The Diocese of Cleveland is buzzing with the good news that the young Church is thriving. And 24 teens proved it during the March 26 final gathering of the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council. The group concluded a year of service with dinner and presentations for Bishop Edward Malesic. Representing six of the eight counties in the diocese and 21 parishes, the young leaders demonstrated that faith is alive and well in Northeast Ohio, said Francine Costantini, diocesan director of youth ministry.
For the past year, the diverse council was a voice for local Catholic youth. Drawn from urban, rural and suburban parishes, they represented different races, schools -- Catholic, public, private and homeschool -- and walks of life. They had a threefold mission: to share the needs of teens with Bishop Malesic, to guide youth ministers in the diocese and to grow as missionary disciples who inspire their peers, families and parishes.
Led by Costantini and Jenn Martin from the Office of Youth Ministry, they spent time with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ new youth ministry document, “Listen, Teach, Send,” and Pope Francis’ 2019 post-synodal exhortation to young people, “Christus Vivit.” They reflected on the Jubilee Year of Hope and explored their gifts through the Working Genius Assessment, letting these guide their discernment after a synodal conversation on the needs of young people. The result was four topics they decided to research and share with the bishop, each one offered a window into the lives of today’s teens.
At last week’s final meeting with Bishop Malesic and Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization, the teens presented their findings. Two of the groups did extensive surveys of more than 500 teens and shared the results with the bishop.
The four topics council members researched and shared were:
“Beyond Basics: Deepening Faith in the Young Church” tackled how teens desire to go deeper in religion class and underscored that retreats and camps spark lasting encounters with Christ.
“One Faith, Many Expressions: Teens on Reverence in the Mass” shared their hunger for the sacredness of the Mass and their desire for their peers to understand its beauty and meaning.
“Spreading Joy, Restoring Trust: Evangelization for All” called for a bold outreach to peers, especially those who have been hurt by someone in the Church and/or drifted from their faith.
“Fresh Voices: Youth Leadership for a Vibrant Parish” urged parishes to empower teens as leaders now, not just later.
Costantini said these weren’t vague ideas. She called them “thoughtful pleas rooted in the teens’ lives and the needs of their generation. Bishop Malesic listened with a shepherd’s care and commented on each presentation, sharing parts of his own faith story with the teens,” she added.
Noticing how retreats popped up in every presentation, the bishop asked the teens, “Why do you love retreats so much? Where have you encountered Jesus on retreat?”
This prompted a discussion among the teens who freely shared information with the bishop. The students called retreats and camp lifelines, describing them as times they could step away from the stress of school and the constant distraction of screens to meet Christ in adoration, reconciliation, Mass, silence, nature, witnesses of their peers and the intimacy and joy of community. Costantini called their excitement “contagious, a living witness to the power of these experiences.”
The council’s insights offer a roadmap for parishes in the diocese, she said.
“They’ve asked us to raise the bar with retreats and more substantial religious classes, to make Mass a place where teens are invited into the mystery and feel at home, to evangelize with joy, and to let youth lead. Highlights from the night, like that lively retreat conversation, remind us why this matters. When teens encounter Jesus, they don’t keep it to themselves. They spread it to friends, families, and beyond,” she added.
“As this council’s term ends, the Diocese of Cleveland is richer for these voices. Praise God for our youth. Their leadership, joy, enthusiasm and love for the Lord is a gift to the Church,” Costantini said.