We often hear about all the young people who are leaving the Church and turning away from God. We are inundated with talk of division, abuse, and petty complaints. Are you sick of hearing bad news? Me too.
Thankfully, I’m not here to talk about the bad news. It’s time for some GOOD news!
The Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island is welcoming eight seminarians this year – their largest class of incoming seminarians in almost forty years! These men have chosen to follow God’s call to discern their vocation to the priesthood and study for this lifelong commitment.
If that’s not good news, I don’t know what is!
On a recent episode of Trending with Timmerie, host Timmerie Geagea spoke about her amazement at the number of young people who were gravitating towards the traditional aspects of the Catholic Faith.
She told the story of a Carmelite order that had experienced a huge boom in vocations, so much so that they outgrew their postulant house several times! The women who were entering this Carmelite order were drawn to the beauty of the liturgy. (This order focuses on the Traditional Latin Mass.)
“I have to tell you, this is something that has fascinating me … over the last three years, there has been this massive return of … young, youthful faces. I even hear from some of the pastors of these parishes where in fact their average age is in the teens because not only do they have young families, young parents, but young children present,” said Timmerie. This is in stark contrast to many parishes that are experiencing an aging congregation.
Why are young Catholics so attracted to the traditional aspects of the Faith? Be it the Traditional Latin Mass or the use of incense or Gregorian chant at a Novus Ordo Mass, young people are drawn to the beauty, history, and reverence of the older Catholic traditions.
“I know of people who will travel much further to attend church because of the Gregorian chant or because incense are always used at Mass. I think there’s something so profound to this that God has accommodated our senses not just in the incense and the holy water and all these different sacramental elements, but even the sacraments themselves,” said Timmerie.
Rather than searching for what is new and “progressive”, young Catholics are often choosing parishes that focus on tradition rather than ones that attempt to “keep up with the times.” The future of our Church is embracing that which glorifies and brings profound reverence to the Holy Eucharist, the liturgy, and the sacraments. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Next time you start to give in the darkness, remember that the future is bright.
Tune in to Trending with Timmerie weekdays at 6-7pm CT only on Relevant Radio®.
