Integrating theory and practice of religious education (RE) and catechesis for youth in faith community in the Timor-Leste context

Crisogno Soares Freitas Pereira

Introduction

The rationale of this assignment is the integration of theory and practice underpinning the religious formation of youth in a Catholic community context in Timor-Leste. The focus is youth (12-18 years) as they are at a critical stage in their faith development and they are the future of this country. They are faced with many negative influences which could seriously stunt their growth in faith and lessen their ability to engage positively with life. The community is an important locus to assist the personal development of youth especially those living in towns. Given the challenges of this modern era they need help to develop and deepen their spirituality, personal faith, religious understanding and practice.

1.     Developmental stages of youth (12-18 years)

Sociologists and psychologists when dealing with the development of this age group stress that they are searching for identity and a sense of self. They do this by belonging and conforming to group attitudes and values while at the same time endeavouring to discover their individual identity through relationships with significant others (Ryan, 2007; Ziettlow, n.d). Ryan notes that “people at this stage take great notice of what others say in forming actions and thoughts” (p.238).

With respect to faith development, Westerhoff and Fowler affirm that at this age, young people move from a “joining faith” to a “searching faith” (Ryan, 2007; Ziettlow, n.d; Eckert, 2004). They emphasise that in this transition period, youth are searching for meaning and commence to question and search for truth in their lives. They question the values and practices that they observe within the community and look for congruence. They are idealistic and value opportunities to put their faith into practice but they still have doubts about values, faith and meaning (Ryan). 

2.     Context:

Timor-Leste is a young democracy. After 450 years of Portuguese colonisation about 25-30% of the people were Catholic but at the end of 1999, following 24 years of Indonesian occupation about 97% of the population identified as Catholic. During the struggle for independence many thousands of lives were lost through armed conflict, starvation, deprivation, torture and violence. Throughout this time the Catholic Church defended the Timorese people, was the voice of the voiceless, gave authentic witness to faith in action, to the dignity of each person and sought peace and justice for this country. The Church was the door of independence as the Catholic Church challenged the Indonesian authority. In particular through its youth groups it deepened its engagement with young people and gave them hope. It was a focal point for the youth who suffered greatly as a result of their fearless protests against the Indonesians. However, it is a different situation today and the Church has to find a new ways of meaningful communicating with the youth who are disenchanted with the Church as well as with the government.

According to Amalorpavadass faith is a “personal and vital encounter with the living God” (cited in Flynn, 1979, p. 78). In terms of human development we are spiritual before we are religious. For many centuries our ancestors’ spirituality was “an orientation of total person, giving purpose and goals to one’s hopes and striving, thoughts and actions” (Fowler, 1981, p. 92). Integral to the practice of our traditional faith is keeping a balance in nature, the importance of family and a deep respect for the sacredness of life. For example our sacred houses maintain our relationship with the ancestors and are a symbol of family union and a place where we consult the ancestors to seek healing when troubled or ill. Unfortunately, especially in the towns the young people are moving away from traditional beliefs and practices.

The influence of the globalization and communication technology is having a major impact on our young people. They are living in a much larger world than that known to their parents and it is having a significant impact on their developing values, morals and cultural practices. They are less respectful, less modest in fashion and have easy access to pornography. Traditional parenting is authoritarian and this coupled with the parents desire to provide opportunities for their children in this new democracy, is creating tension and problems.  In the towns, many young people rather than turning to church groups are joining martial arts groups and becoming involved in group rivalry and fights. In addition many are victims of the political situation as there is over 60% youth unemployment in towns.

3.     The purpose of RE and catechesis for youth in Timor-Leste

Young people are “spiritual seekers longing for real and meaningful experience of the sacred that help them find ultimate meaning, a sense of belonging, and wholeness in their lives” (Hryniuk, 2005, p. 146). Thus the goal of RE and faith formation for young Timorese people is first to create an ambience in which the young person is at ease and feels welcome and appreciated. This provides an environment in which they imbibe the values of Catholic faith and can raise their questions knowing that they will be addressed respectfully. The faith community and relationships with older people play a critical part as they must be “attentive to God’s presence, discerning of the Spirit” “that accompany young people on the way of Jesus” (Hryniuk, p. 140). Indeed, “young people, in particular, need to experience faith” (Eckert, 2004, p. 23) through engagement in a vibrant faith community.

