18 November 2011

Archbishop Carlson silence as key to youth ministry

Writing in his column in the St. Louis Review, the Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis describes silence as "a necessary condition for discernment and reflection, for meditation and prayer."

What is more, he proposes silence as the key to leading young people to a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ:
If we want to reach out to members of the young Church and encourage them to welcome God's word in their lives, we need to help them discover what it means to be silent. If we want to foster vocations to ordained ministry, to consecrated life, to marriage and to the dedicated single life, we must help young men and women discover times and places where they can turn off the noise of modern life and tune in to the grand silence of God's holy peace.
To do so, he suggests we look to the example of St. Joseph.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:02 AM

    Are you sure it isn't drums, electric guitars and off key singing? That's what the American Church has proposed for teens.

    Dr. Eric

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm fairly certain, yes.

    The timing of his article - appearing as it does in the midst of the National Catholic Youth Conference - particularly striking. And in stark contrast to what the youth are often given at NCYC.

    ReplyDelete