How can you teach them about the Mass when they’re not there?
You have to get them there first, everyone. Right?
Or are you perhaps suggesting some kind of “intervention,” in which the teens are snatched and driven to a camp in the middle of nowhere, and for the next 72 hours are made to listen to teachings about the Catholic Mass?
Just joking, of course. But I’m serious about my question about exactly how you plan to teach them about the Mass when they don’t attend.
And when you think about it, there’s a good chance that their parents might be under-educated, too, since most teenagers in existence right now are children of 40-somethings who have no memory of Pre-Vatican II days, and are perhaps themselves are very “liberal-leaning” thanks to poor catechesis.
So what are you going to do to bring them back to Mass and to keep them at Mass? I am very interested in hearing your ideas and so it the OP.
For that matter, getting them to Mass won’t do anything to teach them about the Mass, since Mass isn’t a “teaching time.” So what we’re actually talking about here is getting them to some kind of “class” or “group” or “study,” or perhaps making them watch a “movie” or “DVD” or possibly even convincing them to read a book about Mass.
How are you going to do that?
TLM?
I appreciate that there are teenagers who dislike rock music and “modern” Masses. I think they should be respected.
But with all due respect to these teens, I think they are a minority.
In our city, we have had TLM since the mid 1980s. Not too many teens attend–the ones that attend are the ones from home-schooling families who have very traditional preferences and life-styles. That’s wonderful.
But the TLM does not attract a lot of non-homeschooled teenagers. Yes, there is a schola. Teenagers do not attend. There is plenty of traditional “mystery” in this Mass, which is done by the Christ the King priests. But the teenagers do not come. The old church where the TLM is held is breath-takingly beautiful, loaded with images and color and light. But the teenagers do not attend.
Our parish has a Life Teen Mass, a reverent one. There is no gathering around the altar and no shenanigans. The only way you would know it is a Life Teen Mass is because of the music. Hundreds of teens attend this Mass and the study in the church basement that is held after the Mass.
In our city, there is a teen group (interdenominational) called Cross Current that meets on Wednesday nights and features a full rock band. Thousands of teens attend, including hundreds of Catholics.
There is a megachurch in our city, a church plant by the Willowcreek Association in Barrington. There is a full rock band consisting of professional, experienced musicians.
Many thousands of teens attend.
So I have a hard time, everyone, with those who claim that teenagers will flock to a TLM and will reject “modern” trappings. I’m sorry, but I don’t see it happening here. I’m not sure why it happens in your city but not ours. I wonder if it would happen in the OPs city or town.
Maybe it would work. It’s worth a try.
Anything is worth a try when we’re talking about the souls of our young people.
To the OP–I don’t think you should worry about music or lively preaching or Latin or mysterious atmospheres or rock bands or anything external.
I think the way to attract teenagers to Mass is to show them that they are LOVED, and to demonstrate this love to them in practical, visible ways.
One thing that worked really well in our college (NIU) is when one of the local churches hand-delivered small bags of home-made cookies to the dorms (thousands of students received these cookies). No strings attached–just cookies. But hundreds of college students visited the church that gave them these cookies, and several dozen became members of this church, not just because of a one-time cookie gift, but because the older people who belonged to this church SHOWERED US with love, food, hugs, visits to their homes, and all the loving “family” things that young people desperately need. REAL genuine agape LOVE will bring the teens to your Mass.
Another way to get teens and young people to your parish is to allow them to work and serve the Lord. If they are “needed” and their work is important, they will be there to fulfill their responsibility. Now I realize that you really don’t need several dozen altar boys or a few dozen ushers! But is there some way that the parish can involve the young people and teenagers in vital volunteer projects in the community; e.g., helping the poor and homeless, re-habbing old schools, holding a Daddy-Daughter/Mother-Son prom, or perhaps a prom for grandparents, doing pro-life prayer vigils if you have an abortion mill in your town (lots of our parish’s young people get involved with this), etc.?
There are also bigger projects outside of your community; e.g., short-term mission trips to conduct vacation Bible schools among poor children, building projects (e.g., in New Orleans), etc.
These kinds of service opportunities are a draw for young people who want desperately to contribute something good to the world. These kinds of projects even attract non-Catholic kids who want to help out–e.g., our parish does the “Car Wash for Life” project, in which all the monies are donated to our local crisis pregnancy center (prolife), and kids who are PROTESTANT join them in this effort!
God bless you for having a heart for young people!
Chant isn’t like a hymn that (aside from probably being too hard to sing properly) pops up, to me if flows seamlessly with the Mass creating so much exterior but also interior beauty. Its very calming too and a great release from the world. And the texts!!!
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