Young saints and catechesis

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Pope Benedict said one time that catechizing the youth of the Church was top priority. With this, I’ve noticed that many saints and blesseds were young when they converted, died, etc. A lot of the early martyrs were teenage girls, like Lucy and Agatha. I once heard that we’ve had a 13-year-old pope before (can anyone verify?). Francis and Ignatius converted in their early 20s. There’s Therese, Bls. Pier Frassati and Chiara Badano, who died young. And our Blessed Mother was what, 15 when she gave birth to Our Lord and Savior?

Should we emphasize the fact that so many saints were young people? There seems to be this myth out there that Catholicism is for the overly pious old lady with too much time on her hands. As a 20-year-old, this drives me up the wall.
 
I love to see increased catechism of the young, though I’m not sure focusing on young girls who were killed for their faith is going to engage modern kids.

Also remember that teenagers were often married and treated as full adults in earlier days. There isn’t a prior equivalent to the modern teenager
JackVk said:
Pope Benedict said one time that catechizing the youth of the Church was top priority. With this, I’ve noticed that many saints and blesseds were young when they converted, died, etc. A lot of the early martyrs were teenage girls, like Lucy and Agatha. I once heard that we’ve had a 13-year-old pope before (can anyone verify?). Francis and Ignatius converted in their early 20s. There’s Therese, Bls. Pier Frassati and Chiara Badano, who died young. And our Blessed Mother was what, 15 when she gave birth to Our Lord and Savior?

Should we emphasize the fact that so many saints were young people? There seems to be this myth out there that Catholicism is for the overly pious old lady with too much time on her hands. As a 20-year-old, this drives me up the wall.
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tarboy said:
I love to see increased catechism of the young, though I’m not sure focusing on young girls who were killed for their faith is going to engage modern kids.

Also remember that teenagers were often married and treated as full adults in earlier days. There isn’t a prior equivalent to the modern teenager
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Didn’t think of it that way 😊 .
 
JackVk said:
Pope Benedict said one time that catechizing the youth of the Church was top priority. With this, I’ve noticed that many saints and blesseds were young when they converted, died, etc. A lot of the early martyrs were teenage girls, like Lucy and Agatha. I once heard that we’ve had a 13-year-old pope before (can anyone verify?). Francis and Ignatius converted in their early 20s. There’s Therese, Bls. Pier Frassati and Chiara Badano, who died young. And our Blessed Mother was what, 15 when she gave birth to Our Lord and Savior?

Should we emphasize the fact that so many saints were young people? There seems to be this myth out there that Catholicism is for the overly pious old lady with too much time on her hands. As a 20-year-old, this drives me up the wall.
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Yes, we should emphasize that.
Besides, young people needs role models. The saints you mentioned are great heroes for they gave their lives for Christ.
 
:rolleyes:I think its also helpful to teach about the saints who lived worldly lives and gave it up when they found it didn’t satisfy. My teen age students are inspired by St. Francis, St. Augustine when they get to know the person before the conversion. While 12 year old St. Maria Goretti is inspiring, her story doesn’t make the impact that Francis does on a teen age boy.😉
 
I think the OP is referring to the antipope Benedict IX, who was extremely scandalous. Anyway, I like St. Maria Goretti, St. Philomena, St. Rose Viterbo as well as St. Therese. 🙂
 
On a side note: I had a friend who was pentecostal and her family became Catholic back in '10 when she was 14. She seems very dedicated to the faith and I totally look up to her for that. 🙂
 
There are young saints who weren’t martyrs! The young seers of Fatima, as well as St Bernadette, are a couple more off the top of my head.
 
The boys in my 6th grade class are usually interested in what I call tough-guy saints: Max Kolbe, Isaac Jogues, Fr. Damien, Joan of Arc. The girls respond well to any saint as far as I can tell, but I do point out the relative youth of St Therese, and the modern life of St Gianna. At least with kids of this age, how old the saints are doesn’t seem to matter.
 
Jam-packed with magnificent poetic wisdom is the book Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco. I’m not even half way thru the book yet.
In the chapter: “A Dream of St. Dominic Savio”, Dominic displays his inheritance living in Heaven.
My eyes were drawn to the serried ranks of boys behind Dominic and I asked him: "Who are these boys, and why are they all so radiant and resplendent? "The answer came from the boys themselves, who began to sing in wonderful harmony: "These are like the angels of God in Heaven. . ."Dominic, although the youngest, was obviously the leader, standing out well ahead of them. I therefore asked him: “Why is it that you take precedence over the others?” “I am the oldest.” “But you are not,” I replied; “there are many here much older than you.” “I am God’s ambassador.”
In the chapter: “Innocence preserved by Penance.” Don Bosco recalls from his dream, a part of a conversation between two heavenly maidens: “Innocence is integrity; it is lost if it is spoiled by a single sin, and it loses the treasure of its beauty.”
“Just one mortal sin is sufficient, and once it is lost, it is lost forever.”
“What a pity that every day so many lose their innocence! When a boy falls into sin, Paradise is closed; the Most Holy Virgin and his Angel Guardian disappear; the music ceases; the light is put out; God is no longer in his heart; the starry road which he had trodden vanishes; he falls and remains on one point like an island in the middle of the sea, a sea of fire, which extends to the furthermost horizon of eternity and goes down to the depths of chaos. Above his head, in the darkened sky, the lightning of the Divine Justice flashes threateningly, Satan has rushed upon him and loaded him with chains, has placed his foot upon his neck, and raising his horribly ugly snout, has cried out: ‘I have conquered! Your son is my slave; he belongs to you no more!’ Joy is over for him. If, at that moment, the justice of God takes away that one point which support him, he is lost forever.”
“He can rise again! God’s mercy is infinite. A good Confession will give back the grace of God and the title of son of God.”
“But no more innocence! And what consequences of the first sin will remain in him! He knows evil, which he did not know before; he will feel how terrible are his base inclinations; he will feel the enormous debt which he has contracted with the Divine Justice; in spiritual combats he will be weaker. He will experience what he never experienced before; namely, shame, sadness, and remorse.”
“And to think that before it was said of him: ‘Suffer little children to come unto me. They will be as the Angels of God in Heaven’…‘Son, give me thy heart…’”
 
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