Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Essays reveal how teens plan to make a ripple effect
Fifteen students to travel to New York for papal Mass at Yankee Stadium
By Tim Johnson
FORT WAYNE — “One of the great sources of hope in our faith and what we believe in is that after 2,000 years of our church being beaten and battered, an 80-year-old man can gather so many young people. He can do this not only because of who he is but also who he represents.”
Those were the words included in an essay written by Anthony Christie of Roanoke, who entered the diocesan essay contest to travel to New York City to attend the papal Mass at Yankee Stadium when Pope Benedict XVI visits America mid-April. Christie, a junior at Bishop Luers High School and member of St. Aloysius, Yoder, is one of 15 teens who will travel to New York for the papal Mass.
But this is not a pilgrimage for teens who would keep their experiences to themselves. Part of the essay required them to respond by including one creative and specific way that they could bring their encounter with Pope Benedict back to their parish, youth group, or school, so that their trip will have a ripple effect.
The essay was based on Pope Benedict’s encyclical “Spe Salvi,” and based on the following line: “... can our encounter with the God, who in Christ has shown us his face and opened his heart, be for us to not just ‘informative’ but ‘performative’ — that is to say, can it change our lives, so that we know we are redeemed through the hope that it expresses?”
Entrants were also required to have a pastor’s recommendation.
Msgr. J. William Lester took the task of reading the 60 submissions from 26 parishes. Msgr. Lester, who has vast educational and pastoral experience, carefully reviewed the essays based on which fulfilled the criteria and offered specific ideas for bringing the experience of the papal trip back to the diocese.
Besides Christie, those selected include Joann Derbiszewski of Granger, Thomas Ostrowski of Auburn, Michael Harding of Fort Wayne, Lindsay Harris of Fort Wayne, Rachel Harmon of Decatur, Rachel Lill of Fort Wayne, Benjamin Keller of Hamlet, Austin Roy of Fort Wayne, Kelsey Weidman of Milford, Sarah Robertson of South Bend, Joel Florek of Marquette, Mich., Rene Alejandro Flores of South Bend, Katherine Gordon of Bluffton and Alan Gustavo Pizana of Ligonier. They will join Director of Youth Ministry Cindy Black, Father Jason Freiburger, associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, and diocesan employees who will chaperone the trip.
The teens’ means to promote their experiences is vast.
Bishop Dwenger student Lindsay Harris wrote, “I have a creative way on how to bring my trip to see the pope back to my community and to those without hope. During the trip I will record various footage of the Mass, pope, reactions of people on the trip, and other aspects.
“I will then edit it into a podcast that people can access online and download onto their iPods,” Harris added. “Since many people have gotten into the iPod trend, this video of the pope coming to New York will reach many.”
Fort Wayne Homestead senior Rachel Lill noted in her essay: “Even though I do not go to a Catholic school I still want to represent my faith there. I want to write an article in the school newspaper about the trip. This will let the school know that I am proud of my Catholic faith. I want to let my school know that I am Catholic, and they can come to me with questions about the Catholic faith.”
Ben Keller, a freshman from Walkerton, wrote: “If I was chosen to go to the papal Mass with Pope Benedict XVI, I would be able to spread the word to those insecure about their faith, or those that don’t believe in the Lord. If I was accepted, I would be abe to make a presentation, and present it to my English class and educate those who don’t know who the pope is, or what a pope is. I would spread the message of God and the pope around my school to my peers.”
Keller added, “I would share that presentation with the parish on the next Sunday during Mass. I would also be able to share the experience with my classmates in religious education, with the help of my mother, the teacher. My grandmother is a teacher at a Catholic school, and I would be able to make a presentation to the fifth- and sixth-grade class, to teach them about the Lord.”
Catherine Gordon, a sophomore at Norwell High School in Ossian, wrote, “Christ’s love is present every day in every way, urging us toward a fulfilling life. It is our responsibility — it is my duty — to open our hearts to him and start making that difference.”
And Alan Pizana, from St. Patrick Parish, Ligonier, wrote “to be informative and performative means taking your knowledge and using it at the right time when doing a daily task.”
The teens are a group of 150 from the diocese who will attend the events in New York. In addition Superintendent of Catholic Schools Holy Cross Father Stephen Kempinger will attend the papal meeting with educators in Washington, D.C. Bishop John M. D’Arcy will concelebrate Mass in Washington.
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