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Bringing Youth Back to Mass – A Community Outreach Initiative
Project Type
Leadership/Volunteer Project
Date
August 2023 - Present
Organization: Local Catholic Church
Project Duration: Ongoing
Type: Leadership/Volunteer Project
Tools Used: Community outreach, social media, peer mentorship, catechism education
At my home parish Catholic Church, I found myself a leader in the effort to solve an age-old problem: getting teenagers and young adults to attend Mass. When youth attendance continued to drop, we realized that the lack of youth attendance was drawing entire families away from the Church. The answer was simple, if not obvious—rebuild the sense of community and passion for faith in a new generation.
To tackle this, I invite friends to Mass with me, share Catholic posts on social media to gradually re-immerse faith, and am currently a catechist for the Sacrament of Confirmation. I try my best not to force it, but to present the opportunity where teenagers feel included, heard, and interested in taking their faith more deeply. By concentrating on presenting classes in fun and relevant terms, I foster students into spreading the word about our classes organically. I work in collaboration with a small group of five other young adults who have similar ideas, refreshing our efforts.
The outcomes have been very rewarding. We've seen a 27% boost in Mass attendance since the same period last year, with far more young adults and teenagers attending services. Our Confirmation program also had record-breaking registrations. I think a great deal of the success is due to having young adult leaders who are able to connect with students at their level—meeting them where they are at and establishing a relatable, supportive environment.
I learned through this experience that Catholic faith outreach is just as feasible and effective today as it has always been. To see the way that small gestures can ignite meaningful change has renewed my desire to see Catholicism continue to spread and flourish within the United States, drawing on the rich and active faith cultures of nations such as Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico.