Come and play!
HUNTERSVILLE — About 100 young adult Catholics equipped with pickleball paddles and volleyballs took over SportsLink, a sports and social club in Huntersville, to participate in the launch of Catholic Sports in the Diocese of Charlotte.
“This is awesome. I didn’t really have a strong Catholic community growing up that I can relate to, so this is going to be great,” said Jeff Kromer, a parishioner from St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte.
Catholic Sports, a volunteer-led nonprofit already active in eight cities, has started its newest chapter in Charlotte. Liz Kenney, a local Catholic, Belmont Abbey graduate, and, of course, a sports enthusiast, launched the chapter. With the help of her sister Sarah and about a dozen friends, Kenney managed to raise money and awareness to start the recreational sport league under a local non-profit.
“Denver started from nothing back in 2012 and now has over 1,200 players. I believe this can be us in about 15 years,” said Kenney. “Even if we are not the ones playing, it will be our kids, our nieces, our nephews.”
Young adults of different skill levels and ages, 18 to 50, came out for the opportunity to share faith, fun and community. For some, it was their first time touching a volleyball, while others reminisced about their glory days playing on college or high school teams.
People interested in the faith or an evening of competitive fun also attended the event with Catholic friends, family or neighbors.
Kenney believes the program helps evangelize and ultimately wins more souls for Christ.
“Charlotte has lots of great opportunities for young adults in regard to prayer meetings and Bible studies. But this is a way to break the ice, have fun face-to-face, and start to get to know each easier,” Kenney said. “I just wanted a different route where people can get together and meet people through sports.”
Kenney approached Bishop Michael Martin with the idea about nine months ago, and he offered his full support.
Franciscan Father Casey Cole and Father Tito Serrano, known for taking to the streets of Uptown Charlotte through their new outreach ministry SEARCH, dropped in, even though Father Casey is recovering from foot surgery and couldn’t play.
Father Tito finds his new Charlotte home much like the young adults volleying balls and swinging paddles all around him.
“Charlotte is much like a teenager, still finding its own individuality, vibe and personality,” Father Tito said. “I really love it, and I love meeting young adults and immersing them in the faith.”
Kenney anticipates having enough people for the first co-ed six-week season of Sunday Sand Volleyball, which starts Sunday, March 8, at Renaissance Park in Charlotte. There will be a casual 6 v. 6 league and a competitive 4 v. 4 league that will face-off from 4 to 6 p.m. every Sunday. Players can sign up individually or with an entire team.
The hope is for another sand volleyball league to start during the summer and add soccer and ultimate frisbee leagues next fall. Down the line, she said, she plans on adding Bible studies.
“Overall, the mission of Catholic Sports is for a lot of young adults within the faith to meet people and not feel isolated,” Kenney said. “Hopefully, they will bring their friends or coworkers that may not be Catholic, and people will learn that Catholics can be a lot of fun. They can ask more questions about the Church and truly learn what we are all about.”
Interested in playing? Sign up at https://bit.ly/4jNnlmd.
— Lisa M. Geraci
Immigration fears drive youth voices in book contributions
CHARLOTTE — After a production process of more than nine months, youth leaders from the Diocese of Charlotte gathered at the Diocesan Pastoral Center for the unveiling of a book that will serve as a guide in conversations about mental health and faith.
At the Feb. 7 workshop, young Hispanic ministries leaders connected with peers from 11 dioceses across the southeast to present the “Easter Book,” a bilingual text that each year applies the Paschal mystery to a topic participants consider important. This year’s book is “Mind, Soul and Heart: Let’s Talk About Mental Health Without Fear,” and its purpose is to open healthy conversations about mental health from the perspective of faith, explained Gabriella Escalante, Southeastern Pastoral Institute (SEPI) youth ministry coordinator and the workshop leader.
“It’s not as much about explaining the conditions of mental health as it is about opening a safe and respectful dialogue connected to our faith,” Escalante said.
In May, leaders held a discernment discussion to choose the theme, which was selected because the youth felt the need to respond to the mental health crisis affecting so many young people. They noted suffering related to comparison, the impact of social media and the digital world, and current events.
“Young people at this moment tend to struggle with anxiety and depression and live under high levels of stress,” Escalante said.
Amid increasing immigration raids and enforcement of immigration laws, many immigrant youth also identified fear as something that is affecting their mental health and that they are trying to bring to light.
“This was 100% a factor,” Escalante said. “The immigration aspect can be one of the root causes of the problem.”
Each year since 1980, the Easter Book has brought together experts and youth to develop a teaching theme that is used in each SEPI diocese. SEPI is the educational branch of the
Southeast Regional Office for Hispanic Ministry, an organization of the U.S. bishops that coordinates and supports Hispanic ministry in 30 dioceses across the southeast. It offers programs in formation, evangelization and leadership for lay ministers and youth, including ministry schools, workshops and a master’s degree in Hispanic Pastoral Ministry in collaboration with Barry University.
SEPI’s Youth Ministry office oversees producing the book and invites different dioceses to participate. The process consists of four meetings spread over several months, usually from May to
February. Participants receive the book at the final workshop.
The Diocese of Charlotte has participated in the project since joining SEPI in 2001, with youth groups writing sections of the book and playing key roles in its development.
“The Diocese of Charlotte has never stepped away,” Escalante said. “The young people of Charlotte have such a unique and particular way of making faith appealing.”
At the presentation participants could not see the physical book due to shipping delays caused by winter storms, but they discussed how it can encourage conversations about mental health that break stigma while also showing the need to understand the topic both psychologically and spiritually.
The book, divided into a personal guide and a leader’s guide, includes resources such as reflections, prayers, music and theology tailored to each topic to assist in conversations and accompany youth.
Vicente Capistrano, director of communications at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Charlotte and a contributor to the book for the past two years, said the book helps leaders ask good questions and create conditions to normalize discussions about mental health. He said being part of the publication process for a motivational book that will be shared with people in different parts of the country has been rewarding.
“I never imagined this; it’s beautiful to be able to share it with others to help. It’s exciting,” Capistrano said.
The workshop included a recap of the production process, ideas for implementation, evaluations and activities to foster connection.
In addition to sharing experiences with facilitators, participants used the time to get to know one another and delve deeper into the topics discussed. They took turns openly talking about their experiences and exploring how to begin dialogues with people who feel anxiety or depression.
Rudy Reyes of St. Mary Parish in Greensboro said, “Although we feel fear at first, we can grow with the support of others.”
Similarly, Jackelyn Villamizar Serrano underscored the importance of peer support. “There are many who may need to hear something when they are going through a difficult time,” she said.
To encourage further dialogue, psychologist Gustavo Facio and Karla Rodriguez, who serves as coordinator of multicultural youth and young adult ministry in the Diocese of St. Augustine, inspired young people to share the book’s message.
“Having the courage to say how you feel is the way we want to see you,” Rodriguez said. “You don’t have to hide parts of yourselves to conform to others.”
— Brian Segovia