do is prepare kids to become good Protestants. The fallen-away problem can only be helped if these children are shown that we need to be MORE Catholic instead of less. More conformist as opposed to being more unorthodox.

Am I the only one that feels this way? Am I wrong here? I can only speak from my own experience, my return to the foundation that was shown to me. It has been handed down for so many generations, Martyrs have given there lives for this mass! The beauty of the mass is unparalleled and any change for these kids that might not attend otherwise is doing them a grave disservice.

When thinking about doing this post I had originally intended to give many specifics. However, it then occurred to me that we see similar abuses every week in many parishes. It has become such a prevalent problem in the church that I wanted to touch on the specifics of the “Life Teen” mass only.

Please share your thoughts with me on this. I am curious if I am being too old fashioned.

Thank you & God Bless you for reading and considering my thoughts

Josiecoe
 
No - I don’t believe they are good in the long run. What is needed is a return to sacrifice and reverance, not entertainment.
 
Life Teen Masses ought to be conducted just like any other Sunday Mass. There are at our parish except for the up tempo music. If it isn’t being done properly at your parish you should document the abuses and present them to your pastor(s) and if he won’t do anything about it, contact your diocese with your documented incidents of abuse.
 
I am a teen and I do not attend them. It is my personal belief that Life Teen masses are worthless. Why do we need to change the mass just to bring kids in??? Its heretical.
 
I believe that all these “progressive” masses do is prepare kids to become good Protestants. The fallen-away problem can only be helped if these children are shown that we need to be MORE Catholic instead of less.
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You believe this, i think that this is not quite the case. For a start it is often the case that youth are far more proud to be able to say i am catholic, rather than i am protestant. To the youth catholicism is about so much more than church teachings, it is like a worldwide family, i was once told that catholicism is the 2nd largest religion in the world (i don’t know if this is true), this makes teens feel a sense of belonging. Also i think that the more progressive view is important, as you said teens are impressionable and we would not want them to go and form any predujcies based on church teaching, such as homosexuality being completely wrong and should be openly discriminated - believe it or not some youths do interpret teachings in a way to use negatively against other groups of people.

One final thing is that the point of these masses is to attract youhts to the church, in a world plagued with atheism we desperately need that. Taking a less harsh stance at first is good to bring people into the chrch and get them involved, and then they can be educated about proper catholic values later.
Realistically tis is nessecary, what youth will accept upon fist coming to the church to ‘do this and do that’ ‘the catholic way’. If a teen does not like what a priest is saying then they will just ignore him, the masses are to them just more interesting and fun than what will look like a strict conservative priest harking out orders.
 
I may be way off base on this one but, I don’t like them. I feel they are a sugar-coated Mass that doesn’t do the kids any good. I attend a LifeTeen every week, as it fits my schedule and my wife seems to like it. I do cringe all the way through, and it is sort of an embarassment. All those new hand jestures, clapping, drum-kits and electric guitars playing music that resembles the hit-parade.

Also, it seems to be more well liked by the adults. Some of the kids I’ve talked to say it’s ‘fakey’ and they would prefer a much more traditional Mass. They have said it’s so ‘immature’. Some of them actually seem to hungar for the most reverent Mass possible. Again, it really seems to be more for the parents, and the kids actually seem to sense something’s wrong.

How about a LifeTeen Mass that is the example for how the Mass should actually be done? Are those in charge afraid the kids won’t buy into it?
 
Also, it seems to be more well liked by the adults. Some of the kids I’ve talked to say it’s ‘fakey’ and they would prefer a much more traditional Mass. They have said it’s so ‘immature’. Some of them actually seem to hungar for the most reverent Mass possible. Again, it really seems to be more for the parents, and the kids actually seem to sense something’s wrong.
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I agree, too many of these masses over step the mark, i like the idea, but it has not been effectievly put into action. The church and modern music just don’t mix. One of the things that the catholic church does worst is modernisation. I say just dont bother. There are loads of other ways to get children involved.
Are those in charge afraid the kids won’t buy into it?
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I think that is probably the case.
 
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cargopilot:
Also, it seems to be more well liked by the adults. Some of the kids I’ve talked to say it’s ‘fakey’ and they would prefer a much more traditional Mass. They have said it’s so ‘immature’. Some of them actually seem to hungar for the most reverent Mass possible. Again, it really seems to be more for the parents, and the kids actually seem to sense something’s wrong.
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(Hi!)
Isn’t amazing that kids can tell when they are being snowed?
They are so much smarter than we give them credit for sometimes.
Ask how our church of 750 families has 200 Altar BOYS? Conservative “Old tyme Religion” Catholic Mass. The young people don’t want the happy-clappy stuff, just the Holy Mass.
 
