Region 2 News
A Reflection on the New York State Youth Ministry Conference
When registration information
of the New York state conference arrived, I eagerly said “Yes!” and
planned to go to Binghamton with two other youth ministers. I was looking
forward to a “Thelma and Louise do Binghamton” drive and
networking with other youth ministers. I was sure the conference would
be an opportunity to bring back lots of ideas to stir up my youth group.
The theme, “Sowing Seeds of Social Justice,” spoke to the
vision I had of challenging our youth group members to consider embracing
social justice in their world. My thoughts were: this was exactly what
our youth group members needed; they were too complacent; they needed
to be challenged to open their eyes to the plight of those less fortunate.
I figured a “concrete” plan would be outlined for us and
from there, with a little coaching and implementing, our youth group
would be able to claim that they knew the vision of working to change
systems and attitudes. Little did I realize the plank that needed to
be excised from my eye first! That eager, “Yes!” to attending
would prove to be a personal challenge.
As usual, spending time with those involved in youth ministry reinforces what a different “breed” we are! The enthusiasm, camaraderie, and easy banter are evident. If it were not for the gray hair and lined faces, we could be the youth in our youth ministries! From the first greeting on Friday evening, our host diocese of Syracuse and the other diocesan directors of youth ministry displayed a beautiful relationship. They had invested much time and preparation to provide us with a weekend of diverse workshops, creative skits, and inspiring keynote speakers. With the first keynote speaker, Joe Grant, I realized I lived in a very tiny world of social justice.
Joe recounted his travel to Rwanda. The remarkable experiences there gave witness to the lengths others go to repair the world. This past April marked the 10th anniversary of those killings. Over 800,000 people were massacred in 1994 and yet today they have hope. I am only beginning to question how it could have happened. Where was the help? How did nations sit by and allow it? How did I manage to read about it in the newspapers and barely react? Yet Joe and others have put their concerns into action and served those in need.
One story of this hope is an incident involving 16 high school students. After the massacre, those responsible for the killings wanted to be sure they would not be recognized. They would send the message that they were coming back to kill again. One day, a high school was invaded with these rebels. Sixteen senior high school students were brought outside and told to kneel. As they knelt, they linked arms. The rebels demanded that the Tutsi’s go to one side and the Hutus to another. The students refused stating, “We will not be separated.” They all were killed. Yet Rwandans have adopted this motto of hope and hope reigns as they continue to rebuild their lives.
A way to evaluate our practice of justice in our lives would be not to ask, “How
well am I doing?” but “How much do we care?” In Rwanda they
ask that we pray for them for they do pray for America. They pray for us? We
seem to have so much more than they do. Joe brought many points home by the
use of signs.
One sign was, “Caution: Small Is Great.” Our focus on values here
in America is often not gospel values. To get into the reign of God we need to
get readjusted. Perhaps it is about making due with smaller and getting more
humble.
We may be defined by whom we keep out of our lives. As I attended workshops, I was aware that my tiny world did not reflect much risk in changing my perspective of those different than I am. Kim and Reggie Harris suggested that we begin to change our perspective by recognizing when we are threatened by differences. By focusing on our idea of what freedom is, it may be revealed that it is not about what we are in charge of but how welcoming we are. From there we can begin to break out of what may threaten us first by some low risk activities such as reading a book to get to know the story of someone different. The next step, which would be a more moderate risk, could be to get together with diverse people to discuss ideas. A bolder step or high-risk involvement would be to join a group to combat prejudice.
Working with youth is a constant call to keep us honest. They have a tremendous capacity to care. That point hit home as I realized the call to be sowers of justice and all it required was not about what I could bring to the youth group members to open their eyes, but what was being asked of me to make it a reality. Am I welcoming? Is this welcome extended to all those youth members I encounter? Am I a servant to those in need beyond a monetary donation? How willing am I to change my perspective? Can I do that in the small things?
Social justice can be more than a dream; it could be a reality. Sometimes I think being Catholic perpetuates the ideas that we are doing our part to serve those in need. Our church is renowned for its incredible missionary work, defense of the poor and helpless, and commitment to social justice. However, there comes a time when we need to be part of that commitment. Our current definition of social justice may include being a concerned Catholic and contributing to a designated collection on a Sunday. Now I am thinking that may not be enough to give money at collection time, commit to a certain appeal, and say we are helping those in need.
If I can say, “Yes!” to those questions, perhaps I have been challenged to grow. Then I can take our youth with me on the journey to work for justice.
New Diocesan Director
Region 2 is happy to welcome Michelle Stefonik as the new diocesan director
for the Diocese of Albany. She will start September 7. We wish her many
blessings in her ministry and we wish many blessings for Mary Harrison in her
retirement!
Email Connections at connections@nfcymoffice.org