Submitted by Northern California (not verified) on Apr. 09, 2009.
This is a compelling story. Jamie Manson's openness to the call remained strong and she found a way to fulfill it. I agree that the Church is not adequately reaching enough teens and young adults. There are many young people in Catholic families who are not attending Mass, nor are they involved in their Faith. Looking at the crowd at our Sunday Mass reveals far fewer in the 15 to 25 age group than the population has, and a predominance of grey-haired parishioners. Doesn't anyone worry about how the torch will be passed to the younger generations? The Bible studies and the Stations of the Cross, the other parish functions are predominately attended by the over 50 crowd. We have an unusual Diocese (Oakland) in that Confirmation is not done until Junior Year of high school - or the candidates must be 16 years of age. I think that delaying this Sacrament of Confirmation adds to the numbers of those falling away from the Church throughout these years from 15 to 25 and through the twenties. The formative years of middle school and the imagination and spiritual growth which can be fostered during these middle school years is amazing. Confirmation, a sacrament of initiation, needs to go back to being received in 7th, 8th or 9th grades. Jamie Manson first felt her calling at age 13. Many in our Diocese will not even receive Confirmation, much less feel any special calling, if their middle school years are not recognized for their importance. (Note: I was confirmed in 7th grade in Michigan and remember that day in some detail.)
This is a compelling story.
This is a compelling story. Jamie Manson's openness to the call remained strong and she found a way to fulfill it. I agree that the Church is not adequately reaching enough teens and young adults. There are many young people in Catholic families who are not attending Mass, nor are they involved in their Faith. Looking at the crowd at our Sunday Mass reveals far fewer in the 15 to 25 age group than the population has, and a predominance of grey-haired parishioners. Doesn't anyone worry about how the torch will be passed to the younger generations? The Bible studies and the Stations of the Cross, the other parish functions are predominately attended by the over 50 crowd. We have an unusual Diocese (Oakland) in that Confirmation is not done until Junior Year of high school - or the candidates must be 16 years of age. I think that delaying this Sacrament of Confirmation adds to the numbers of those falling away from the Church throughout these years from 15 to 25 and through the twenties. The formative years of middle school and the imagination and spiritual growth which can be fostered during these middle school years is amazing. Confirmation, a sacrament of initiation, needs to go back to being received in 7th, 8th or 9th grades. Jamie Manson first felt her calling at age 13. Many in our Diocese will not even receive Confirmation, much less feel any special calling, if their middle school years are not recognized for their importance. (Note: I was confirmed in 7th grade in Michigan and remember that day in some detail.)