Video reveals faith of youth

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

This 30-minute video will allow the viewer to experience the enthusiasm and the exuberance of young Catholics as they explore problems in the modern age, peer pressure, sharing faith, becoming involved in ministry and spreading the Good News.

Youth Make a Difference, the 10th video in the series The Church Today, will take the viewer back to the Godiseum rally at the Skyreach Centre with clips of performers and speakers as well as vibrant shots of thousands of young people celebrating their faith with prayer, song and dance.

In the video the viewer will also encounter youth speaking about their faith experiences in three different settings.

Participants from Our Lady of Victory Camp share how living in community during the summer has helped them to strengthen their spiritual lives and given them guidelines to live by.

"Being a Catholic is a good standard to live by," says a young woman living at the camp.

High school students from Holy Trinity High School explain how tremendous the pressure can be for them and how having a chaplaincy program in their school has improved the quality of their spiritual lives.

"I always try to see people through God's eyes," says a young girl from Holy Trinity.

Another group featured in the video is the Liguori Circle run by Redemptorist Father Remi Hebert at Clement House. Group members explain how their monthly meetings are an opportunity for like-minded individuals to gather, share their faith and build community.

Father Jack Spicer, director of the Adult Learning Commission, says the video is about how youth today think. "It's about youth themselves speaking out," he said. "It's really a picture of where youth are today in regards to their faith."

And where are they? "These youth are very much alive in the faith," Spicer said. "I would think we should have far more confidence in our youth. Many we interviewed are very mature in the sense they have accepted their faith, they want to live it and they want to spread it and they are committed to it."

Archbishop Thomas Collins is prominently showcased throughout the video with shots of the prelate at the Godiseum rally as well as several intermittent clips of him speaking about society and faith as well as the role of youth today.

"Life is short, we don't have a lot of it; therefore we have to live with real quality in our lives," he says in one clip.

Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe is shown in the video speaking on leadership at the Skyreach Centre and presenting an Oilers' jersey to Cardinal Francis Stafford.

"Young people have a tremendous potential for doing good and for awakening and re-awakening the Church," notes Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, national director of World Youth Day.

Youth Make a Difference is being distributed to parishes across Canada and is currently available at the Adult Learning Commission office for $29.95. After April 30 it will cost $39.95.

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