Teens Giving Back to the Parish

eenagers at St. Bridget's Parish in Newfane, New York, are not simply passive parishioners. Numerous teenagers are members of the church choir, serve as ushers, altar servers (both male and female), Confirmation sponsors, babysitters and church-school teachers. They are also members of the parish council and youth group.

These kids are your typical everyday teenagers. They are active at school, wear the trendy clothing of the 90's and listen to rock music. Not only do they set time aside in their busy everyday schedules for their homework, but they also volunteer extensively at St. Bridget's.

For most of these teenagers, volunteering in the Church brings them a sense of belonging and a sense of pride. They are making contributions to better the Church, as well as share their talents to spread the word of God to the parishioners.

St. Bridget's Church in the Diocese of Buffalo was founded in 1859. Located in the farmlands of Newfane, St. Bridget's has 555 families and 1,577 parishioners.

The biggest concern of the parish in the past was that the younger generation is the future of the parish. If they aren't involved in the Church now, they won't stay later on. "Adults were saying, 'We have to do something for our kids--we can't lose our kids,"' says Father John Leising, pastor of St. Bridget's. "The approach that the parish was taking was, 'What can we do for you?' That changed quickly to the kids saying, 'We want to do this. How can you help us?"'

This growing involvement of young adults was just beginning when Father John came to the parish in December 1994. Since then, teen participation has skyrocketed.

Father John told St. Anthony Messenger that St. Bridget's had just hired a youth coordinator when he came to the parish. The youth group did not, however, have a strong response from those in high school. A few teens, though, were stepping forward in other areas of the parish on their own.

One of those first teenagers was Katie Gazzo. Katie began singing in the church choir as a freshman in high school. Now a sophomore at Nazareth College of Rochester, she still comes home on the weekends to sing in the choir. Her mom had been a member of the choir since she was pregnant with Katie. It was because of her mom, to whom Katie describes herself as "close," and choir director Sylvia Dains that Katie says she joined the choir.

"I'd come out of church school in the morning, and [my mom] would be practicing, and I would sing with her. Sylvia was like, 'Hey, why don't you join us?"'

Within a few months, Katie was leading the parish in song as a cantor.

"Sylvia decided one day that she wanted me to cantor," Katie remembers. "I had never done solos before, and she wanted me to try it. I tried it, and now I do it all of the time. People were always really nice about it. They always took the time to tell me that I did a good job--more than they did with the adults in the choir."

Raising Up Their Voices in Song

The youth group was also beginning to have a tremendous response from the middle school students--grades five through eight. As this group began moving into the high school, the "core group," as Father John refers to them, was beginning to form.

More teenagers began to join the choir. Some joined as singers, while others played musical instruments. For the processional at the beginning of Mass on Sundays, a trumpet played in the background or a flute soared above the congregation. These instrumentalists were all teens. Sylvia Dains encourages these young musicians.

Sylvia gives these kids an opportunity to share their musical gifts during the liturgy. She says that she tries to look for special talents in the teens and encourage them to use those talents to praise God. She tries not to push the teens too soon. She creates a warm and accepting atmosphere for them.

They call her Sylvia, not Mrs. Dains. She is their mentor, their "mom" and their friend. She loves their energy, laughter and enthusiasm.

"A large number of young people have a sincerity of faith commitment, and they want to express it. They explore the possibilities, share with others and discuss what it will mean for their future," comments Father John.

Spelling Out God With Godspell

With the tremendous amount of musical participation in the parish, Katie thought that it might be a nice idea to do a production of Godspell. She discussed the idea with Sylvia and parishioner Peg Merrill, a member of a local theater group. The three then presented the idea to the parish council, who decided to fund the project.

"The parish council really liked the idea, and they thought it would be good for the parish, and a chance for the kids to get involved. The response was great. A ton of people were there," says Kate, recalling how the church was jam-packed, and the audience, mostly adults and friends of cast members, raved about the performance.

