Young Prophets

PATERSON  It quickly became a matter of trust. On the night of July 12, a group of high-school-age teens from the new Young Prophets youth ministry at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here had fun taking turns wearing a blindfold, while struggling to navigate an obstacle course — a crooked trail of cups and pylons — on the Cathedral’s lawn. After each teen would start to knock into the obstacles, another teen would step in to help him or her through the second half of the course.

The teens also learned by listening to a talk that night that walking the obstacle course also became a matter of faith — a metaphor for “trusting people and helping others in walking the path of heaven together.” That lesson might encapsulate the mission of Young Prophets, which started at the Cathedral last October: to help lead each other to Jesus, strengthen their relationships with Christ and become evangelists of the Good News of the Gospel, said Bryany Alvarez, 22, Young Prophet’s coordinator, who leads the group with a core team of six leaders, ages 17 to 23.

Since its founding last fall, Young Prophets has grown exponentially — attracting more teens to its meetings from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, including the summer, at the Cathedral’s Bishop Rodimer Center on Grand Street. Here, the teens get involved in a variety of activities, such as listening to presentations about how faith and life can intersect; making crafts or participating in activities, such as the trust walk, which help deepen their faith; and spending time praying at Masses, holy hours, and Stations of the Cross. They also enjoy “hanging out” to play sports like soccer or basketball, or board games and socializing, including making new friends and celebrating each other’s birthdays, Alvarez said.

“I liked the trust walk obstacle course, because I learned not to be afraid to ask for help. Even Jesus needed help to cross a river. I like that the activity helped me make that connection with Jesus,” said Jocelyn Gonzalez, 15, a high-school sophomore. She attends Mass at St. John’s with her family each week. “I don’t have anything to do on Friday evenings, so I decided to come to Young Prophets. Here, I’m getting closer to Jesus and learning more about him — like how he suffered on the Cross but still forgave the people who crucified him. We pray at the opening and closing of each meeting. This has deepened my faith,” she said.

Each Friday, the Young Prophets leaders plan for a meeting that features a 20-minute activity, which either precedes or follows a talk that places that activity in the light of faith. One popular faith-based activity during Holy Week encouraged teens to write sins that they want God to forgive them for on a Band-Aid and stick the bandage on a large Cross to experience his healing. In June, Msgr. Geno Sylva, St. John’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects and the Cathedral, led a question-and-answer session with the teens after a Mass, answering their questions about the liturgy. They included “Why do we stand and kneel at different times?” said Alvarez, soon to earn a bachelors’ degree in family science and human development from Montclair State University.

Another popular activity is Girls and Guys Night, where leaders split the boys and girls into separate groups, where they talk candidly. In one gathering, the girls devised “Operation Happiness,” discussing how they could use their gifts and talents, such as music, art, martial arts, dance and sports, to help those who suffer with mental health, such as depression or anxiety, and get involved in activities that make them happy. On the same night, the boys came up with a similar concept called Body & Soul, discussing ways that they could use their gifts and talents to not only help people be physically healthy, but also emotionally and mentally healthy, Alvarez said.

“Some of our Young Prophets have gotten more involved in St. John’s as altar servers or have decided to finish their Confirmation or other sacraments,” said Alvarez, who accepted Msgr. Sylva’s invitation to start the youth ministry program. She admitted that not all of the teens are faithful Catholics and some had decided to attend — at least at first — to spend time with friends and have fun. “It’s our goal to bring these young people to Christ. It’s also our dream to help develop them into disciples, who evangelize. Young Prophets also gives kids a place to go on a Friday night instead of being out in the city streets,” she said.

During Young Prophets’ meetings, St. John’s three priests — Msgr. Sylva and Father Leonardo Lopez and Father Luis Alberto Hernandez, both parochial vicars — regularly appear to lend their support. For this past Father’s Day, the teens showed the priests a video that they had made to express appreciation for their service to the Cathedral — an act of kindness that touched the hearts of the honored clergy. The group takes its name from a former diocesan youth ministry program for urban youth that Msgr. Sylva had developed earlier in his priesthood, the rector said.

As teens were playing basketball and socializing in the Rodimer Center’s gym, Katrina Prado, 13, a peer leader, told The Beacon that she comes back each week not only because it, in part, includes “sports and fun and entertaining things for the young people,” but also because “we learn about God.”

“When I started going to Young Prophets, it opened my eyes about God and how everything works — about the rituals at Mass and what Catholics believe,” said Prado, who will be starting high school in the fall. She spoke about enjoying a recent Girls and Guys Night where leaders encouraged the teens to love themselves and be confident. “Girls want to change themselves but we need to understand that God made us the way we are,” she said.

Father Sylva said that Young Prophets “balances spiritual, social and athletic” activities for the teens.

“Young Prophets helps promote the mission of the New Evangelization by giving teens a welcome, a home and most importantly, an encounter with Christ,” said Msgr. Sylva, who praised Alvarez and other core team leaders. “Young Prophets truly brings the joy of the Gospel to all of us,” he said.