Youth seeks a meaning from today

says
F. G. PRICE
TODAY'S Catholic youth, like youth in general, receives far more brickbats than bouquets. It is being taken to task continuously for its selfishness, its failure to adhere to established practices and its generally rebellious attitudes. There is talk of leakage and drop-out.
But priests, nuns and laity whose everyday work brings them into constant contact with young people are far from being pessimistic.
Fr. William Byrne, Director of the Salford Catechetical Centre, told me: "Very largely people are depressed about the wrong thing. The rebelling movement among young people is a rebellion against institutionalism and the youngsters are after a spirituality which is real.
'They have no time for parochialism. They have little time for a Church whose prime concern is self-preservation. By a Church, what I mean is that they meet it at parish level and all the concern is with preserving the parish. The societies and organisations they come into contact with are all very much inward looking."
SEARCH FOR MEANING This feeling was echoed by Mgr. Michael Buckley, Director of the Wood Hall Pastoral Centre at Linton, Yorkshire, who said: "Quite clearly the present parochial structure makes little or no impact on the 18-21 age group.
"They are looking for a deep meaning to life and the sermons they hear from the pulpit on Sunday morning does not achieve that end for them."
He continued: "It is in places Like universities and pastoral centres such as Wood Hall that we find a deep spiritual awareness in young people. I would say that the number of people attending Catholic churches has declined over the last decade, while the quality of Christian life has immeasurably increased."
Further evidence in support of this opinion came from other sources. Fr. J. Turner, Catholic Chaplain at Lancaster University where the Chaplaincy centre is operated on an ecumenical basis, said, "The incidence of worship amongst the 18-21 age bracket is reflected very favourably compared with the same age group outside."
GREAT DEPTH
Sister Tait, of the Manchester Cenacle, which runs many retreats for young people, told me: "People often say that there is no Christianity in youth, but having worked with them for many years you will find great depth, especially in the 18-24 range. You can go much deeper than you could four or five years ago."
One parish priest, Fr. E. B. Carroll, of Birkenhead, confirmed that Mass attendance was down and believed that this was a result of "the family not acting as a unit."
He continued: "The schools cannot get anywhere unless the family co-operates. We must get back to prayer. We are too concerned with birth control and similar topics."
Over recent years considerable publicity has been given to the various social and char itable activities with which Catholic youth have become involved.
Commenting on this, Mgr. Buckley said: "Their attitude to prayer is a very deep one and they feel they need to find a conscious awareness of a God who loves them and cares for our world. Many times they seek refuge in social action outside the structure of the Church because the Church is not giving the lead, but I believe this social activity springs from their Christian awareness."
Mr. Thomas Arkless, a Manchester teacher who has worked in Lourdes as a brancardier for more than 20 years, told me: "It is interesting to note that the young people at Lourdes, despite all their tremendous work looking after the sick, always find time to go to the grotto for daily prayer."
In addition he teaches Latin every Saturday to a group of boys who are planning to enter seminaries but who cannot study the subject at school. Regularly he talks to them about prayer "because it gives them something to hold on to because they are bewildered by what is going on in the world around them."
Fr. Byrne commented: "The more intelligent young people want a double thing. Part of it is the involvement in the world around us. They feel that they should be doing something to benefit society at large.
FRUSTRATION "The other is the real desire for spirituality. It is here that I find the real frustration with the Church. They complain often and quite bitterly that they are rarely offered anything of spirituality. They are offered no prayer life at all."
He mentioned two Catholic boys who had expressed undying gratitude to the Buddhists of an Indian monastery who, during a visit to India, had taught them to pray. This, they felt, was something that the Church should have done.
Mr. Bernard Lackey, another teacher with considerable experience of sixth form counselling, said: "I would not go so far as to say that all young people are more spiritual, but I would say that young people are searching for a more spiritual meaning to life than youngsters of 20 years ago.
"In my generation we tended to accept most things we were told, and did not really begin to question until we reached university. Now they are questioning as early as 13 and 14.
"This means that more are rejecting, but those who accept become very keen and are really the salt of the earth."