In the spirit of Cardijn and the YCS movements, the IYCS 80th anniversary events also included a reflection session prior to the formal celebrations.
The reflection session was accompanied by panelists Msgr. Robert Vittilo, Chief Innovation and Program Officer at Catholic Charities USA and former IYCS Advisory Board member, and Rudy Dehaney, Director of Campus Ministry at Notre Dame of Maryland University, also a Cardijn Associates Board member.
The session opened with attendees sharing personal stories of how YCS has made a difference in their lives as persons of faith and action. It then asked what opportunities the church offers for youth and young adult formation for Catholic action.
Msgr. Vittilo highlighted multiple pathways that the church offers for youth and young adult formation including opportunities such as the Caritas youth programs, the National Catholic Youth Conference, and campus ministry programs. He noted that a recent youth report data showed that young people are seeking community and encounter as a sign of hope.
Dehaney pointed to the experience of a hierarchical church that often impedes lay initiatives especially at the parish level. Some attendees noted that their experience of church in the US is very different than that in the countries they came from. They had the sense that money drove parish concerns rather than the growth of the people. Now as parents, former YCS members also noted that it is very challenging to engage their children in church activities at the parish level and often did not feel supported if they voiced their concerns.
The session also raised an important observation. As YCS members, many alumni felt the bond with the chaplains, priests, religious and other adults who served as animators. Today, there is a sense of distance and fear of youth engagement, felt by priests and laity alike, which can be traced to the scandals that have rocked the church and the policy around Protecting God’s Children. While there is good reason for this policy to be in place, we raised the question - are we at the point where Protecting God’s Children has become a barrier? There was consensus that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.
In this intergenerational session, participants also voiced their own questions. The youth in the room would like to better understand why people do “bad” things. Others voiced the need to support immigrants as they navigate the US culture and systems.
The session ended with an introduction to Cardijn Associates and an invitation to continue the conversation.
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