By EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent
Finding a way to connect youth with the Catholic Church can be challenging these days, with all the distractions available. But that isn’t stopping the community of St. Joseph Parish, Keyport, and its pastor, Father Rene Pulgarin.
The first meeting of the parish’s new youth group will be held Jan. 21, 2:30 p.m. in the parish center, followed by 4 p.m. Mass.
“Our parish has a history of having a Catholic school,” Father Pulgarin said, referring to the St. Joseph School, which has been closed for about 10 years. “It brought so much life into the parish. We would like to get back to that, the youthful spirit.”
“Father Rene wants to build a youth group from scratch, for ages 13 to 17,” said youth ministry leader Juliana Cano. “He sees there are a lot of young kids in our community … he – and I – want to evangelize the youth and build and deepen the youth ministry community.”
With altar servers being the only youth-focused group in St. Joseph Parish, Father Pulgarin and Cano plan to incorporate the social, catechetical and service elements of parish life into the new youth group.
“We want to integrate faith and morals and community life,” Cano continued. “The youth of today will be the families of tomorrow, the next generation of Catholics. We have to work to keep them part of the community.”
Sessions will include icebreakers, prayer and a topic for discussion based on biblical and Catholic teachings. The 4 p.m. Mass following will be oriented toward the youth.
“I want to have the group be about church life – that’s why I want to have 4 p.m. on Saturdays be the youth Mass,” Father Pulgarin explained. “It will be their Mass, their opportunity to express their faith. Second, I want to help them feel proud of their faith, not to be afraid to share with others. And you don’t know how to share if you’re not going to church.”
Not only that, Father Pulgarin sees the new youth group as a way to maintain the kids’ connections to each other and their Church for the entire year, not just during the school months.
“I don’t want to have a seasonal group – not everyone goes away for the whole summer,” he said. “Church should be a space where [the youth] can still be active. Summer is a time for vacation, yes – but you don’t go on vacation from your faith.”
Once the group is established, plans for future activities and service outside the Saturday meetings will be made. And there is no shortage of ideas. The parish bulletin invitation mentioned that fundraisers, community service and retreats would be part of the youth group.
“We want to have things like themed parties, plays and toy drives,” Cano said. “We also want to have the youth involved in giving back to the community through things like nursing home visits … maybe in the summertime, helping elderly with lawn mowing or housekeeping – something that will [be meaningful] for someone who doesn’t have anyone to take care of them.”
Ultimately the first few meetings will determine the level of interest piqued. “With the youth, a lot of times you only know the day of the event who will show up,” said Cano. “There’s a lot going on in their lives, and academics and sports are important. But we’re telling them, ‘we’re only asking for an hour to an hour and a half each week.’”
By earmarking Saturday afternoons at St. Joseph Parish for the youth, Father Pulgarin hopes to give them a sense of ownership in the Church. “When you are a part of the group, you feel like you belong, and you want to keep coming back,” he said. The response from parents has been very positive, Father Pulgarin noted.
“A lot of people are getting back to me, saying they are very excited about it – they miss the school, their children are all in different schools – but this brings back the youth ministry to the parish,” he said.
During Confirmation preparation this past year, Father Pulgarin asked candidates if they were interested in a youth group, and many responded affirmatively. And it’s likely he’ll hold them to it.
“I’m very excited and confident about [the group],” he affirmed. “On Confirmation day I said, ‘You promised me, the time is coming, guess who’s going to be there? You!’”