Image: Catholic youth club Linz
Last weekend, many young people who are involved in the church met in Zell an der Pram (Schärding district) – more precisely in the Catholic youth group of Upper Austria. Important decisions for the future of the organization were made in a social get-together at the Diözeanleitungskreis (DiLK) – the committee of the youth group – for example the chairmanship was newly elected. However, the number of eligible voters has declined. “Especially since the pandemic, fewer people have been involved in the youth group,” says Marie Mayrhofer, head of regional work for the youth group in the Linz diocese, from experience – statistical figures are still missing. However, those who continue to get involved have good reasons for doing so.
An important topic: “Change is only possible from within,” says Jakob Haijes, who at the age of 29 has been with the youth group for a long time. “Changes initiated from outside don’t help much.” Marlies Prinz also agrees. The 18-year-old leader of the youth group and altar boy sees volunteering as an opportunity to make a difference and change something in the long term – “e.g. in structures or in equal rights”. If she no longer sees this possibility if she were to leave the church, she says: “In order to continue to get involved, I need the hope of being able to make a difference. Otherwise it doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Bringing a breath of fresh air into old structures
Valentina Bergmair was confirmed as chairwoman of the Catholic youth group at the DiLK. She is also committed to being able to change something and to create a positive image. “Church is not only the institution, but also the community – the benevolent interaction that we cultivate in the youth group is something beautiful.” Nevertheless, she is also critical of the institution. The 24-year-old thinks it’s important to breathe new life into the old structures. “I think the church urgently needs that, because things can’t go on like this.”
There are many different offers within the church – Samuel Haijes has found his place in the youth group. The 25-year-old was elected chairman of the DiLK for the third time. “It’s such a nice togetherness between young people and children.” Children can be as they are, young people would be given responsibility through their work as group leaders and would learn a lot for life. His colleague David Hinterberger agrees: “In the youth group, everyone can do what they want and can do – without the pressure to perform that is often the case at other clubs.”
Katrin Pühringer will soon become a group leader. The 17-year-old is committed to offering children what she found in the young group: lots of friends and a kind of “family”. She doesn’t think that the church is only conservative: “It all depends on which circles you move in.” – Of course there are conservative circles, but also some that have already arrived in 2023. Nico Kirschner believes that this is particularly the case with the youngsters. “Young people make the church young. We are given a lot of freedom.” He had never had the impression that conservative structures would have presented a problem.
Source: Nachrichten