All I can say is my parish, which is not at all the most traditional or orthodox in some respects, does not have them. Our priest doesn’t want kids or anyone else to attend a certain Mass because the music happens to keep them enteretained or for any other ‘particular’ reason. I don’t agree with everything our parish/priest does or says, but I’m proud of our priest for sticking to his guns on this one, because I know it has been brought up.
 
I’m glad to see this thread as it’s got me thinking. I’ve never been to a LifeTeen Mass but my daughter is interested in going next year. Other than ‘boppy’ music, I’d really appreciate it if people could give specific examples of why they don’t like these Masses. All the statements below are very general and some specifics would be much more helpful. We would attend the Mass with our teen as a family so I guess I’ll eventually see one. Hopefully it will be ok in the parish we will go to for it.
 
How about teaching kids what the Mass really is and means and why we do it the way we do it, instead of altering it for them?

Good catachesis is almost always the answer.

Adam
 
quote=netmil(name removed by moderator)
Isn’t amazing that kids can tell when they are being snowed?
They are so much smarter than we give them credit for sometimes.
Ask how our church of 750 families has 200 Altar BOYS? Conservative “Old tyme Religion” Catholic Mass. The young people don’t want the happy-clappy stuff, just the Holy Mass.
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200 Altar boys? Where exactly is this church, and what is its name?
 
PS - my kids have asked me to take them to the happy clapy curch two doors down from our church.
 
Where will these kids go if they move somewhere where LifeTeen is nowhere to be found? Where will they go if they move and the only parish around has meaningless homilies, parishioners who come in without looking at anyone, then pray silently, then head for their cars after Mass without saying a word to anybody, tone deaf cantors, and organists that play too slow? Will they still go to Mass, or will they take the local fundamentalist megachurch proselytizers up on their offer of community (many non denominational churches have sports leagues, large musical ensembles, and sunday school classes of all kinds to choose from), spirituality (many non-denominational services have very powerful messages through music and drama, and prayer groups all the time), and service and educational opportunities (I have yet to see a fundamentalist megachurch that doesn’t have bible studies, and book discussions- a bit more deep than the purpose-driven life too, and that doesn’t regularly do some sort of community service)?

If you can honestly answer that the majority of LifeTeen Catholics will keep their faith even when the externals aren’t pleasing to them, then it probably is a good organization- but I have yet to see that.
 
If Life Teen Mass is part of the youth program, it usually works out well. This is because the kids have their youth group meeting before or after Life Teen Mass.

If Life Teen Mass is NOT part of the youth program, or if it’s an anything-goes type of affair instead of Mass, it doesn’t work well.

I belong to one of the most conservative dioceses in Illinois. We have Life Teen. We just run it correctly, as a supplement, not as an option to stop teens from attending regular Mass. Bishop Doran is not going to allow that, for sure.
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
If Life Teen Mass is part of the youth program, it usually works out well. This is because the kids have their youth group meeting before or after Life Teen Mass.

If Life Teen Mass is NOT part of the youth program, or if it’s an anything-goes type of affair instead of Mass, it doesn’t work well.

I belong to one of the most conservative dioceses in Illinois. We have Life Teen. We just run it correctly, as a supplement, not as an option to stop teens from attending regular Mass. Bishop Doran is not going to allow that, for sure.
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I would have to agree. I ran the Life Teen program at my parish for five years. The program was optional, kids came to the mass for the music, stayed for the life nights. We focused on teaching them the Mass, and slowly they began to appreciate it more and came less for the music. With some of the more intelligent faithful ones, we actually saw them transfer away from our liberal parish to a more conservative parish for liturgy, and come to the LIfe Nights for the teachings.

When it is done correctly it works… when it is done incorrectly it is a pretty awful abuse.

Personally, the Holy Spirit used an incorrectly run Life Teen ministry to draw me more deeply into the Life of the Church… who knows what it is doing for others??? One of the greatest things about being Catholic is our unity despite diversity…

Pax…

Pisio
 
Our kids love the teen mass. I agree that if the LifeTeen program is done correctly it will help the kids in their journey. The Jr. High program (The Edge) is an awesome tool as well. Parents are the biggest instruments in kids formation. Be proud to be Catholic, show the kids their hertiage, teach them the doctrines and practice your faith. This will do more for the kid’s journey than anything else.
 
GoLatin said:
200 Altar boys? Where exactly is this church, and what is its name?
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St. Cyril and Methodius. Sterling Heights, MI and I am sooooo blessed to be there!
We have even been mentioned on EWTN! We do it right!
 
The Church seemed to have plenty of younger saints before it was around! It is really a liturgical abuse and should be done away with. Good catechism and holding fast to tradition is always going to draw kids, I have seen it with my own eyes. Kids don’t need wailing guitar solo’s to go to mass, they need love for Christ and knowledge of the Church.
 
I’m a teen, and I don’t like the masses. I like the music, but I can listen to that outside of Mass. I don’t think you should tamper with the Mass, and that includes letting kids around the alter during the Concecration.
 
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