Archbishop Dolan's Thought for the Week

July 15, 2008 - Year of St. Paul

Dear Friends united in love and service of Jesus Christ and His Church:

As you may have seen and heard, Pope Benedict XVI is right now in Australia, there to join youth from around the world for prayer, celebration, song, friendship and witnessing to the faith at World Youth Day in Sydney. 

These remarkably effective gatherings, now held every-other year in different countries, were the idea of Pope John Paul II. They have now become much-anticipated events, with countless adults pointing to one of the past celebrations as dramatic moments of conversion, grace and mercy in their own journey of faith.

Two-years ago, I joined hundreds of young people from our archdiocese at World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, remember?

The distance and cost are regrettably keeping the crowds down a bit this summer in Australia. In the past, a million young people gathered. Fondly do I recall, for instance, World Youth Day in Rome in August of the Jubilee Year of 2000 when two million young people jammed the sun-scorched cobblestones of the Eternal City of Peter and Paul to be with Pope John Paul the Great.

This week they expect about a quarter-million young people, mostly from Australia, but about 40,000 brave young pilgrims from all around the earth, including some of our own from here in Wisconsin.

The amazing success of World Youth Day is only another exhibit in a case of surprising hope documented by religious researchers: the enthusiastic faith of youth and young adults in the Church.

At a time of otherwise bad news, studies show us young people are recovering a vibrant sense of Catholic faith, prayer, worship and pastoral charity. True, a lot of young people still drift away from or reject the Church, but many are joining or renewing their own sense of solidarity with the Church.

Colleen Carroll Campbell, for instance -- a religious researcher who was with us last spring as part of our Pallium Lecture Series -- has documented this phenomenon in her book, “The New Faithful.”

We see it here, in southeastern Wisconsin, in our universities, colleges and high schools, in our parishes, at our seminary, in programs such as Life Teen and Youth Ministry programs: reports of young Catholics, proud of their faith, in love with Jesus and His Church, led by wonderful youth ministers.

Can we find any common characteristics of these dynamic “new faithful,” our youth? Yes.

For one, they love and believe in Jesus personally. They read His Word in the Bible, they savor prayer to and with Him.

Two, they love the Eucharist; yes, the Mass, but also His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Three, they want the truth of Church teaching. Tell us what God has revealed, they ask, what Christ has told us, what the Church teaches. Do not “water-it-down.” Do not give us opinions or dissent. Tell us the hard, demanding truth.

Four, they have a strong sense of the mercy of God. They admit that, as eager as they are to hear the unvarnished truth of the teaching of the Church in faith and morals, they personally at times cannot accept it or live-up-to it. They know, then, that they need the Lord’s grace and mercy. Thus, they enjoy the Sacrament of Penance!

Five, they relish the community of the Church. To enjoy friendship with peers who share their values and beliefs is important to them, especially since the culture in which they live is often at odds with their convictions.

Finally, they want faith-in-action, and thus enjoy projects of service and charity. To love the poor, to respect all human life, to work for justice and peace, is essential for these committed young people.

Our youth are not just the future of the Church we love; they are the present. They give me immense hope and joy.

That’s what they’ll hear from the Holy Father this week in Australia.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

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