December 2, 2009

CHRISTOPHER STEFANIC

Catholic subculture

The Gospel isn’t communicated in a vacuum.  It’s communicated through culture.  When a Catholic culture is lacking, the Church organically creates subcultures, drawing in and redeeming aspects of the culture it’s in.  This is happening among our youth today.  Youth ministry has formed a redeemed culture born out of generation MTV with its own stages, its own rock stars and its own brand of rebellion.   

The nation’s largest “concert for Jesus” happened the week before last at the National Catholic Youth Convention (NCYC).  We brought 55 youths from the Archdiocese of Denver and I was privileged to speak there.  I was blown away.  It’s rare to walk into a 20,000-person arena and be unable to find a place to sit.  A few thousand more filled an overflow arena with jumbo screens.  This event, like many of the larger events in Catholic youth ministry, had all the trappings of a high-end, secular, rock and roll production, except the packed arena was there to glorify faith, hope and charity instead of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. 

The stage was filled with Catholic “rock stars.”  Before his keynote telling teens—for the 10,000th time—to wait for sex until they are married, veteran chastity speaker Jason Evert got a standing ovation.  Matt Maher, who is probably the first Catholic to hit the top of the charts on Christian radio stations, had the teens cheering until they were hoarse.  They all knew his songs.  Steve Angrisano, Catholic of the Archdiocese of Denver and a popular speaker and singer/songwriter, hosted the conference.  None of these men could walk 10 feet at that conference without being asked for an autograph.  They are Catholic subculture rock stars, and in a culture so starved for good role models, what a wonderful thing! 
What’s even better is that the ultimate rock star being celebrated is Jesus Christ and the communion of saints.  One speaker held up a rosary and mentioned Mary’s name and it produced a deafening cheer from the crowd.  During one high point of the conference more than 20,000 teens knelt in silent adoration after which they processed behind our eucharistic Lord through the streets of Kansas City, Mo., in silence.  That image is indelibly etched into my memory.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  It was a virtual army of youth following their king in the heart of the modern world! 

In MTV culture, rebellion is a virtue.  Teens born out of this Catholic subculture have a beautiful brand of rebellion all their own.  In a sex-saturated world, they wear chastity and the respect they give to the opposite sex like a badge of honor.  According to recent statistics, 95 percent of upperclassmen who are virgins are proud of it!  In a self-serving culture, devout Catholic teens want to stand out by serving the poor.  One teen from our archdiocese, Sami Freese, shared with the entire conference about the joy and freedom she found by sponsoring and then visiting a child she sponsors in the Philippines.  In an irreverent culture, teens want to stand out with ancient practices of piety.  They think it’s cool to bow, kneel, altar serve, burn incense, and sing ancient songs to God with their hands lifted in prayer.  Generation MTV teens want to rebel and make a name for themselves.  What better way to do that than by being holy!  There’s no more profound rebellion than the one given by the saints and martyrs.  

 As I looked at the sea of teens, joyful to be standing for Jesus Christ and celebrating our ancient faith, I wondered, “If our Lord can change the world with 12, what can he do with 22,000”?  Maybe we won’t be a subculture for long. 
Speaker and author Christopher Stefanick is director of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Denver Archdiocese. Visit chris-stefanick.com.