With so much of the crime happening in society being blamed on the younger generation, it is more than time for a special church event at which to urge the "young lambs" to come back to the fold. This was part of the thinking that encouraged the Catholic church to host its most recent spiritual revival "Hearts on Fire".
This special two-day event, founded by Jesuit priest Father Phil Hurley, has been staged in 14 cities across the United States and is coming to New Providence, where it is hoped it will bring spiritual fulfillment to the lives of young Bahamians. This unique revival is said to be the perfect way to reach out to the younger generations and show them a new way to worship so they don't get left behind, or lax in their spirituality, according to the Jesuit priests.
"Hearts on Fire" featuring the Jesuit Mission Band will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Friday, January 6 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday, January 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Father Chris Hadley, one of the four Jesuit priests (along with Fr. Phil Hurley, Fr. Brian Dunkle and Fr. Matt Monnig) coming to town to speak at the revival, says it is hoped that the youth attending this special awakening will get a better understanding of the Jesuit spirituality and how they as young people can use some of the things they will learn about to express their own faith and spirituality in their daily lives.
"Bringing the program to The Bahamas will be a real adventure for all of us," said Fr. Hadley from Milwaukee, Minnesota. "This event will be an interactive presentation about the Jesuit spirituality. I would hope by the end of the two days the young people will have new ways for them to practice their faith and different ways they can pray."
The Jesuit priest says the revival is going to be something they can relate to because the idea of the event is to do a series of presentations that cover numerous topics on spiritual exercises. Some of the topics on the agenda include listening to their hearts' deepest desires; dealing with their sinfulness; new ways of seeking God's will in their life; and growing closer to Christ in prayer.
Fr. Hadley says it will be a "profound eye opener" for all attendees because the Jesuit spirituality differs from other spiritualities. They hope to explore those differences in such a way that young people can have an appreciation for all things. They hope people attending are able to find the presence of God in all things, through their personal experiences and learning the particular way to pray with the scripture.
"To keep the young people interested and aware of how they can use everyday ways to worship God we will also be incorporating music, singing, prayer and eucharistic adoration. It will be a really great experience that should change how you look at worshipping and praying." Jay Cartwright, director of the Catholic Archdiocese's Youth and Young Adult Ministry says ensuring the young people have a spiritual encounter geared toward them was the main idea behind hosting this inspirational two-day revival.
"I was able to experience a taste of this event last year in Senegal during World Youth Day in August where so many young people gathered and really felt a new spiritual encounter. I knew that this was something we had to bring here for our young people and I know it will be remarkable. In the church we tend to focus so much on the younger children or the older people that we don't focus as much as we could on the young people between the ages of 18 to 30. This is the perfect opportunity to get them involved and really delving into their spirituality in a new way."
Cartwright hopes the revival will be a great way for young people to not only draw closer to God but meet others like themselves who are following a Christian path and also need assurance. It is hoped that with events like this, more young adults will be encouraged to remain on the "right track" and continue to explore their spirituality and faith daily.
"The key for me to know that this event is a success is when young people see that Christianity is more than something you do for a few hours on Sunday. It is what you do every day when you make your spirituality an integral part of your daily life," he says. "This event will be a perfect way to introduce young people to the practices of St. Ignacius of Loyola so they can see just how easy and different worship can be."
Cartwright hopes that at least 100 young people attend this spiritual encounter. He also anticipates that this will be the first of a series of events staged for young adults on a monthly basis.
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