The cast was composed of all high school students. The musical served as a turning point for the teenagers. It helped them to see that the Church isn't necessarily a confined and structured institution. Several of the teens interviewed said that it made Church seem cool and not so stuffy, Father John says that he hopes to do another musical in the near future.

Kids Begin to Speak Out

New youth group coordinator Clare Smith, a wife and mother of two college-age daughters, was hired by the parish last year after around 50 teens began participating in the parish on their own. She sees herself as a facilitator for these young people, not necessarily their leader. The kids tell her what they'd like to do, and she merely guides them in the right direction.

"They have matured earlier so they are more comfortable with themselves," she says. "They are gaining direction. I see myself as a facilitator with 100 percent support."

Last year, the youth group hosted a Thanksgiving potluck, helped out with the food pantry at Christmastime and visited Attica Prison, where they spoke to a panel of inmates. They also have periodic "lock-ins" at the Church, where numerous teens spend the night in the parish hall. Last summer, the parish sent three members of the group on a retreat to learn more about leadership skills in youth groups.

Most recently, the parish sponsored a "Witness Talk," where youth group member Fred Shafer talked about religion and how it affects his life. Adult members of the parish, including several members of the parish council, listened attentively.

The parish council also has a teenage voice in the group. The youth representative, elected by the youth group, represents the younger parishioners' perspective at the parish council meetings. According to youth group representative Ed Christian, it has been a wonderful experience. The members of the council do not think of him as a token young member, but as an adult who voices his opinions.

"I am expected to speak and give new ideas. We were discussing the room separators in Stanton Hall. They needed to be replaced, and we were deciding whether or not to replace them. We discussed the various styles and prices available, and I voted to replace them because it makes religious-education classes difficult. You can always hear the voices in the class next to you. Everybody gives their ideas. As a member of the council, I am expected to," Ed says.

Sister Sister

Two of the main leaders of the "core group" of young adults are identical twin sisters Helen and Jean Mahler. The twins, who have been members of St. Bridget's Parish since the day they screamed in stereo at their Baptism, have truly made their presence known during the liturgy and outside.

The twins have been active as altar servers for the past seven years. Both are members of the choir, officers of the youth group and leaders of the babysitting during Sunday Masses. They were also members of the Godspell cast.

"Friends of ours from other Catholic churches thought it was wrong for girls [to be altar servers], and I would feel so cool," Jean says. "I felt like a part of the Mass. Before, I'd sit there and watch. When you get involved in the liturgy, you feel like you're actually doing something, like washing the priest's hands with the water."

People at St. Bridget's are still talking about a moving liturgical dance the two sisters did one Christmas. The twins, wearing identical white robes and no shoes, performed mirror-image dance movements during the presentation of the gifts with the bread and wine. The two sisters have been taking dance lessons since they were quite young, but have just recently begun dancing at church.

One thing that was a transition point for the twins was Mission. According to Carol Piech, coordinator of religious education at St. Bridget's, Mission is a "parish renewal." It meets for one week during the summer, and each night parishioners come together to discover and strengthen their spirituality. At first, the teens' presence was unusual, since in the past most participants had been adults. Each year, however, the number of teens participating has increased dramatically.

The twins say Mission changed the way they looked at Church. "It made Church seem like a celebration. It didn't make it seem like, 'Oh, I have to go pray,"' Jean says.

"It brings kids and adults together. A lot of sharing takes place. Every night another barrier gets broken," Carol says. Carol also says she has had numerous high school students teach church school. This past year, five high school kids taught religious-education classes on their own. She says that she has had teenage teachers instruct classes from preschool all the way to eighth grade. Some do it as part of their Confirmation service hours, while others simply volunteer.

This past year, Carol said that the Confirmation group didn't learn in a classroom. Instead of learning about service out of a textbook, teacher Mary Lou Niver took the kids out to do it. These teens, grades 10 and 11, cleaned churches, passed out items from the food pantry and visited nursing homes on Palm Sunday to distribute palms.

