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September 13, 2022By Mary Lim
On August 20, 2022, Directors of Religious Education (DRE) and Directors of Youth Ministry (DYM) from all over the Diocese of Tucson gathered at the Pastoral Center for their annual convocation. It was a “Eucharistic Revival Event” where the directors and ministers came together to share their experiences and wisdom, to support each other in their respective ministries, and to nurture their own individual faith lives.
This being her second time attending the convocation, Youth Director and Confirmation Coordinator at Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Green Valley, Laura Lara, shared that “coming to this type of gathering is always uplifting and refreshing. It gives you a stronger sense of purpose and the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of our Church.” She is comforted each time she attends the convocation to remember that “we don’t walk alone!”
Ministering to the youth of our Church in the modern day is one of the most difficult jobs out there. Youth today are being pulled in a million different directions at any given moment, and the message of the world is one of selfish consumption, constant distraction, and instant gratification. The future of the Catholic Church rests on the shoulders of these young people, for whom there has never been a greater need for clear and loving faith formation.
The leaders of our Church recognize the need for greater support and resources to be devoted to the youth. At a World Youth Day event in 2002, Pope St. John Paul II said that he imagined a Church where “the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people.”
Our Youth Ministry Directors work on making the late Pope’s dream a reality in our own communities every day. Although it is challenging work, Laura says that “it gives me joy when I witness that through the Word of God, teens are touched and experience God’s love in different and real ways!”
Youth Ministry is not for the faint of heart! Growing up is not an easy task; even at their age, young people encounter real trials and hardships, and they are faced with tough questions of morality and identity on a regular basis. Youth Ministers themselves must have a strong foundation in their faith, a passion for sharing it with others, and unwavering support from their parish pastor. Laura says that it is her biggest passion to teach about the Word of God, because while the trials of life are real, so is our Savior Christ Jesus, and through her work in youth ministry, “teens may encounter this real person of Jesus in their lives.”
Additionally, serving in youth ministry is more than a job – it is part of a person’s vocation, and God calls each minister to their work in a unique way. Director of Religious Education at St. John the Evangelist Church, Lydia Lopez, says that she is passionate about her work in youth ministry because she “loves [her] faith and wishes to share it with others.” Lydia has been in ministry throughout her life and says that serving the youth through ministry is her “calling.” As a DRE, she admires the catechists that she works with, is grateful for the support from her pastor, and she recognizes that none of her work would be possible without that calling from God.
Youth Director Laura Lara’s story mirrors that of Lydia’s and many other youth ministers’ in that she was called to this work. “The opportunity came to me, and I accepted,” she said, “meaning, I wasn’t really seeking to work within this field.”
Laura says, “Youth are vital to the growth of the Church. Youth ministry needs to be more supported through more resources.” The necessary investment that we as a Church need to make in the nurturing of our youth is a message that we are seeing echoed in many parishes in our diocese and across the nation. The youth themselves hunger for the Gospel and will return any investment in their faith one-hundred-fold as they usher the Church into the next generation. Lydia explains, “We have much to learn from our youth – they have so much to offer if we take the time to listen.”
As Youth Ministers and Directors in the Diocese of Tucson embark on their continued mission of ministering to the youth this year, they are looking for support from the community in volunteer commitments and financial resources. Lydia hopes to encourage parishioners to support youth ministry, saying that “weekly offerings evangelize youth!” Constant prayers for the youth and for all those involved in ministering to them is of the greatest importance and most appreciated as well.
Parishes with Youth Ministry programs can be found here: https://diocesetucson.org/laity