Spirituality and laughter are shared at teen social

Intermountain Catholic

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Students in ninth through twelfth grades greet Bishop John C. Wester following the Mass he celebrated at St. John the Baptist Parish, Draper, during the Autumn Catholic Teen Social Oct. 21.IC photos by Christine Young

DRAPER — The Autumn Catholic Teen Social (ACTS) was filled with laughter, joy, spirituality, and fun, as teens from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City met at Juan Diego Catholic High School Oct. 21.

The social was sponsored by the Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office. The theme was "Alive in Christ." There were three workshops offered to high school students. The first workshop offered games and socializing.

In the second workshop titled "Bridges," Dan John, former religious education director for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, now the track and weight coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School, offered suggestions to the teens on how they could engage in conversation when approached about their religion.

John said the best way to talk about the differences between the religions was to share a meal, talk about how each religion celebrates weddings, and our Eucharist, rather than go one-on-one in a heated discussion.

"The Eucharist is about the Communion of Saints and all the people with whom we celebrate Mass throughout the world," said John. "Dining in the kingdom of God is what it is about to be Catholic." The workshop helped empower the Catholic youth.

The third workshop was offered by keynote speakers David Casey and Doug Tooke. Casey is a youth minister, and Tooke is the director of youth ministry in the Diocese of Helena, Mont.

The speakers emphasized trusting in God and using the gifts God has given each one of them. Tooke gave the example of how David slew Goliath with only a sling shot, which is not a very powerful weapon. The same is true for teens today. He said they must face the tough issues in society such as drugs and promiscuity by using their Catholic values and gifts, and that is not always easy.

In his keynote talk, Tooke told the true story of three teens who were caught stealing beer from the garage of a man who works for Catholic Charities in Helena. He compared them to teens and their spirituality. Just like the teens running from the police, some teens are running from God. Tooke predicts one of the three teens will steal again, just like some teens will fall away from their spirituality.

"God ceaselessly pursues us, and he knows he will catch us, it is just a matter of time," said Tooke. "Some people need to be knocked in the head before they truly get it. God loves all of us equally. The people on their knees facing their God need to hold the hand of the person who is trying to run away.

"It is about getting out of ourselves and getting into God," said Tooke. "For teenagers that is really hard, so reach out beyond your universe for a minute and get in touch with your faith and invest in God. Our mission is about reaching out to the person on our right and our left. Pray for the strength to invest in God."