In the Catholic Times' Eyes of Believer Column, a pastor expresses his concern for the young people in his parish, a concern both for society and the Church in these changing times.
It has been 10 months since he became a pastor of a new city parish. He will carry out various pastoral duties as in the past, but in this new community with many single-person households, he cannot overlook the pastoral work with the youth outside the parish. In recent years, the area has become a government youth housing promotion district, and many young people continue to locate it here; food places such as restaurants, cafes, bars, and convenience stores for young people have appeared and crowded with young people in the evening.
On the other hand, believers come and go in the parish church before and after the two Masses on weekdays, at other times, the rest of the space except for the office is usually empty with the lights off. Outside the parish, the space young people like to visit is cramped and they have to pay for it. Most of those spaces are bars, karaoke rooms, and billiard rooms. If you go there, you can rest comfortably, drink coffee, you can read or take out a book, if you are hungry, eat and drink a cup of noodles or eat bread as you like, but would it not be wonderful if you could heal your mind when lonely and depressed, and have a room for counseling as well.
Since his thoughts have gone this far he mentions that the parish and the Korea Catholic Culture Research Institute jointly held a seminar on pastoral measures for single-person households on November 20th. To prepare for this seminar, a survey was conducted targeting young people from single households living in the area of the parish. 253 young people in their 20s and 30s living alone were surveyed with difficulty.
As a result of the survey, what they expected from the parish was answered: emotional support programs, spaces for gatherings, human resource programs, economic support for self-reliance, support facilities such as restaurants, and spaces for study and reading.
Specific programs, they would be willing to participate in were housing-related, emotional support, social dinings such as cooking, social network formation, and book clubs. Now, through the seminar, the cause and feasibility of using the church space as a cultural space for young single-person households in the community have been established. What needs to be done in the future is to change the first-floor restroom into a cultural space in consultation with the parishioners, and to offset the potential rejection of non-believers who come and go from outside. Of course, it is not possible to carry out youth pastoral work with everything perfect from the beginning, and we must have a heart that starts with small caring that connects with others.
Recently, the phenomenon of no religion among young people is accelerating. In 2021, the percentage of believers in their 20s and 30s was 25.7%, the lowest ever. The biggest decrease in the total number of believers is in the young. It is difficult for parish youth organizations to survive due to a lack of active members. Furthermore, it is said that many young people have left the church because of the vertical and authoritative parish atmosphere. There will be a lack of understanding of the MZ generation. Nevertheless, the youth center 'Epiphania', which recently opened in one of the dioceses is becoming a popular place for young people. It is usually a resting place for young people, but it is also a pastoral space where Masses, counseling, and confessions are held. As it is located in a building on a street with restaurants and shopping centers, it is attracting attention as a second pastoral place beyond the parish.
Unlike the youth center 'Epiphania', the youth cultural space of his parish is not a pastoral space, but rather a space of care for young people in single households. In addition, a space where young people create independently and voluntarily. Of course, the youth cultural space is for young people, but it should not be an exclusive space for them, but a space for generational communication where they can mingle with other generations, especially the existing members of the parish. Dreaming of a parish that will be transformed in the new year, and waiting in hope to see it realized.
