A 14-year-old parishioner came to my office one day, accompanied by his mother. The mother asked me to talk with her son because apparently he had been caught vandalizing a restroom in his school. I then saw a 15-year-old girl who came in with both of her parents. She was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior while at a friend’s house. A different mother brought in another14-year-old boy: he had been caught hanging out with a group of teens smoking marijuana. And then there was a distraught 16-year-old girl who came to my office crying: ever since her parents decided to divorce she has engaged in cutting/self-harm behavior. These are just a few of the stories and challenges that we face in ministering to the youth of today in our parish. All of them came to the office to seek advice, spiritual guidance, a sincere listener and prayers.
The challenge for myself and the other pastoral leaders of the parish is two-fold: first, how to provide a sustained pastoral response to accompany troubled youth, and second, how to inspire all youths to seek moral direction and guidance from the Church by being involved in youth ministry. We consistently ask ourselves what we can offer them so that, rather than getting enmeshed in situations that lead to self-destructive behaviors, they instead choose a faith-guided lifestyle and behaviors. How can we help the young people of our parish to participate in developing their own positive influences, habits and direction?
The Missionhurst parish of St. Bonaventure, in the south side of San Antonio, has initiated multiple strategies to effectively accompany our youth. We have several different youth programs and ministries aimed at responding to the challenges that are faced by the youth of today. One element of my response to each of the four young people mentioned earlier was to invite them to join one of these youth groups.
Camp Joshua Youth Group
Since its creation in 2007, the Camp Joshua Youth group has been providing 6th to 12th grade youths with the opportunity to grow in their spiritual relationships with Christ through faith reflections, shared activities, teen Bible study and community service projects. The participants of this group enjoy the opportunity to meet and interact with other youths practicing their faith. They benefit from programs that offer leadership training and they create positive impacts for the community through service projects. The youth involved with Camp Joshua have developed a strong sense of responsibility towards one another. They perform regular volunteer work at the parish food pantry, the local Food Bank, and they have participated in the citywide street and graffiti clean-up efforts.
Teen ACTS retreats
The Teen ACTS retreat is a parish sponsored three day/night retreat presented by teens and a few adults. The goal of this retreat is to help teenagers begin to develop a closer relationship with the Lord by equipping them with the spiritual tools needed to begin their journey of faith. The program is developed through four major themes: Adoration helps them discover the importance of prayer in life; Community reinforces in them a love for their families and involvement in the Church; Theology helps them discover the presence of God in their lives; and Service demonstrates how good works are an integral part of being a child of God. The Teen ACTS retreats help our young parishioners realize that Church is not only experienced in a “boring” textbook manner, but it can be rather creative. It has helped many to discover that God is not missing: He is truly alive and engaged in their lives. I have seen so many positive changes and conversions in the lives of teens after the retreat. They display a more spiritual, caring, and service oriented manner; several have blossomed into leaders for the others, bringing them closer to God and to the Church.
Monthly Teen Formation
Monthly Teen Formation is a program that I started in response to the enthusiasm of young people who wanted to build on their Teen ACTS retreat experience. Under the guidance of a group of adult youth ministers, they come together to plan the monthly formation themselves. It’s a program centered on teens leadings other teens to Christ, so they continually invite new participants.
Every month, 75-100 teens gather to reflect on the Word of God. Inspired and guided by their faith, the young people come together and interact in small groups regarding their faith lives and experiences. Then they share their reflections in the form of a skit, or a group performance, a powerful personal testimony, or other faith sharing activity. It is so rewarding to see young people transforming themselves into missionaries for other teens by inviting them to the formation program.
Follow-Up
A few months after seeing those troubled youth in my office, I was able to follow up with a couple of them. The boy who had been caught doing drugs told me that he has since abandoned hanging out with his old friends, and found new friends when he attended the Retreat and joined the Monthly Teen Formation. He was proud to tell me that he had convinced both of his parents to join the parish Adult ACTS retreat. Likewise, the young woman who was engaging in cutting has discovered that there is beauty to life after the storm. She said she has found hope and spiritual support from her new friends and has found the power of prayer in her life. She feels that joining the youth ministry of the parish has saved her life. They were both gleaming with serenity and joy in their hearts.
During the 2013 World Youth Day in Brazil, Pope Francis said to thousands of young people gathered: “Do you know what the best tool is for evangelizing the young? Another young person. This is the path to follow!”
This is what we hope to accomplish in St. Bonaventure parish. As a CICM missionary, I hope to encourage many youth missionaries, helping to bring Christ to others so that they may encounter him and develop a relationship with him that will last a lifetime. With your prayers and support, the youth ministry of this parish will continue to flourish and hopefully bear much fruit: the fruit that will positively sustain every day of their lives.
Celso A. Tabalanza, cicm
San Antonio, TX
Fr. Celso Tabalanza, cicm, is a Philippine native who joined Missionhurst-CICM in 1988 and was ordained in 1996. He has been a missionary in the United States since 1993, and is currently pastor of St. Bonaventure parish in the diocese of San Antonio, TX.
