The Diocese of Brooklyn’s future looks bright.
For the second consecutive year, more than 1,300 middle- and high-school aged young people participated in the diocese’s annual Youth Day celebration. Because of the recent high demand, this year the diocese split the event between two locations for the first time — Our Lady of Angels Church in Bay Ridge and Christ the King High School in Middle Village — to better accommodate young people in both Brooklyn and Queens.
Father James Kuroly, director of the diocese’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry, said that the venue changes were made so each individual “is treated personally and has a personal encounter with Christ.” The feedback from participants acknowledged those efforts, with one saying the day “remind(ed) us that we are not alone.”
As Bishop Robert Brennan noted, the success of the Youth Day celebration is a testament to the commitment and efforts of Catholic schools, the Office of Youth Ministry, youth ministers, and pastors.
“We’re in two locations, two very large locations. And it’s a great spirit among the people, a sign really that something very good is happening at the parish level because they’re not coming here alone. They’re coming in groups,” he told the Tablet.
It’s also a testament to the young people themselves and their desire not only to grow in their own faith but to share it with their peers. That desire was evident in those The Tablet spoke to at the Youth Day celebration in Brooklyn on Oct. 24.
Evelyn Cortes said she attended the event to set an example for other teens in her community, and suggested the diocese host more Youth Day-style celebrations to bring the faith to even more young people. Similarly, Kevin Sandoval, who addressed his peers at Mass, said Youth Day-style events are an important opportunity for young people to see that they are part of a family in the Church.
While this year’s Youth Day was indeed a testament to the tireless efforts of people — young and old, lay and clergy — across the Diocese of Brooklyn, it was also a reminder for everyone to keep their foot on the gas and continue prioritizing the faith of local youth.
Diocesan leaders, as well as school, parish, and lay leaders, must keep meeting young people where they are and find new ways for them to engage with their faith. The same call goes out to young people — continue taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you and accompany your peers on their faith journeys.
In a video message sent in Chota and Cutervo, Peru, earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV urged young people to “feel the call to be missionaries in your schools, your universities, on your streets, and in your fields.”
“(The Church) needs your holy rebelliousness, your pure energy, and your desire to transform situations of suffering into spaces of hope,” the Holy Father said. “Serve with joy, especially the most forgotten, for that is where the suffering face of Jesus is found.”
The message certainly applies to the young people in the Diocese of Brooklyn, too.
For adults, it’s important to heed and embrace Sandoval’s words from his Youth Day remarks: “We are not simply the future of the Church, but we’re also an important part of the Church right now.”