November 6, 2018: Virginia Diocese Offers Teens a Chance to Interact with Their Bishop
Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington recently held a listening session at the annual RALLY high school youth event. Ave Explores asked him to answer a few questions about why he wanted to dialogue with the teens of his diocese and what his hopes are for youth and young adult ministry.
Ave Explores: Tell us about RALLY. What is this event? What’s its purpose every year? Why does Arlington invest in doing a diocesan-wide event for high schoolers?
Burbidge: “RALLY is my annual opportunity to gather with nearly 800 high school-aged students of my diocese. I invite them to join me in this celebration of our Catholic faith. The event hosts opportunities to learn about the faith through keynote speakers and breakout sessions, but it also gives them a lot of time for fun and festivities with their peers and adult leaders. The Mass that I celebrate with them is one of the most energetic youth Masses of the year. The event ends with a beautiful Eucharistic procession where I encourage the young people to listen to how the Lord might be calling them.
“Large diocesan events can be very transformative in the life of a young person. When a young person is surrounded by many hundreds of other young Catholics, they discover a strength and energy in those numbers. Suddenly things they have learned from their parents become affirmed when hundreds of other young people are following that same belief.”
Ave: What else does Arlington do in its youth office/outreach? What would you say characterizes the youth and young adult ministry in Arlington?
Burbidge: “We provide several large diocesan-wide events for young people each year. My favorite one is our Diocesan WorkCamp where 800 teens and 400 adult leaders spend a week repairing homes in our diocese. I have seen such beautiful transformation in the lives of the young people, the adults, and the residents that we serve.
“While large events serve a wonderful purpose, the most important youth ministry that happens in our diocese is within each family. There our parish youth ministries are able to build and help form the consciences and faith lives of these young people. The Office of Youth Ministry works with parishes to hire directors of youth ministry and then supports them to be a well-trained, prayerful, vibrant community of youth workers. Part of that training is to be sure that they are thinking beyond the ‘youth group’ model. Helping parishes to find new and creative ways to get parents and young people growing in their faith together through a variety of parish ministries. For example, we promote and support large sports and scouting programs and provide resources for these ministries to better form parents and adult leaders to accompany young people on the journey of faith.”
Ave: What was the impetus for this? Where’d the idea come from, and why did you and the Diocese want to host the listening session at the annual RALLY?
Burbidge: “In the past, I have had an opportunity at RALLY for a Q&A with the youth. We spend about an hour for them to ask me questions about the Church and what it means to be their bishop. This year, in light of the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, I thought it would be good to flip that conversation and ask the young people my questions.”
Ave: What preparations did you and the team make for the listening session? Were participants told ahead of time? Were they able to submit questions early?
Burbidge: “I worked with my staff to come up with a list of about eight questions to ask the young people. I asked them about their joys in life and in their faith. Then I asked them about the things that bring them struggles. I asked what they felt my generation did not fully understand about them and what they most wanted me to know about them. The questions were sent out through the parish youth ministries in advance to give the young people some time to reflect upon them.”
Ave: How was the listening session received? Did teens engage with you and participate fully?
Burbidge: “The listening session was very powerful, and, for me, it was particularly informative! There was a lot of laughter, applauses, and cheers. There were some very genuine and heart-felt responses. They were all eager to share their perspective and their story. I felt bad that sometimes I would have to move on to the next question despite there being fifty more young people waiting to respond! At the end, we encouraged the young people who felt they did not get the chance to share to send in their responses via email and they would be passed directly to me.”
Ave: What were some of the best questions asked and best answers received?
Burbidge: “The answers from the young people seemed to fall into a few specific categories. There was a genuine desire for the truth. They know that the Church is going through a rough time right now, but they want to know the truth of those situations. They do not want a sugar-coated version of the truth; and they want to be a part of the solution.
“They expressed a desire for better teaching so that they can respond to their friends who challenge them in their faith lives.
“There were several responses about Church teaching on sexuality and a desire to better understand why the Church has these teachings. Some expressed a concern that the Church could have a ‘friendlier face’ if we want a chance to bring more of their friends into the Catholic faith.
“Several young people shared that their faith lives are most influenced by their parents, their grandparents, and the adult leaders in their lives, as well as by Eucharistic Adoration and through learning about the lives of the saints.”
Ave: What did you learn from this? How did it help you as the shepherd of Arlington?
Burbidge: “One of the surprising pieces to me was how many of the teens from public schools expressed how difficult it is to be Catholic at their schools. Several commented that they have tried to create Catholic groups but found it to be not supported by their administrators. My staff would like to support the parish directors of youth ministry in finding ways to create opportunities for students to live out their faith within their schools.”
Ave: Why do you think it’s important for this listening session to happen, both at a parish and diocesan level? How can other parishes and dioceses do this, too?
Burbidge: “I strive to be a bishop that is out with the people of God. It is my favorite part of being a bishop and it brings me great joy and energy! I welcome the opportunity for the teens of the diocese to share with me their thoughts, joys, and struggles. I want to know what it will take for them to feel most at home in their Church and I want to work with my staff to see how the Church can best support them. I look forward to having this dialog on a regular basis in an informal way at their parishes and in a more formal way each year at RALLY!
“I have wonderful priests in my diocese who I know to also be very supportive of the young people in their parishes. I encourage them to set up similar opportunities to meet with their teens and discuss how their parishes can better serve their needs. It is my prayer that, now that this synod has ended, all of us in the diocese can begin to unpack what is learned through the final document.
“We are always looking to learn what other dioceses are doing well and we welcome the opportunity to share our successes also.
“One thing for sure is that it is going to take all of us working together to transform our Church into the strong source of holiness that our culture needs today!”
Ave: Any last thoughts or words of encouragement?
Burbidge: “During our listening session, the young people were being very kind and humble. They were not making mandates or ultimatums. They may not agree with everything that the Church teaches, but I found an openness to the fact that perhaps they don’t know everything and that the Church possesses a wisdom beyond their own.
“I think we are sometimes afraid to ask young people what it is they want from the Church for fear that they want us to change Church teaching. The good news is that few are asking us to change what we believe. The hard part is that all of us as adults need to invest more time walking alongside young people in their faith lives. This is not easy in our extremely busy lives…but it is worth every minute.”
Special thanks to Kevin Bohli, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Arlington, for helping set up this chat with Bishop Burbidge and to Joe Cashwell for the photos of the event.
