Young Life Catholic Forum: A Historic Step Forward for YL Catholic Relations

“In the Gospel, the good news is revealed as a mystery of God’s closeness,” penned Bishop Daniel Flores to participants at the Young Life Catholic Forum in New York City in January. “He is the God who moves first to us, who unites himself to our journey. He becomes a pilgrim to straighten the paths of those who wander.” A pilgrim God united to a pilgrim people in search of the lost and forgotten. It was a moment of profound symbolism and solidarity as two hundred missional leaders from Young Life and the Catholic Church gathered at historic St. James, the cathedral basilica of Brooklyn. Co-sponsored by YL Catholic Relations and the Diocese of Queens and Brooklyn, the Forum brought both Protestants and Catholics together in a united response to the mystery of God’s closeness in Jesus Christ. 

“It was a profound experience of unity and celebrating our common purpose of sharing the Gospel with young people,” noted Kathy Goller, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Buffalo, NY. “It helped me see this movement as just one piece in the larger movement of evangelistic ecumenism, a movement that is so desperately needed in these times when the largest growing ‘religious denomination’ is the unaffiliated.” Less than a year earlier, Kathy held Young Life at arm’s length, fearing that it only led Catholic kids away from the Church. That was before she was invited to a Catholic Adult Guest Camp at Timberwolf Lake and experienced Young Life for herself. Now she sees God’s design in our shared pilgrim path. “Young Life and the Catholic Church share a common core – Jesus Christ,” she says. “And we see a common need – those people, especially our young people, who do not know the love, the hope, and the joy of Christ. I am hopeful that a true partnership can be built on that common core which addresses that common need, bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God.”

The Young Life Catholic Forum was a true watershed moment in the growing relationship between Young Life and the Catholic Church. Young Life senior leadership, field staff, and volunteers joined Catholic leaders representing more than thirty dioceses gathered in friendship to tend to one of the most important questions of our age: 'How do we effectively evangelize young people today?' In the age of polarization and polemics, the Forum was a breath of fresh air for those who have dedicated their lives to youth ministry. It was the kind of unity Jesus prayed for in John 17 and it propelled this united core into the future with fresh energy and hope.

Fr. Lukasz Szymanski travelled all the way from Poland to participate in the Forum. “That’s the church I dream of,” he noted, “a church that is a visible sign of unity. I’m convinced that all we do in YL makes sense only if we do it together – Catholics and Protestants.” Fr. Lukasz joined a YL Expedition trip to World Youth Day in his home country in 2016. Experiencing Young Life was a “coming home” for him. Now he serves as the Catholic Liaison to Young Life in Poland where active ministry is running in Poznan and Warsaw. “When kids look at our relationships they can truly feel that they are loved and open up to God’s love. And that’s what it’s all about, leading kids together to Christ, our Lord and Savior.”

For some, the Forum was a deeply personal experience. Tasha Taylor is a Catholic serving the Chicagoland Region as Coordinator of Capernaum. She said, “I truly never imagined a day when my Catholic faith would be encouraged and celebrated to this extent in Young Life.  At the Forum, I felt incredibly encouraged and empowered to bring all of me to the table, unashamedly.” Rooted in the FORWARD commitment of going deeper together, the Forum represented a monumental step toward building and equipping teams that reflect the worldwide body of Christ. 

Whether it was the worship, the personal tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the practical workshops on doing ministry together, or the insights of Aux. Bishop Massa on the ecumenical movement, the Forum moved hearts and minds in the mystery of God’s closeness. It helped us all believe that “the best Young Life is yet to come.”

Young Life Summit on Ministering To and With Catholics

The inaugural Young Life Catholic Summit commenced this week with a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi, a heartfelt appeal that this humble saint presented to our Lord over six centuries ago:

Most High,

glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of my heart

and give me

true faith,

certain hope,

and perfect charity,

sense and knowledge,

Lord,

that I may carry out

Your holy and true command.[1]

This sacred plea represents the same simplicity, clarity and authenticity of a more contemporary prayer voiced by yet another determined visionary some 536 years later, a prayer which gave birth to a parallel movement to renew the heart of the church:

Oh that I could just let God

work out His life in me.[2]

This was the prayer of Jim Rayburn, offered in 1941, the year in which the mission of Young Life was founded.  Who would have thought that this winsome evangelist with Texas swagger would have anything to do with this venerated Catholic friar from Assisi?  Yet this spirit of humility, simplicity and evangelical (small ‘e’) zeal was powerfully present at the YL Catholic Summit held this week in Colorado Springs. 

Imagine a room full of Protestants and Catholics - all educated, men and women of passionate faith and mission-tested talent – coming together to discuss Young Life, the Catholic Church, and the vision of reaching the lost.  What comes to mind?  The word that immediately pops into my head is… friction! 

Yet there was none to be found.   These men and women of God came together with open hearts and loving kindness.  These brothers and sisters quickly came to understand that they were not strangers but fellow sojourners on the humble road of discipleship.  What happened in Colorado, in the shadows of Pikes Peak, was a profound step forward for the kingdom of God and a testament to the unitive power alive right now in Young Life.[3]

Their spirit has set into motion a movement which has the power to heal the painful wounds of division, harness the energy of collaborative mission, and change the future for both Young Life and the Catholic Church.  A national strategic plan of evangelization to/with Catholics, written endorsement at the highest levels, and a commitment to train every Young Life staff person to honor and celebrate the faith of our Catholic brothers and sisters while calling them to ever-deeper levels of conversion in Christ – these are things that I wasn’t even dreaming about when this work began 9 months ago. 

We have a long road ahead of us and, like Thomas Merton once noted, we “cannot know for certain where it will end,” but we can be sure that our desire to please the Lord, our commitment to carrying out God’s holy and true command, and our desire to let God work out His life in us, does in fact please Him.[4]

A view of the summit from the Summit.

(Pikes Peak, 14,114 ft.)

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            [1]  Francis of Assisi, “Prayer before the Crucifix,” Cf. L3S 13, Barcelona’s Biblioteca Central, Codex 665, dated 1405/06.

            [2]  A journal entry of Jim Rayburn, Jr., written March 6, 1941.

[3] The summit was held in the shadows, not only of Pikes Peak, but a soaring rock formation in the Garden of the Gods, which, illuminated by the glow of the setting sun, presents the stunning profile of two camels kissing.  The property of our gracious hosts is located in the resort by the same name.   

[4] Thomas Merton, the great Trappist monk, contemplative activist and ecumenical luminary, once prayed, “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end. . .  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. . .”