"They are learning that the gospel message is not just to be heard, but must be put into action in our everyday lives. We must become Christlike to everyone we meet. That's what we try to teach them," she says.

Other young members of the parish also put this gospel message into action. Andy, a 14-year-old member of St. Bridget's, began ushering with his grandfather when he was barely old enough to ride a bike. He and his grandfather greeted people at the gates of St. Bridget's Church for nearly 10 years. Last Christmas, Andy's grandfather passed away suddenly. Family members say Andy lost his best friend, but he still gives of himself. To this day, Andy continues to usher on Sunday mornings, his grandfather's memory always in his heart.

Busy Lives Outside the Church

All of these teenagers may seem to live at the church 24 hours a day, but the fact is that these are typical teenage kids. All are involved in several extracurricular activities at school--whether in sports, music, peer leadership or student government.

Bryant Kiedrowski, who is currently student-senate president at Newfane High School, was an officer of the youth group, and has served as both a church-school teacher and an altar server. Bryant admits that his biggest inspiration was his older brother, Barry, 20. That's why he chose Barry as his Confirmation sponsor over a traditional adult mentor.

"I've known Barry my whole life, and I have always followed what he has done. I felt he was a better role model, and I have learned the good--and the bad--things from him. He has always been there for me. His experiences of my age are fresher in his mind. It fills the gap between being a kid and being an adult."

Now a senior at Clarkson University, big brother Barry still teaches church school on the weekends at St. Bridget's. Bryant says he hopes to follow in his brother's footsteps.

"When I was in middle school, I saw him involved--a constant work ethic. He instilled that in me, and now I am going nuts doing everything. I feel I am active, just as he was."

As Time Goes By

Sylvia says she has felt blessed to have the opportunity to work with the kids. They preach the message of the gospel to both the older members of the congregation and the younger generation, she thinks. "They're committed; I admire and respect that. They make it [serving the parish community] a priority amongst all their activities."

At first there was an uneasiness about what the youth were doing, the teens sensed. But as time went on, the parish warmed up, and it now welcomes them with open arms. With the presence of the kids in the choir, Bryant felt that some of the qualms were soon put to rest. "The parish saw them every Sunday. They became a part of the whole Church experience," he says.

According to Father John, the parish itself has been very welcoming, as were the veteran choir members. The adults and teens have different backgrounds that are able to mold into the parish that they know.

Jean completely agrees with the road that St. Bridget's is taking. "Our Catholic parish is more liberal. We're not so stuffy. You can go to church and you can talk to people. I don't like a lot of other Catholic parishes because you walk in and you feel as if you're watching a show or something," she says.

Katie feels that by joining the choir she has been better able to pay attention at Mass. "You had to know when you were supposed to sing. Now you know what's going on more, and what each of the parts of the Mass means, and why the songs fit in with each particular Sunday. The song is just a different way of praying," she says.

Each individual's experiences at St. Bridget's are something that the kids will carry with them through all of life's journeys. They have helped the teens of St. Bridget's to enhance their leadership skills and to grow in their own faith.

"I think I'll have a hard time leaving St. Bridget's behind later on ... it's kind of like my letting-go time now," says Katie.

Sylvia says that every year you lose someone, whether it's to an after-school job or to college. "That's the part that hurts. I take a parent role, and you've got to let them go, just as a parent would." But one thing that St. Bridget's teens know is that they are always welcome in the house of this family.

Father John says that the one thing the kids want is guidance and support from the parish. The kids agree with him.

"It's a win-win situation," says Helen Mahler. "You lose nothing."

Kathleen Piech is a senior public relations major at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She interned at St. Anthony Messenger during the spring and summer of 1997. Daughter of James and Carol Piech, she also has two sisters. Her biggest goal upon graduation is to find employment.