Workshop at the 2009 Diocese of Youngstown Liturgy Day

1. Be Not Afraid:
Engaging Youth in
Liturgy
2009 Diocese of
Youngstown
LITURGY DAY
With Cindee Case

2. Opening Prayer
O God of everlasting goodness, be with us at this
hour of promise.
You have called us to consider the younger
members of our communities when we assemble
for worship in your name.
Renew in us a sense of awe in your presence,
manifested in the sacramental life of our parishes.
Just as your Son gathered his disciples in the upper
room, So may we be gathered to give praise and
honor to your name.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3. Components of Comprehensive
Youth Ministry
to, by, with and for youth:
 Advocacy
 Catechesis
 Community life
 Evangelization
 Justice and Service
 Leadership Development
 Pastoral Care , and
 Prayer and Worship

4. “The ministry of prayer and worship
 CELEBRATES and DEEPENS the young
people’s relationship with Jesus Christ by bestowal
of grace, communal prayer and liturgical
experiences;
 It AWAKENS their awareness of the spirit at
work in their lives;
 It INCORPORATES young people more fully
into the sacramental life of the Church, especially
Eucharist;
 It NURTURES the personal prayer of young
people; It FOSTERS family rituals
and prayer

5. Quick side note on Engaging
Parents:
“Parents are the most influential agents of
catechesis for their children. They have a
unique responsibility for the education of
their children; they are the first educators,
or catechists.”
(National Directory
for Catechesis, p. 23)

6. “…the best social predictor,
although not a guarantee,
of what the religious and spiritual
lives of youth will look like is
what the religious
and spiritual lives of their
parents do look like.” Soul Searching, p. 261

7. CSL key points:
• Paschal Mystery (#6)
• Source and Summit (#10)
• Involvement (#14, 48)
• Public and communal (#26)
• Simple (#34)
• Inclusive and Representative (#37, 38)

8. From Age to Age: The Challenge of Worship
with Adolescents -- Principles for Vibrant
Worship with Adolescents
• Vibrant Worship with
Adolescents Celebrates
Their Involvement in the
Church’s Life and Mission
• Vibrant Worship with
Adolescents Invites and
Accepts Their Authentic
Participation

9.  Vibrant Worship with
Adolescents Attends to the
Diversity of Ages and Cultures
in the Assembly
 Vibrant Worship with
Adolescents Roots and Fosters
Their Personal Prayer
Relationship with God

10.  Vibrant Worship Includes
Effective Preaching of the Word
 Vibrant Worship Has
a Youthful Spirit in Music &
Song

11. Diocese of Youngstown teens
favorite Church songs…..
(2005, not 1985)
• Be Not Afraid
• City of God
• Here I am, Lord
• On Eagles Wings

12. Symbols and Actions
 Vibrant Worship Has an
Interactive and
Communal Dimension
Vibrant Worship Has an
Interactive and
Communal Dimension
Vibrant Worship Has an
Interactive and

13. Opportunities for Engagement
• Lectors
• Cantors
• Choir members
• Ushers/Greeters
• Musicians
•Sacristan assistants
•Church cleaning
•Gift bearers
• Servers
•E.M.E. (over 16)
•Environment
•Liturgical committee

14. The keys First,
• Invite
• Encourage
• Affirm
Then
• Train
• Mentor
• support

15. “In our in-depth interviews with U.S.
teenagers, we also found the vast majority
of them to be incredibly inarticulate
about their faith, their religious beliefs
and practices, and its meaning or place in
their lives” (Soul Searching, p. 131)…
“Catholic teenagers also tended to be
particularly inarticulate about their
faith” (ibid., p. 132).

16. Four Movements of Formal
Prayer/Structure of Liturgy
1. Call to Prayer, Gathering
2. The Word, reading
3. Respond, ritual
4. Blessings, Sending Forth

17. What are you thinking?
• HOW DO YOU ALREADY ENGAGE YOUTH
IN YOUR MINISTRY SETTING
• What “One Thing” can you – will you do – to
better engage youth in Liturgy?

18. Ideas to share/borrow:

19. • Let me know if I can
• answer any questions
• after this session…
Cindee Case
Director
Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
144 W. Wood St, Youngstown OH 44503
330.744.8451
Ccase@youngstowndiocese.org