I was born after Vatican II.  My only personal exposure to the pre-Vatican II Catholic Church was a vicarious one through the memories of my parents who can, impressively, still recite basic prayers in Latin.  They were firmly in the “Pray, Pay, Obey” group of the Catholic Church.   Growing up I noticed similarity in their formation compared with other people of a similar generation and ilk.  Ask any pre-Vatican II child the question “Who made you?” and you likely will receive an answer that is a variation on The Baltimore Catechism reply “God made me.”  Why did he make you?  “To know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.”  On the surface it had the appearance of stability and consistency.

          On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Church I knew as a child was in flux, implementing the changes brought about by Vatican II.  Tile was replaced by carpet and modern churches were moving the tabernacle off of the altar. The seemingly “sterile” Baltimore Catechism was replaced by a plethora of programs that ranged anywhere from “Jesus loves you” to memorization of bible passages depending on where you went for CCD or Catholic school.  Lay teachers with varying levels of training replaced the religious who taught our parents.  Stories of priests and nuns leaving their vocation were common when I was a child.  It was almost like arriving at a party just as everyone was leaving.  Ask a group of people born after 1970  “Who made you?” and you are probably going to get a wide range of responses rather than a memorized answer.  As I continue to work in ministry with these folks, I am more and more convinced that many of the children who underwent faith formation in the first decade after Vatican II are a “lost” generation of Catholics.  They are in the pews but not participating.  They are present but not engaged. 

“Why wasn’t I taught that?” is a phrase I have often heard in bible studies, ministry meetings and the like, often accompanied by a genuinely mystified or shocked expression.  While many factors contribute to this sentiment including the overall deep richness of our faith, I believe it is due in part to growing up in a time period where the focus of faith education was shifting.  Theology was replaced by feelings.  “Smile God Loves You” buttons replaced prayer books.  The “What” was often missing the “Why”. 

As a result many people in this group that I have met over the years have a very limited knowledge of their faith.  They don’t eat meat on Friday’s during Lent but cannot tell you why they are doing it.  Confirmation is a sacrament, but many cannot tell you the basic definition of a sacrament let alone the specifics of a particular one.  And yet, they are in the pews most Sundays.  They are bringing their children to be baptized and catechized.  They believe in doing the right thing and in being a “good” person and letting God sort out the rest.  I do not mock them but sympathize with them.  I love them and feel for them because in the parish work that I do, I often encounter them not as “bad” Catholics but as parents who struggle to be confident in their faith.  I see a group of people who are guided only by a vague sense of religion and cultural identity as Catholic and are doing their best to make it Sunday to Sunday.  Many do not even know what questions to ask.  In the face of raising children during the tough cultural changes of the last ten years, “Smile God Loves You” isn’t cutting it any more.

We have a chance, right now, to help this group of Post-Vatican II parents to really grow in their faith.  We need to resist the temptation to throw a program at them.  Instead of a program we need to listen to them.  Hear them.  Love them.  Before we send a weekly newsletter to their email, we need to learn to speak their language and meet them where they are today.  If we are able to do that first then every touch point, every encounter we give them will resonate more strongly within them and help lead them home.