Seniors have active roles in numerous parish ministries, says family life ministry coordinator
During a weeknight youth group gathering at Our Lady Queen of Peace in House Springs, Joanne Giovanni led the teens through a meditation exercise using their senses.
“Looking ahead, I want you to picture a wide opening, grassy area, and right in front of you is a log cabin,” she instructed them as soft, meditative music played in the background. At the back of the cabin, she told them to visualize two rocking chairs and invited them to sit in one, with Jesus resting in the other.
“I want you to take the next minute talking to Him, whether it’s about anger, sadness, guilt, frustration, anxieties, or joy and happiness and gratitude, or several of those,” she said. “Whatever you need to talk about, take this time.”
Giovanni occasionally leads meditations, volunteering alongside her husband, Larry, who is a regular with the youth group’s core team. The two are among half a dozen senior adults who regularly volunteer with the youth ministry at Our Lady Queen of Peace, which gives middle and high schoolers opportunities to strengthen their Catholic faith and build community.
Their involvement is encouraged by Terry Ostlund, who coordinates the family life ministry and parish school of religion at Our Lady Queen of Peace. The arrangement works because “they have time, and they connect with the kids on a whole different level,” said Ostlund, a mother of five and grandmother of seven. “It’s just beautiful to watch, and they treat these kids as if they’re their own.”
The youth ministry typically meets monthly for a social activity and then once weekly for faith sharing and social time. There’s a bevy of activities during the summer, including a Hope Builders Service Camp, a weeklong service project to assist homeowners in need of help with household projects, and the Steubenville youth conference. Seniors from the parish also are involved in a summer Vacation Bible School.
About 10 years ago, Larry Giovanni responded to a bulletin ad seeking volunteers for the youth ministry. He had been involved in youth activities in the past, including with the Giovannis’ son, now 41, and thought he’d give it a go. Giovanni also teaches parish school of religion at nearby Most Sacred Heart Parish in Eureka.
“There was this inquisitiveness that was like, can I do this and help kids with their faith?” he said. “What’s been amazing is how much stronger my faith is by teaching them. I have to be real comfortable with what I’m telling them, and a lot of times, we share real stories.”
After the meditation, the teens moved to another building on campus for pizza and games. Bill Greenwell stood around chatting with several teens and adults, including his granddaughter, Ava Tucker, 17, who is a regular youth group attendee with her twin brother, Gavin.
Greenwell began helping with the youth group several years ago, first with the Hope Builders service project, and has since become known by several in the group as their adopted “Pepaw.” Through their service, he got to spend time with his grandchildren and other teens and found it was a natural fit to keep going with youth ministry.
“There’s a lot of good people here, and I get a chance to do things with my grandkids,” he said. “I get a lot out of it. I feel like I’m doing what God wants me to do. I sit and listen a lot. That’s what discipleship is about.”
Participating in youth group with her grandfather and mother, Becky Tucker, has been a “pretty cool” experience for Ava. “There’s a whole bunch of different perspectives. I get to be with my family” — and as she gestured toward a friend — “and he’s got an adopted granddaughter right there. I feel supported in my faith.”
Ostlund, the family life ministry coordinator, believes that older adults are important in influencing young people in their faith life. That’s a big reason she doesn’t shy away from inviting seniors to become involved in parish ministries, especially where youth are involved.
Another activity in which seniors are involved is Pray and Play, a monthly gathering for children from ages 3 through second grade, which includes a faith-based activity for children to participate with a parent or grandparent.
“Our culture is on such a fast pace, but we have time,” Ostlund said. “We have time to sit and listen to kids and be there for them. I think that listening is probably the number one thing, to meet them where they’re at and to listen to them, and then take their lead.”
“I feel like a lot of this comes from the Holy Spirit, and so I don’t ever look at it as a program, but as a way of life,” she said. “The Lord has asked me to be His matchmaker, and to introduce people to Him so that they can strengthen their relationship with Him.”
