Pope Leo XIV elevated Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati to sainthood this past   weekend, and they are known as the millennial saints. His timing—or God’s timing—was perfect as a recent (the Barna Group) study on Catholic Mass attendance illustrates that GEN Zers are the generation that attends Mass most regularly (about 23 Sundays a year) representing 1.9% of the Mass attendance. Our two new saints present an opportunity for our Church and parish to reach out to our Gen Zers+ and invite them to “try us again for the first time;” to bring their questions, doubts and hopes here to St. Catherine and grow their Faith in Him. The new message has to be that we are all imperfect people but, and that is a very important word, we all can “come as we are-flawed but beautiful and He will transform us into His Perfection.”

Gen Z, who were in high school and college during the Covid-19 Pandemic, were deeply   impacted by the pandemic and resulting cultural changes. They had their world turned upside down by pro-longed school closures, isolation, online classes and ambiguity. Experts have found that that the reason for their desired-return to Mass was for two primary reasons: (1) they are in search of truth and attempting to move away from ambiguity, and (2) they are looking for   community where people act together. Our Catholic Mass provides both: Absolute Truth (the Word of God) and actions that the congregation joins in together—Mass is a dialogue between God and His people with the priest as a leader with like-minded believers coming together. In fact, NY   Cardinal Timothy Dolan recently paraphrased St. Augustine, when he said “they (Gen Zers) are searching for certainty, not ambiguity.  They are searching for meaning in their lives, and that their ‘hearts will not rest until they rest in God.’” 

So what does this “good” news mean for us here at St. Catherine of Siena   Parish? And, how do we “capture” this opportunity to seize upon human nature’s   desire for truth and community?

 Thank-you Forward with Faith participants! Due to the generosity of so many St. Catherine of Siena parishioners during our Forward with Faith campaign, we are set to locate and bring-in age-appropriate and issue-specific speakers to talk to our young adults—and other   parishioners of various ages—regarding the relevance and applicability of our Catholic faith in this modern world. We are prepared to reorient the reception of the Church’s teaching—from being received and understood as burdensome, outdated and divisive requirements impinging on my personal freedom to be “who I am” rather to be rightly understood as the formational and ultimate love of God for my/our excellence—and all about Who God made us to be. We have a purpose!   

Our parish is now working on invitations for dates and events regarding active   discussions about faith, cultural implications, and God’s call. An updated list will be forthcoming.