2006 Youth Supplement

Looking to get more involved in your faith? Try these tips

Photo caption: Hispanic teenagers wearing traditional costumes dance at Monument Circle in Indianapolis during an outdoor vigil procession on Dec. 11, 2005, celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. A large group of Hispanic Catholics of all ages marched to St. Mary Church for a vigil Mass. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Megan B. Gehrich (Special to The Criterion)

We have all heard the question, “How are you involved in your parish?”

For a lot of us, we aren’t involved. Therefore, when we hear that question we find ourselves in a sea of guilt.

Thoughts like “I should be doing more” and “I could have done that” begin pressing on us with guilt.

However, what if the reason we aren’t involved is because we don’t know how to get involved?

Everyone asks us how are we involved, but no one shows us how to get involved. Well, that is all going to change right now. I am going to tell you how to become active in your parish.

The first thing you should do is talk to your priest. Your priest will help you understand why God wants us to be involved.

When talking with your priest, make sure you ask many questions about different organizations at church and the resources to use to get involved in those organizations. Also ask how this helps your relationship with God.

Your priest will have answers to a lot of the questions you ask, which will be good in your search to get involved.

The next person to go to, who will have loads of information and opportunities for you to get involved in your parish and archdiocese, is your youth minister. Youth ministers know a lot about what is going on at your parish and in the archdiocese because they tend to keep themselves up-to-date with information.

So, check with your youth minister frequently for information pertaining to something you could do at your parish. Also make sure to ask your youth minister if any retreats, rallies or programs are coming up in the archdiocese.

Retreats and rallies are great ways to increase your faith and help you grow spiritually. Ask your youth minister many questions whenever you talk to him or her.

Next, check with your director of religious education (DRE) or parish life coordinator (PLC) to see if there is anything coming up that they would like some help with. They may ask you to be a catechist, a teen leader, a member of the choir, a lector or a server. These jobs are very rewarding and great ways to glorify God. Also, when younger kids see teens involved, it inspires them to live out their faith more. This is great because we are the leaders of the next Catholic generation.

So, do you feel like, finally, the sea of guilt isn’t drowning you? Do you feel like you can get involved and make a difference? I hope so because you can do it. You can make a difference. Just offer some time to and for God, while having fun doing the activity.

From experience, I can tell you that it is so rewarding to help out and be involved. Besides, if you don’t get involved, who will?

(Megan Gehrich is a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Shelbyville.) †