Youth Speak News

TORONTO - With just under a year to go until World Youth Day 2011, parish youth groups are working hard to raise the funds needed to get to Madrid.

At St. Justin Martyr Church in Unionville, Ont., fundraising has come in the form of spaghetti, karaoke and rubber ducks.

Their first fundraiser for World Youth Day — a spaghetti and karaoke night — was held last February, said youth minister Andrew Santos. The event raised about $2,850 in profit, he said, which will go towards the 16 youth from his parish going to Madrid.

We’ve all seen them in television and movies — from the small green life form that just wanted to go home to the terrorizing giants that arrived on Earth in UFOs. Extraterrestrials have always been a controversial topic within the realm of religion and politics.

While some will argue their undeniable existence, others will hold the position that life can only exist on Earth. But for the sake of this column, let us assume that their existence could be possible. If that is the case, how should we as Catholics react to this new species?

TORONTO - For a group of high school students in summer school this year, it’s not just about the credit.

The Leadership and Peer Support summer course, run out of Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Secondary School since 2004, may seem like an unorthodox form of education.

But for these volunteers, it’s more about getting involved than getting ahead.

Five young Canadians had 250,000 reasons to cycle across Eastern Canada this August; one for every child soldier in the world.

The Child Soldier Cycle was a month-long, 1,800-km trek from Ottawa to St. John’s, Nfld., and a call to raise awareness about the reality of child soldiers worldwide. The tour began Aug. 1 and ran through Aug. 29.

“The goal of the ride was to increase the demand for the media to report more on conflicts that involve children,” said Philip Schleihauf, 19, who rode the entire trip on a unicycle.

The youth are the future of our world — and the Church. That’s why it is my pleasure to introduce myself as the new Youth Editor of Youth Speak News.

YSN is an important section of The Catholic Register: It is a place where young writers can reflect on fundamental issues that matter to us as Catholics, all the while building the writing and communication skills that will be transferable to a wide variety of careers.

TORONTO - Nature is God’s greatest cathedral for those attending this year’s Hike & Prayer.

Run by Faith Connections, the young adult ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the annual Hike & Prayer event allows young people an opportunity to engage their faith while being active. The hike, themed “Celebrating Summer,” takes place Aug. 22 at Edwards Gardens in Toronto, and is open to young adults, ages 18-39.

STONY POINT, N.Y. - Together with three other young Canadians, I travelled to Stony Point, N.Y., in late July to walk alongside fellow youth on the Gospel Roads.

Salesian Gospel Roads (GR), a week-long service retreat program, has been running throughout the United States for more than a decade. With 50 other youth from four different states and three other Canadians, Judy Sebastian, Andre Violante and John Rugosi, I participated in one of nine GR programs this summer, marking Gospel Roads’ first Canadian participation.

“My hope is that participants, beyond experiencing a beautiful week of serving with other youth and personal reflection, get a better understanding of their call to service,” said Victoria Velasco, director of the Stony Point Gospel Roads, which ran from July 25-31.

Self-denial may not be the most popular part of the faith for a lot of Catholics, but by offering up our sacrifices as prayers we can find new ways to carry our cross daily.

Though the topic of self-denial often escapes common dinner-table conversation, it is one of the most fundamental aspects of Catholic and Christian faith. The Ten Commandments and The Beatitudes are teachings that, in essence, simply tell us to deny ourselves. Whether it’s refraining from sin by not stealing or humbling ourselves to a meekness like Jesus, self-denial is taught throughout Catholic doctrine.

While I’m no soccer fan, I paid a great deal of attention to the recent 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The most noticeable thing was the cheating and the reactions these provoked.

I’ve noticed a person’s reaction to the cheating differs depending on who cheated. In the match between Germany and England, my brother, who was cheering for Germany, got angry whenever a German player was fouled, but was silent when a German player committed a foul. And in the game between Ghana and Uruguay when Luis Suarez used his hands to stop what would have been a game-winning goal for Ghana, my brother simply said, “It’s not cheating if the referee doesn’t catch you.”

It appears that Suarez and his fans think the same way. Many Uruguayans have defended Suarez’s actions and have said they were “proud” of his behaviour.

While I hate to admit it, there are many people who view cheating in life the same way as my brother and Suarez. As long as it benefits them or the team they like, they see nothing wrong with it. However, when they see someone cheating them, they cry foul.

This attitude extends to education too. A survey by the Canadian Council on Learning seems to confirm this. According to the council, approximately 60 per cent of high school students admitted to cheating on a test or an assignment. The rate was even higher among university students, with 73 per cent admitting they committed a major “act of academic dishonesty.”

Right now, these students may find this is no big deal, but I wonder how they would react if they learned their doctor cheated on his or her medical exams or if they missed out on a scholarship because another person obtained a higher mark through cheating.

This way of thinking is not only unethical but un-Christian. The Bible says to “do unto others as you would have others do unto you” and “rejoice not in wrongdoing but rejoice in the truth.” Rejoicing when cheating benefits you but throwing a fit when cheating disadvantages you or someone you care about violates these principles.  

Furthermore, holding double standards concerning cheating in sports sends the wrong message to sports fans, particularly impressionable youngsters. I am worried those who saw the match between Uruguay and Ghana will think that cheating is okay as long as it gets results or you get lauded for it. After all, if cheating turns you into a local hero as it did with Suarez it seems wrong not to cheat. Such a message degrades professional sports, turning it from a great pastime to a free-for-all where it doesn’t matter how you behave as long as you win or bring your team good fortune.

Such an attitude also goes against Christian values. The Bible says that hypocrites “blaspheme the name of God” among unbelievers and that anyone who “thinks he is religious… but deceives his heart” has a worthless religion. In the same way that players who cheat and apply double standards degrade sports, Christians who do so represent Christianity poorly, not living up to the Christian mandate of showing love and integrity. Approving of dishonesty no matter who’s engaging in it is unethical in sports, Christianity and life.

That’s a lesson today’s Catholic youth should take to heart, whether they’re sports fans or not.

(Mair, 19, is a second-year communications student at Carleton University).

MIDLAND, Ont. - This year’s Office of Catholic Youth Rally introduced a variety of new features, but it retained enough of its old flavour to make the experience what it’s always been for revellers.

John Dawson, program co-ordinator and music director for the July 23-25 rally, has been involved with the Office of Catholic Youth (OCY) for more than a decade. He said the youthful spirit is alive and well.

“The rally is really about celebrating the faith, connecting with other youth and commissioning them in the Lord,” said Dawson.