Ekklesia, Part VII: The Church and Young Adults

As someone who teaches ecclesiology (the theology of the Church’s nature and mission) and as director of Catholics on Call, I have been thinking a lot lately about the Church and young adults. Meeting many young adults from across the country at our Catholics on Call programs has given me a deeper appreciation of their concerns and hopes for the Church. I also have a number of nieces and nephews who are young adults, and I often find myself listening to their reflections on faith, spirituality and Church.

Thomas Rausch, a respected Jesuit theologian who teaches at Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles, recently published a book on this topic entitled Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice (Liturgical Press, 2006). Rausch summarizes some of the data from studies about young adults that have been conducted in the past few years. He focuses on the spiritual practices of young adult Catholics and their relationship with the Church. The information Rausch provides and the insights he offers are very illuminating.

Studies of youth and Catholic young adults indicate that they display a lower level of religious commitment and engagement than peers who belong to a number of other Christian denominations. Statistics regarding Mass attendance vary, but it appears that approximately 1 in 5 young adult Catholics participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with any degree of regularity. When questioned, young adults have a difficult time articulating the core beliefs of the Catholic faith, and they struggle to identify what is distinctive about Catholicism. Many young adults feel that regular involvement in the community of the Church is not really necessary. Somewhat surprisingly, a majority of them feel that one can be a good Catholic without going to Mass.

One clear conclusion from these and other findings is that Catholic religious education of young people has not been very successful. This does not mean that the good work generously done by many women and men religious educators over the years has been for naught. Surely there are a host of reasons why young adult Catholics have difficulty articulating the meaning of their faith, including a lack of reinforcement and support by parents in the home setting. I am convinced that the issues are complex in this area. But it does seem clear that the Catholic community has not succeeded in inculcating a vital and compelling understanding of the faith in Catholics between the ages of 18 and 35. That should be a source of concern for all of us.

We should not assume, however, that young adults are disinterested in spiritual matters. In a talk given at CTU last fall, Fr. Thomas Nestor spoke on the theme of “emerging adulthood.” This phrase, coined by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, is used to describe the psychosocial dynamics of men and women in their twenties. They are busy negotiating the challenges of moving into adulthood. Fr. Nestor, himself a clinical psychologist and an experienced college counselor, noted that young adults in their twenties readily explore questions of ultimacy. Religious issues are important to them, even though regular participation in religious services is not common. This spiritual thirst has been chronicled in by other researchers as well, such as those in charge of the study of the spiritual life of U.S. college students, currently being conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. This study reveals that the vast majority of college students has an interest in spirituality, believe in God and the sacredness of life, and say that their religious or spiritual beliefs are a source of strength for them (see www.spirituality.ucla.edu). Nearly three-fourths of them indicate that they pray. Clearly, there is a vital interest in spirituality among young adults with which the Church must find ways to make connections in its work of evangelization.

Rausch, along with many others, notes that there is a “significant minority” of young adult Catholics who manifest a traditional approach to the practice of their faith. This small but influential group is active in many parishes, campus ministries, and young adult groups. They have been given various designations: “neo-conservative Catholics,” “evangelical Catholics,” “John Paul II Catholics.” Many of today’s seminarians come from this group. Some are converts to Catholicism from other Christian denominations. Others are Catholics who have returned to the active practice of their faith after years of inactivity. Some of them have had significant conversion experiences. Many of these traditional young adults find in Catholic doctrine and devotion a source of strength and direction amidst a secular, postmodernist culture. They think that U.S. culture is mired in relativism, and they find in Catholic tradition a commitment to the truth revealed by God. They display a firm commitment to the Church and often prefer traditional expressions of prayer and worship like Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, Marian devotions, etc. They are much more concerned with building a strong Catholic life and promoting evangelization than with issues like the role of the laity in the Church or the concerns of women.

Why is the overall percentage of young adult Catholics who are involved in the life of the Church so low? Some writers argue that this is because the Church has “failed” young adult Catholics. The Church has failed in its efforts to connect with these men and women. I believe that such an absolute conclusion is simplistic. Surely, the Church needs to improve its efforts in evangelization and catechesis of younger Catholics. In particular, it needs to find new ways to meet young adults where they are and to listen to their concerns. At the same time, there are many factors that influence the choices made by young adults. The dynamics of psychosocial development seem to lead many in this age group away from traditional practices. It is a time of ongoing exploration and questioning. Cultural influences also have a huge impact on young adults. While there is much in our U.S. culture that is life-giving, it seems clear that the ethos of our society militates against commitments that entail self-transcendence. Living a commitment to follow Jesus Christ in the community of fellow believers is a profoundly counter-cultural thing to do. Such a commitment requires real inner resolve.

Rausch discusses strategies for strengthening the commitment to the Church of youth and young adult Catholics. He highlights the importance of parents and family life. With the loss of a Catholic subculture in this country (as Catholics have become more mainstreamed within U.S. society), knowledge of Catholic tradition needs to come from the home. The Second Vatican Council spoke of the family as the “domestic church.” This domestic church needs to be strengthened. Rausch also suggests that we need to inculcate an understanding of Catholicism not simply as a set of beliefs but as a way of life and a whole way of thinking. Catholics see reality in a distinctive way. We have a “sacramental imagination” that perceives creation as a mirror of the Creator. Because we experience the presence of God in sacramental moments like the Eucharist, we are also able to perceive the presence of God in everyday life. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we are invited to “find God in all things.” Rausch also notes that Catholic educational institutions need to work harder to safeguard and enhance their Catholic identity. Finally, he suggests that the Church must do a better job in including laity in its decision-making. Contemporary young adults want to feel that their voice is heard in the Church.

Those of us who are committed to the Church and to young adults need to have the courage and resolve to continue to reach out to young adult Catholics and to listen intently to their questions and concerns. Young adults must be assured of their importance to God and to the Church. They need to know that their voices will be heard in their parishes and dioceses. Young adult Catholics are the future leaders of the Church. Many of them, exemplary in their commitment to Christ and the Church, already exercise significant leadership in the Catholic community. All of us in the Church need their energy, insight and vision. And they need the deep wisdom that comes from the rich Catholic tradition, as they find their way into adulthood and make important decisions about the direction of their lives.

Discuss

Robin Ryan, CP