The Church needs to “make a commitment in undertaking to meet young people in the boarder setting of society and culture in which young people make meaning” (Ang, 2008, p. 405). All have the “potentiality to be believers” (Fahy, 1992, p. 20) and one of the goals of working with youth is “to maintain at all costs contact with God” (Flynn, 1979, p. 86). As Rahner explains two kinds of knowledge need to be developed “one communicated purely from the outside and one touching the depth of human reality” (cited in Fahy, p.20). The aim is to support the young person to develop their personal conviction and individual dedication to God (Eckert; Ang, 2008; Hryniuk, 2005). In essence the goal of youth ministry is to create disciples by “encouraging involvement in the work and mission of the Church, and developing faithful individuals who live with a depth of spirituality and a healthy sense of self” (Eckert, 2004, p. 23). 

Strategies:

For all ministry but particularly in youth ministry, it is not only about what we do but more importantly about how we do it and how we interact (Eckert, 2004). As indicated above relationships are vitally important to this age group and personal integrity and authenticity are essential. Young people have an innate desire for a spiritual life and spiritual formation is “viewed as potentially transformative in the sense of awakening the heart, mind and spirit of the young person to a deeper love of God, neighbour and self” (Hryniuk, 2005, p. 150). This may be done by developing the religious imagination, methods of prayer and meditation through “correlating ‘virtual’ and ‘real’ catechesis which is also a ‘correlation and interaction between profound human experiences and revealed message’” (Beaudoin, 2003, p. 71). Related to this is the nightly examination of consciousness to reflect on how God offers himself and how God works through all things in daily life (Hryniuk; Beaudoin). Eckert holds that this will be achieved by engaging “in service activities”, praying “in community”, hearing “about faith journeys and stories about faith in conversation”, and seeing “how friend and mentors express faith in everyday life” (p. 23). Encountering the mystery of God in Christ is nurtured by the practice of reflection (Ang, 2008) which strengthens young people to face the challenges of the world.

Young people need to clarify values and ethical concerns by developing “an understanding of the content of Christian faith” (Ang, 2008, p. 408) and this is done through discussion and group research and reflection. Linked to this is examination of Christian discipleship (Ang; Horell, 2004) to capture what it means to follow Jesus today in daily life. Through introducing then to the “sacred scripture, our tradition, our history, and the lives and experience of believers” young people “can interpret and integrate their faith in the totally of their lives” (Ang, p. 408). Youth will then “more fully appropriate the riches of biblical, doctrinal, sacramental, and practical consciousness in the Christian tradition” (Hryniuk, 2005, p. 147). Thus to confirm young people in their Christian vocation is to foster discipleship of Jesus (Hryniuk; Ang; Horell).

In their world youth are exposed to a multitude of varied experiences. Youth appreciate being involved in service ministries and the “formation of young people demands a committed and consistent apostolate in our local contexts, structured, intentional and adaptable ministries” (Ang, 2008, p. 413). However, “parishes can encourage and provide leadership opportunities for youth within all the parish’s ministries – social, liturgical, service and so forth” (Eckert, 2004, p. 24). Integration of youth into the local faith community is a necessity not an optional extra as the “life-giving message of the gospel was first told in community and is only made real today in relationship” (Eckert, p. 24). When working with youth it is important to provide “formative environments in which young people can move beyond the surface of life to encounter the self-disclosing mystery of God” (Ang, p. 407).

4.     Resources:

Four major resources proposed to engage and develop the faith formation of youth are listed below.

a)      Loving kindness

Loving kindness is St. Don Bosco’s pedagogical principle underlying all his educational work with youth. His aim to educate youth to be honest citizens and good Christian was underpinned with love and friendship (Petitclerc, 2009; Whelan, 1997). If an encounter is to be educative, the educator should know and have a deep and continued interest in the individual. Youth leaders must pay intelligent and loving attention to the aspirations, the value assessments, the conditioning factors to which the young are subjected, their life situations, the local models which surround them and their problems (Petitclerc; Ang, 2008). Such an attitude requires “good listening to the movement of the Spirit in our community of faith as well as in the minutiae of young people’s lives” (Ang, p. 413). Each individual needs to “feel welcomed, safe and appreciated” (Eckert, 2004, p. 22) and part of the community and parish life (Eckert; Ang; Hryniuk, 2005).

b)     Authentic assistance and action

“Community life comprises three important elements: atmosphere, attitude and actions” (Eckert, 2004, p. 22). A welcoming, warm environment enables youth to feel protected and accepted. Assistance means to accompany the young as a friendly educative presence. In Don Bosco’s philosophy assistance means “presence which includes prevention” (Whelan, 1997, p. 2) whereas Hryniuk (2005) describes it as “inviting and supporting young persons in authentic action in the way of Jesus” (p. 154). Authenticity of presence is an attitude of love, esteem and trust (Petitclerc, 2009; Whelan) in which to build relationships. It has nothing to do with acting like a policeman, but rather it is an effective educative presence, which does not coerce. It is a dedicated mentoring, a help, a sharing of life which stimulates and leads to the maturation of the young person.

