Young Catholic faith in action

Hawkes Bay parishes prioritise youth Kathleen Field The hot, dry summer breezes bring an atmosphere of change to the Hawkes Bay and soon the process of parish amalgamation will bear…

Hawkes Bay parishes prioritise youth

Kathleen Field

The hot, dry summer breezes bring an atmosphere of change to the Hawkes Bay and soon the process of parish amalgamation will bear fruit. In early April the three parishes of Napier will become the Combined Parish of Napier. A similar process is underway for the three Hastings parishes.

In this age of lower Mass attendance this process is happening all around the country. What is unusual is that the new combined parishes of Napier and Hastings have prioritised youth leadership in their new structures. As part of the amalgamation planning processes, the need became apparent for greater youth involvement in the parishes and youth development and leadership.

Both new parishes have hired two part-time youth ministers. Joseph Penitito is the new youth minister in Napier as is Faaki Tuanaki in Hastings. These parishes see their youth ministers as key  parish staff and are establishing support structures to encourage the young into parish involvement. The Diocese of Palmerston North provides financial assistance for the new positions as well as wider diocese and national youth ministry professional development, training and activities for them.

It is admirable the new Hawkes Bay parishes include this focus on youth development. They have responded to Pope Francis’ challenge at the World Youth Day 2013 in Rio, Brazil. These outward-facing structures challenge young people to get involved, connect and then also ‘go out!’

Pope Francis said, ‘What do I expect as a consequence of the Youth Day? I expect a mess. There will be one. There will be a mess here in Rio. There will be! But I want a mess in the dioceses! I want people to go out! I want the Church to go out to the street! I want us to defend ourselves against everything that is worldliness, that is installation, that is comfortableness, that is clericalism, that is being shut-in on ourselves. The parishes, the schools, the institutions, exist to go out!

Kathleen Field is Co-ordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Diocese of Palmerston North.