As I’m writing this, our parish school’s 8th grade class is having its graduation ceremony.  I’m sure our gym is filled with proud parents hardly believing their “baby” boys and girls will soon be high school freshmen; and those same sons and daughters, while also proud and excited, may be having some separation anxiety knowing that they and their friends will disperse to either our public high school or one of four or five nearby Catholic high schools.  

This has been a big year for these youths.  Tonight’s graduation is only two months after they received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Unfortunately, many of them will consider their Confirmation to be synonymous with their “Catholic graduation”.  Now that they’re confirmed, they see no need for any additional catechesis, scripture study, or even prayer.  Many will begin to exhibit the onset of spiritual atrophy, and in four years, when they go on to college, many will cease practicing their faith.

Yesterday I attended a conference on evangelization at a nearby Catholic church which also has a school.  During a break I ventured into the hallway outside the meeting room and saw that school’s trophy case.  There were years of trophies representing championships and tournament wins for volleyball, basketball, soccer and other sports.  There were photographs, autographed volleyballs, and plaques with player’s names.  And as I admired this memorabilia, I wondered how many of those student athletes still practice their faith.  I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if a school had a trophy case that celebrated the graduates who continued to practice their faith in the years to come?  Perhaps they could display bronze medals or plaques for those who continued to be faithful for five years on, silver for ten years, and gold for twenty-five years.”

I was quick to tell myself, though, that the attrition in the faithful is not completely the fault of our Catholic schools or youth faith formation catechists.  Sure, some could be better.  They probably can improve at helping students build a loving and meaningful relationship with Jesus, a faith foundation upon which they will continue to build virtuous lives.  But, of course, there are other factors, as well, such as the pressures of the predominant secular culture that easily leads youths and young adults down paths of vice.  

And, then, there are the parents – what role have they played in instilling a strong faith in their children?  While it’s not a parent’s job to get their kids to heaven, it is their job, and in their control, to give their kids holy parents.  Have they provided an attractive example of how an adult lives a life of holiness?  Again, I checked myself so as to not put too much blame on the parents.  Many have good intentions.  The problem may not be with a lack of desire to lead their children deeper in faith, but that they can’t lead them past the point at where they are themselves.

I couldn’t help but see the hand of God in these thoughts.  There I was at a conference on how to evangelize adults, and because of a simple trophy case, I became fully aware that none of this is the kids fault, rather it is an adult problem.  Somewhere along the line we’ve lost the connection that the only way our children will develop and maintain a healthy life of faith is if us adults teach, guide, mentor and reinforce what that life looks like.  The teachers, the youth catechists, and the parents are all adults, and while youth faith formation is important, it is secondary to adult faith formation.  And to form adults who will form our youths, we need adult evangelists who will step forward and fill this void.  We need catechists for OCIA, competent leaders for Bible studies, willing facilitators to participate in adult faith formation programs, and spiritual mentors who will guide other adults to living lives of deeper prayer that will help them grow in holiness.  

I went back into the conference after the break with a renewed sense of determination.  I know I don’t have all the answers, but as our parish’s Director of Evangelization, there is an onus that goes with wearing that hat, a responsibility to put into place ways to lead people into a deeper relationship with Jesus that will move them along the pathway from minimal maintenance to missionary discipleship.

“Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for your trust in me, that my participation will bear fruit for Your Kingdom.  Inspire me, Lord, to evangelize other men and women to be Your disciples who will lead others closer to You.  And I pray that You will put in the lives of our children who have fallen away from the faith someone who will inspire them and bring them home.  Amen.”