c)     Community

Community exist through a network of relationships. Through interaction and the witness of their lives, the faith community helps youth to search and learn the meaning of faith (Eckert, 2004) for it is “impossible to teach the faith if it is not lived out within our community” (Eckert, p. 21). “The context for faith formation is communion with God and the faith community” and “it is through an intimate and interdependent relationship with God and others that we come to know who we are (identity) and who we are called to be (vocation)” (Matthaei, 2004, pp. 58-59). Thus “young people will be able to learn from their peers, find refuge in common struggles, and provide direction and insight to others who are at a different place on their faith journey” (Eckert, p. 23). Indeed “the faith community plays such a prominent role in formation for faithful living” (Matthaei, p. 59).

d)      Religious imagination

“Imagination is our capacity to recognise possibilities in things as they are – not as they should be, or how would like them to be – but fully as they are” (Ang, 2008, p. 410). Spiritual formation requires a broader approach “beyond didactic and verbal/conceptual ways of knowing to take seriously the resources of imagination present” (Beaudoin, 2003, p. 77) in the culture of youth today. Religious formation needs to “resource the imaginations of young adults with respect to their images of God, Jesus, and their own spiritual development, and help young adults critically interpret those imaginations with the tradition’s rich storehouse of religious imagination” (Beaudoin, p. 77). Thus, religious imagination “makes room for the reception of God in the here and now, furnishing a broader hermeneutical field by which the excessiveness of God’s presence can be encountered in the daily round” (Ang, p. 410).

5.     Demonstrate effectiveness of strategies and resources

The effectiveness of this program can firstly be measured by the demonstrated effectiveness of the trained leaders in preparing the program. The degree of integration of the youth into the faith community, the level of engagement of youth in the program, the level of ongoing attendance, the social outreach and creative support of youth are also indicators. Other indicators could be the developing values and attitudes displayed by the youth. Positive signs include youth going on to seek training as leaders of youth or as leaders in the general community in sacramental and service activities. Such activities nurture their self confidence, sense of self, spiritual formation, development of moral conscience and growing independence. Such involvement builds relationships and enables youth to be active in the Church’s mission.

Conclusion

In every young person there is hidden individual goodness and beauty. The formation of youth within the faith community seeks to enable the flowering of the Spirit of God already present in each one. It aims to nurture the youth at a critical time in their life, to address their needs and problems and provide a solid foundation on which to build their relationship with God. The youth leader must follow their development in a responsible manner and with strong conviction and be able to form trustful relationships with the youth for “a person cannot be imagined in himself but only within his relationships” (Zizioulas cited in Matthaei, 2004, p. 59). In essence the goal of religious youth formation is to “seek to nurture and inform Christian identity, their inner life and decision making as Christian disciples” (Ang, 2008, p. 411).

References

Ang, D. (2008). What now? Youth ministry in the wake of world youth day 2008: The ongoing Challenge [online].The  Australasian Catholic Record; 85, (4); 403-414. Availability: http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=452476795057160;res=IELHSS ISSN: 0727-3215. [Cited 17 Sep 09].

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Eckert, A. M. (2004). Total youth ministry: Ministry resources for community life. (pp. 21-24). Winona: St Mary’s Press.

Fahy, P. S. (1992). Faith in Catholic classrooms: Theory and practice. Broughton Road – Homebush NSW: Society of St Paul.

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Fowler, J. (1981). Stages of faith: The psychology of human development and the quest for meaning. HarperCollins: San Francisco.

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Hryniuk, M. (2005).Creating space for God: Toward a spirituality of youth ministry. pirituality and the young child. Religious Education. Decatur:.(100), Iss.2:. 139-157

Matthaei, S. (2004). Rethinking faith formation. Religious Education, 99(1), 56-70.

Petitclerc, J. M. (2009). The most significant values of the preventive system. Congresso Internazionale sistema preventivo e diritti umani. Roma.

Ryan, M. (2007). Religious education in family, parish and community. In A common search: The history and forms of religious education in Catholic schools (pp. 229-246). Brisbane: Lumino Press.

Whelan, S. B. (1997). Salesian “Battel Cry”: Reason, religion and loving-kindness. Retrieved December 3, 2010, from web site: http://www.donboscowest.org/salesian_family/salesian_bulletin/1997707/reason.htm

Ziettlow, J. (n.d). The stages of faith development. Retrieved October 26, 2011, from web site: http://www.glewels.com/home/180003152/180004390/docs/The%20Stages%20of%20Faith%20Development.pdf?sec_id=180004390