NOTICE: In an effort to accompany those in parish ministry during this time, the Central Office Staff will be hosting weekly online meetings to provide forums for each of our ministry constituencies to share ideas and have general discussions surrounding our new situation. Please keep an eye out for invitations to those meetings. In addition, this communication will now be coming to you twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays.
In the meantime, we would like to hear from you so we can share best practices for the good of the whole. Please share any best practices you've either heard about or have been using in your parish during this time of lock down. Please use THIS ONLINE FORM. Thank you!
Monday Memo from Brian Flynn,
Director of Middle School/High School Ministry,
Diocese of Lansing
“The community has an important role in the accompaniment of young people; it should feel collectively responsible for accepting, motivating, encouraging and challenging them,”Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, Christus Vivit #243
Continuing to accompany young people during the COVID-19 outbreak:
Well, it seems like the most significant memo this snowy Monday morning comes from the Office of the Governor of Michigan is due to issue a “stay-in-place” order across the state.
Like the rest of us, the lives of our young people are being completely upended by the COVID-19 outbreak. Their daily routines of school, sports, work, religious education and youth groups, college placement exams, alternative spring break trips and Confirmation retreats; all cancelled.
Now that there is all of this space created in their lives, there is more room for other things to occupy their hearts, their minds and their time. Many of our young people are in a good place. They live in supportive families and communities, and have many opportunities to stay connected regardless of circumstance. Many of them have very active prayer lives and are involved in small, faith sharing groups.
For others, this extra time and space is the perfect place for anxiety, fear, uncertainty or depression to take hold. Even before the coronavirus was among us, we had been told that teen loneliness, anxiety and depression were at an all-time high. In surveys and discussions as part of the Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment in 2018, when asked why young people left the Church many times their response was, “I’m surprised people even noticed we were gone.” In other words, many young people don’t feel supported by or important to their faith communities in the first place.
So, how can our communities support our young people during COVID-19?
The good news is that it seems the Lord is providing more room for the creativity of many people to flourish and to provide countless opportunities to continue to stay connected with the youth in our communities; In fact, there are way too many to list here. Last night we saw the launch of online youth nights featuring some of the most gifted people in youth ministry where over 10,000 teens logged on, online “youth conferences” where talks, meditations and reflections are emailed each day, Facebook Live praise and worship sessions, live online youth group sessions using various platforms, drive through Confession, parking lot adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and of course live streamed daily and Sunday Masses.
The “new ardor, new methods and new expressions” hoped for by Pope St. John Paul II are being realized, and the results are amazing. As Pope Francis reminds us in the above quote, “The community has an important role in the accompaniment of young people.” It doesn’t have to be only the parish youth minister who does this; in fact in parishes where there is a youth minister it is better if the whole community walks with them in this area. Where there is no youth minister, pastors, parents, young adults and others can serve to stay connected with our young people at this time and beyond. Nobody is excited about COVID-19 but as we continue to live this reality, tap into some of the amazing resources and opportunities your communities have at their disposal to continue to walk with our youth at this crucial time in their lives.
Yours in Christ,
Brian Flynn
P.S. My colleagues, Rich Budd, Jenny Ingles and Tim Carpenter have been busy creating resources to help your parishioners better live as a domestic Church at home. Here's Tim talking about them in the newly created Diocese of Lansing Podcast. To access the resources, click here. Also below is Fr. Joe Krupp talking about how we can make sense of this COVID-19 outbreak. Worth a watch.
Prayer for healing during the Coronavirus crisis
by Archbishop Jose Gomez, President US Bishops' Conference
Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas. We fly to you today as your beloved children. We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.
Pray for us, loving Mother, and gain for our nation and world, and for all our families and loved ones, the protection of your holy angels, that we may be spared the worst of this illness.
For those already afflicted, we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance. Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful, wipe away their tears and help them to trust.
In this time of trial and testing, teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind. Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.
We come to you with confidence, knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother, health of the sick and cause of our joy.
Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus.
Amen.