Who Am I?

The identity question is one that practically all young people deal with. Our consumerist society is ready with an answer: that identity is the newest fashion of clothing, the most high-tech cell phone, or the number of friends one has on Facebook. Are we ready with an alternative answer?

One important element of the church’s answer is this: people are more than what they have, what they produce, and what they do. Their identity is rooted in an inherent dignity based in the fact that all people are created in God’s image. As the church’s ministers to young people, we must teach young Catholics to value every human person for what he or she is—a beloved child of God—not what he or she has.

Consider this quotation from the statement of the Catholic bishops of the United States called Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions:

In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life, the Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. . . We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Resources for Young People

Once young people begin to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, they can begin to see their brothers and sisters, near and far, as another self. When they become aware of suffering or injustice inflicted upon others, they can experience more than compassion—they can be drawn into solidarity and a desire to work for and with those experiencing injustice to change the systems and structures causing violations of human dignity.

The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD) at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is working to equip youth ministry leaders with the resources they need to help young Catholics respond, in faith, to the violations of human dignity that they encounter—to become young people to whom faith in action is a central part of their identity. The following are some resources that may be helpful to you as you work to guide young people in this manner.

• Themes from Catholic Social Teaching Cards and Poster are easy-to-distribute summary cards and poster can help make sure that the church’s social mission is no secret to the young people you work with!
• The Faithful Citizenship website is published every election year by the Catholic bishops of the United States to help Catholics bring their faith to the public realm. This year, they have created a website especially geared for young people—Young Catholics website—with dozens of supplementary resources ideal for parishes and schools. There is also an attractive, interactive section with quizzes, videos, e-postcards, prayer and learning activities, and other resources to engage youth with the statement’s messages about putting faith in action. There is even a section where youth can submit photos of themselves making a difference in the world.
• The In the Footsteps of Jesus Video includes two parts: Part 1 provides an overview of the seven themes of Catholic social teaching. Part 2 illustrates these themes with examples of real people who are working to make a difference. A supplementary Resource Manual offers activities, prayer services, and reflections to help participants explore Catholic social teaching more fully.
• The PovertyUSA website, a section of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, is an excellent tool for introducing youth to the reality of poverty in the United States. The Poverty USA Tour allows viewers to experience the struggles of a family living at the poverty line. A poverty quiz tests participants’ knowledge about poverty in the United States. The Education Center offers resources about these issues for parish and school settings.
• Ending Poverty In Community (EPIC): A Toolkit for Young Advocates is an interactive, interdisciplinary curriculum for youth ministry programs and high school classrooms on poverty in the United States and includes steps that young people can take to work with the poor in eliminating the root causes of poverty today.
• A Catholic Call to Justice is an activity course for young people that leads participants through major themes of Catholic social teaching using scriptural reflections, discussion, games, and activities. Created jointly with Catholic Relief Services to examine domestic and global poverty, this is a great resource for youth retreats and religious education classes.
• The Poverty USA Student Action Project includes lesson plans and activity suggestions for grades kindergarten to eighth on the issue of poverty in the United States.
• The Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest is an annual contest that encourages youth grades seven through twelve to learn about the root causes of poverty in our country and then to use their artistic talents to create art (music, poetry, video, painting, etc.) that can help educate others.

Take a moment to reflect on the following: What is your parish doing to help Catholic youth see the dignity that is present in all persons? How are you helping them respond to their call to make a difference?

We at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops hope that these resources prove helpful to your important work! We know that only with your help can Catholic youth develop an awareness of the human dignity of all persons and their responsibility to help ensure that this dignity is respected.