Youths and young adults are connecting
virtually.
As most parishioners across the diocese enter their fifth or
sixth week of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, youth
ministers and young adult leaders are continuing to offer guidance, tools for
learning and a sense of community — digitally.
“Everyone knows how to use Zoom now,” said Kevin Bohli, executive
director of diocesan Office of Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries.
“Things changed so quickly. We had to jump into the world of videoconferencing
and learn fast.”
SUPPORTING YOUTH MINISTERS
Bohli’s staff starts each day with a videoconferencing Zoom call
where they pray for specific people, diocesan youth ministers and their tasks
for the day.
“The first thing we have to do is support the directors of youth
ministry,” Bohli said.
Every Wednesday, they have an afternoon Zoom conference with
leaders across the diocese. The meetings have had nearly 50 people attend each
week and include talks from priests and discussion of policy changes. The
meetings also address the types of online interactions with kids that follow
VIRTUS practices. Then, participants separate into “breakout rooms” by deanery
for smaller brainstorming sessions to share ideas and ask questions before
returning to the whole group to share.
“I give high praise for diocesan staff, and the level they have
gone to help youth ministers,” said Sarah Ginther, director of youth ministry
at St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg.
The first few weeks of teleworking and not being able to connect
with people in person were “challenging and included a lot of long hours just
trying to figure out how to use the technology,” she said. “Though we are
proficient now with Zoom, we are still in the phase of transitioning things,
such as fundraising, online. We are not only trying to learn how to use new
programs, but also have to be able to teach others and delegate tasks to
volunteers.”
CONNECTING WITH YOUTHS
A few ways parishes have continued to minister to youths is
through virtual Bible study groups, playing family friendly games at
jackboxgames.com, and hosting online watch parties for Mass.
“We are all trying to pivot and see what we can do to continue to
meet the needs of our youths and come up with new initiatives in
evangelization,” said Erin Johnson, director of youth ministry at St. Veronica
Church in Chantilly.
“Parishes are doing a lot right now to meet the needs of the kids
in their parishes and programs,” said Bohli.
NEW INITIATIVES
Though many of the initiatives to keep youths connected are
digital, some new ways to connect are “old school” and low-tech.
“This is a great time for the domestic church, for families to
pray together, and challenge each other with things like family talent shows,”
said Bohli. “There are ways to continue social distancing, but still connect to
people such as sending letters, care packages or cards, and calling people on
the phone that let them know the church is still thinking about them.
A creative way that St. Veronica is challenging parishioners to
stay connected is by creating paper chains that will literally be connected once
people are able to come back together in person. Their goal is to create a
chain long enough to wrap around the church building.
“Each link of the paper chain should include a prayer intention,
or a work of mercy offered or received during the COVID-19 crisis,” said
Johnson. “We are trying to help parishioners look forward to a huge celebration
once we can come back together for Sunday Mass. We will have an ice cream
social and connect the chains made by families in our parish at that time.”
At St. John the Apostle, Ginther issued a challenge that will
help families unplug during Holy Week.
“I live in a house with eight people, and everyone is online and
in meetings constantly,” Ginther said. “How do we ‘unplug’ in a world where
everyone is online?”
In response to that question, she created a Holy Week bingo game
that has squares marked with challenges such as write a letter to the military
overseas, spend a device-free evening with your family, clean a room in your
house that isn’t your bedroom, and pray for someone you struggle to love. There
will be rewards, such as a dollar amount off a future event admission, for kids
who get a bingo line, or a bigger reward if the whole card is filled.
“We keep telling teens, don’t let this time pass and let it be a
waste,” said Ginther. “Come out the other side of COVID-19 a better person with
a stronger prayer life and family connection, set goals or start journaling,
and continue to pray for those suffering. Don’t waste it.”
YOUNG ADULTS
Youths and teens aren’t the only ones the Office of Youth,
Campus, and Young Adult ministry is reaching out to. To help this effort, they
have created a COVID-19 resource guide that can be downloaded at bit.ly/YAMcovid19.
“It’s actually a really great time for ministry, and people are
going to be alone — and we aren’t meant to be alone,” said Niru De Silva,
coordinator of young adult ministries. “We should use this time to connect with
people and evangelize.”
Digital opportunities to connect have been popping up around the
diocese, and “small group meetings such as Bible studies and book clubs have
been huge” said De Silva.
At All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, the young adult group
started a “lunch break” 12-1 p.m. where anyone can join and have virtual lunch
together. “Everyone is working from home, and there isn’t the comraderie of
having lunch with your coworkers anymore, and this also helps break up the
day,” he said. Some groups also started virtual happy hours or workouts.
On a spiritual level, you can join a daily rosary with the youth
office at 8:30 a.m. to “give you that spiritual beginning to your workday.”
Church of the Nativity in Burke, St. Charles Borromeo Church in
Arlington and the Basilica of St. Mary in Old Town are also leading the rosary
on Instagram.
There are plans to move the Theology on Tap series online soon,
as well as Trivia Night, once the logistics and technology issues are ironed
out.
“It is really important to stay connected,” said De Silva, “now
that everybody is just a click away.”
