Youth rally big names and large crowd to ‘Make Connections’

The first large-scale, diocesan-sponsored youth event since Covid changed everything saw ValLimar Jansen sing up a storm as she reminded her audience of their need to remain in Christ. 

“Making Connections … A Day for Catholic Teens,” took place Sunday, April at Villa Maria College in Buffalo, welcoming close to 300 teens as they met and shared with each other.

Jansen, singer, actress and national speaker, used all those skills in two interactive talks to explain to those gathered, their role in society. When Lazarus was brought back to life, Jesus asked the community to get involved and roll away the stone that blocked the cave.

“Look at the person next to you and say, ‘I am responsible for you.’ ‘You are responsible for me,’” she instructed. ‘We are accountable to one another.  “We have the responsibility to roll the stone away. … When we do that, Jesus is present.”

Later, Jansen showed off a shawl she received from a neighbor who runs a vineyard.

“I would help him for no money at all because he’s my neighbor. We have been living next to each other for years, and I would love to help him,” she said segueing into the Gospel message of the Vine and Branches.

“Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine and My Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does bear fruit improves, so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. “Remain in me as I remain in you.” Just as a branch cannot remain on its own unless it is in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine. You are the branches.’”

Continuing with that theme, Father Matt Foley, OFM Conv., president of St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, explained in his homily how he prunes his curriculum at St. Francis based on student reviews.

That day’s Gospel sees Jesus leaving His last words. “I am the vine. Remain in me and I remain in you.”

“These words that he said to His dear friends are just as powerful and just as important right now in Buffalo for you and for me as they were for the Apostles back then.”

To remain in Jesus means to keep Jesus with you even after the excitement of a big Church event. 

“This (rally) can’t be a one and done. This can’t be the one positive experience of God. Maybe we got a warm feeling when someone was praying over us or we were praying over them. ‘I’m good. I’m finished.’ No. Heck no. This can’t be a one and done. Because we get sent out. We go home. Our families are probably going to be the same. You show up to school tomorrow. Your friends are going to be pretty much the same. I hope and pray that because of what happened here, you’re a little different.”

Father Foley suggested exchanging video games and social media for Jesus.

“Maybe what we need to invite Jesus to do is some pruning, to do a little trimming, to cut back a little in our lives those areas where maybe Jesus’ light needs to grow, maybe where we need to grow a little more in our friendship with Jesus.”

Breakout sessions addressed confirmation, the holiness of human connection, making good decisions, big questions of the Catholic faith, and what faith looks like in high school.

Teens had an opportunity to ask some difficult questions to a  panel of experts.

Some of the more serious questions included:

“How do you know for sure if you are going to heaven?”

“We all have to try to live as close to Jesus as we can,” replied Sister M. Joanne Suranni, CSSF, director of faith formation at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Niagara Falls. “We don’t know for sure if we’re going there, but we have great hope that we are going to get there if we live a life close to Christ and if we are truly sorry for anything that we did wrong in this world.”

Why do Christians and Catholics question their faith?

“Because if it was completely understandable, it really wouldn’t be faith,” said Father Foley. “I think it’s an invitation to know God a little bit more. And asking questions makes for stronger answers as well.”

When asked to share their most embarrassing moment at a youth event, Colleen Reidy, science teacher at St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, admitted to faking baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Service projects, games, music by Bob Fera, and pizza rounded out the afternoon.

“It was really fun,” Emily Franz, St. John the Baptist Parish in Boston. “Just the music and getting to know everyone.”

Franz came with friends from her parish all with the encouragement of their parents.

“It was really nice overall. I liked the music a lot,” said Isabella Janiszeski. “There’s a lot of fun people here. They all enjoyed it. There was no negativity at all. It was all positive.”