Retaining young Catholics

by Letters Editor · January 17, 2013

From Frank Bompas, Johannesburg

In your edition of December 26, the editor commented that the Church throughout the world is facing stiff competition from other Christian denominations in retaining youth.

Kellen Garegon and Jordan Ruter go head-to-head in a tie breaker during a game called “Bessey the Heffer” at a Year of Faith youth rally at St. Patrick’s Church in Casper, Wyo., Oct. 13. The special year, declared by Pope Benedict XVI, is a worldwide pro gram of worship, catechesis and evangelisation. It opened Oct. 11 and runs to Nov. 24, 2013. (CNS photo/Tim Kupsick)

I am very glad you made this point and I hope that a message goes out to the Church at all levels that we are going to have to do a lot better if we want to be a successful channel of God�s grace.

When the Catholic Church is not an effective instrument to bring man to himself, God will certainly use other churches.

Though one doesn�t normally speak of religion as a business, it bears many resemblances to business and political organisations.

When any organisation, political, business or religious, renders good service to its clients, they will continue to support it and it will attract new clients. When an organisation does not look after its members or clients, they will drift away.

In the area of religion there is actually cut-throat competition for membership between the different Christian denominations, and those churches that energetically evangelise and provide good pastoral care are doing well.

If we want to maintain our status as the leading Christian Church, we need to ensure we are meeting the spiritual needs of people and are proclaiming a dynamic and relevant faith and maintaining structures that support a powerful spirituality and strong Christian communities.

In the same edition Terrence Watson called for a renewal of catechetics and commented that people leave the Church because they do not understand its teaching.

Because we are celebrating this year as the Year of Faith, we should be making an all-out effort to provide sound Catholic teaching, not only to those entering the Church but to all baptised Catholics.

Effective programmes need to be instituted and run in every diocese and parish to build up commitment to Christ and Catholic spirituality and doctrine.