On Sunday, 7 October, 2018 Mid West Radio Faith Alive with Monica Morley, reports on the challenges for parishes to get young people involved in church.
Monica discusses with Fr Brendan Hoban the challenge parishes face to interest young people in the church, to become more involved in the church and ultimately become closer to God.
Engaging young people in parish activities
Fr Brendan explains how young people participating in the Pope John Paul 2 Award are helping parishes achieve that mission. How involving young people in parish activities brings them closer to their faith and closer to God.
He explains that there is no point in getting young people to kneel in the church and say the rosary or do adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He says if the activity ‘speaks to them’ of a God who loves them and cares for them, in their compassion with those they engage with in the activity, then they get the experience of getting closer to God.
Award participants Cormac Murphy, Dillon Murphy and JJ Kinsella from Gaelscoil, Rossport and St Colman’s, Claremorris, Co. Mayo outline the tasks they undertook in their parish and community. The hard and challenging work involved and what the Award has meant to them and how it develops their faith.
Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry and Award Patron sums up how the Award taps into young peoples sense of wanting to belong. How it develops their spirituality and how it calls them to be of service to their parish and community.
Listen back to Monica’s and Fr Brendan’s discussion below.
FAITH ALIVE: Broadcast Sunday, 7 October, 2018.
The section on the Pope John Paul 2 Award starts at 20:00. Click the play button, then hover your mouse over the gray timeline, click and drag to 20:00.
