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Southwest Youthfest
Thousands of teens celebrate their Catholic faith together
By Ambria Hammel, The Catholic Sun
October 19, 2006
The party full of teenagers grew bigger and, of course, louder. Nothing was broken, however, only built up.
Live rap, rock and worship music filled the air. So did conversation, testimony, laughter and prayer.
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization along with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted hosted the Southwest Youthfest at U.S. Airways Center Oct. 12. More than 5,000 Catholic teens from throughout the Valley gathered for the diocesan-wide celebration of faith.
They listened to inspirational messages about the importance of seeking a friendship with God through the Word, prayer and community.
“Kids today crave intimacy. Everything in their lives from their phone capabilities to their favorite Web sites revolve around that need,” said Catholic rapper Righteous B, who served as emcee.
He hopes they left the five-hour festival “encouraged to seek Him and grow in relationship with Him in the context of their homes and Churches.”
Bishop Olmsted agreed. He celebrated the youth-oriented Mass and challenged them to maintain a loving relationship with God.
“The teen years are a time of searching for love and meaning, especially through relationships with others. The person that teens most need to meet and come to love is Christ,” Bishop Olmsted said.
Teens saw Christ embodied in the youthfest’s guest speakers. Their messages showed the teens how to be 100 percent Catholic and still have fun.
Fr. Billy Kosco, from St. Henry Parish in Buckeye, turned the teens into a studio audience on the set of a lighthearted trivia game show with himself as the host. Questions centered on catechism basics including how to live out their vocation.
Comedian Judy McDonald poked fun at parts of the Mass including what she calls “Catholic Calisthenics,” exercised as parishioners reach over to pass the collection basket through the pew.
Inspirational speaker Renee Bondi shared her testimony about how her faith got her through a paralyzing accident that she discovered was God’s will.
Bill Marcotte, director of youth and young adult evangelization for the Phoenix Diocese, hopes the experience led the teens to seek a closer relationship with Christ. He also expected the teens to leave with a better sense of a united Church.
“It is one Church in the diocese and one Church in the world,” he said.
The Southwest Youthfest was the first local celebration of World Youth Day in the Phoenix Diocese. The event helped them prepare for the spiritual pilgrimage to Australia where the next international gathering will be held in 2008.
Marcotte hopes youth and young adults will accompany himself and Bishop Olmsted.
The diocesan leader will speak at a Youth Arise festival in Brisbane at one of many “Days in the Diocese” celebrations held throughout the host country shortly before World Youth Day. Matt Maher, associate music minister at St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, will also perform.
The festival is intended to welcome visitors and serve as a cultural exchange in the context of faith.
“The World Youth Days speaks universally of joy, celebration, justice, peace and a living, animated faith,” said the narrator in a promotional DVD for World Youth Day 2008.
And for those reasons, the teens at the youthfest demonstrated, the party should grow big and loud.
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Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN
More than 5,000 high school teens find humor, fun and fellowship at the first diocesan-wide gathering for youth at U.S. Airways Center last week.
Andrew Junker/CATHOLIC SUN
St. Timothy musician Matt Maher helps teens spiritually center themselves through song.
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