Ed Burns, Parishioner of St. Stephen of Hungary, Allentown
Biographical background
Ed Burns, 26, parishioner of St. Stephen of Hungary, Allentown; bachelor’s degree from Penn State University; and marketing consultant.
How were you raised in the faith?
My home parish is St. Mary, Hamburg. I was raised in the faith like most in my generation. We went to Mass and CCD, but never talked much about the faith at home.
CCD was a lot of feel-good formation; it was nice, but there wasn't much there to hold on to. It lacked substance. Jesus was talked about as a nice guy. We talked about mercy, but never about justice. Confirmation was essentially a graduation out of the faith.
Why did you accept the opportunity to serve on the commission?
I accepted the opportunity to serve on the commission because our culture is mired in mediocrity and meaninglessness.
The one, true faith provides us with the means to salvation. In a time of unparalleled hopelessness (drug use, suicide, depression), the faith provides hope.
Catholicism matters and brings meaning to people’s lives. I hope that the commission will help to encourage the people, not just Catholics, of our Diocese to be more holy and assist the Diocese in saving souls.
What are some of the issues you would like to see addressed and why?
Tepidity. We are tepid in the faith, and that is why we are floundering in our attempts to attract and retain the youth. The greatest saints of every generation were courageous to speak out against the evils of the world around them, and they worked diligently to grow in holiness.
We are afraid to say when things are wrong because many Catholics, lay and clergy, have embraced relativism, which is rampant in our culture; this is a cancer that needs to be addressed.
The other major issue I would like to see us address is the rejection of tradition within the Catholic Church over the last century. The traditions of our faith are what keep us alive spiritually; the sacraments enliven us with grace. These things matter very much. The Church has truth and beauty, two things people are starving for today.
Why are young adults so important to the future of the Church?
Young adults are important to the Church now. There is immediacy here. If we do not engage young Catholics in their faith now, we will not need to worry about an impending priest shortage because the priests we have will have no one to serve.
What do you believe has caused some young adults to drift from the Church, and how can the Church reach out to them?
Young adults have left the Church because they never truly encountered the Church. Young adults, generationally, were not catechized in the faith to understand why the Church exists in the first place. In order to effectively reach out to them, the Church must have something significant for them to come into.
We must be counter-cultural, different from anything they can get in the world. That means embracing our traditions, ensuring we are more reverent with the Eucharist, taking the sacraments seriously, preaching hard truths from the pulpit and providing better catechesis.
We do not need to manufacture anything to be appealing; that has been tried and left wanting. We simply need to be Catholic, and then we will know that if people leave, it is because it has been found difficult and therefore been left untried.
If we do not work to be more holy, if the Church does not double down on being authentically Catholic, then there is no reason for young people to embrace the Church.
In light of the clergy abuse crisis, how and why did you remain steadfast in the faith?
The clergy abuse crisis is a crisis of holiness. It seems many of our leaders forgot why we are Catholic, and that is heartbreaking. The crisis is a call to greater holiness for all of us. Impurity of any kind in the clergy is a reflection of the impurity of our society, and the impurity within each of our hearts.
It is also a clear call that we are in desperate need of “spiritual fatherhood.” Our priests and our bishops must lead the faithful to heaven through courageous example, guidance in holiness, and chastisement when we fail.
This is why it’s such a blessing to have a good and holy bishop in Bishop Schlert. He is willing to take the brunt of the backlash and has done so in an exemplary way; moreover, he understands that the sacraments will restore the Church to her proper glory.
Sarah DeArment, Parishioner of St. John the Baptist, Pottsville
Biographical background
Sarah DeArment, 27, wife and mother, master’s degree in professional counseling, pediatric clinical therapist at Geisinger and lifetime member of St. John the Baptist Parish in Pottsville.
How were you raised in the faith?
I was raised in the Catholic faith from birth, and my faith is the greatest gift my parents have ever given me. My mom was Protestant until I was 12 years old, so I had experience growing up with both Catholic and Protestant churches.
My mom went through our parish's RCIA program when I was 12, and thanks be to God, we have all been Catholic ever since. Now my husband and I are starting our own family and strive daily to pass on the faith that was given to us.
Why did you accept the opportunity to serve on the commission?
I accepted the opportunity to serve on the commission first and foremost, because ... what an honor. It is truly refreshing and inspiring that our Bishop is so invested in our young people, the future of our Church.
I left the first commission meeting feeling very hopeful about the future of our Diocese and of the Church. The people of the Allentown Diocese have quite a generation rising up.
What are some of the issues you would like to see addressed and why?
I am passionate about Church teachings regarding marriage, family life and particularly natural family planning versus artificial contraception. I feel that the Catholic Church has a wealth and depth of hidden beauty and truth regarding these topics that most of us are too afraid to talk about.
I am part of a generation that is seeking truth and holistic answers, and I am most certain that many of these answers can be found right here in the Church within the Kingdom of God.
Why are young adults so important to the future of the Church?
My husband and I are newly married and have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, Philomena, and beautiful goddaughter, Lucy. We look at them and know that they are the future of our Church, and we are also reminded as new parents that we are the future of the Church.
Faithful Catholics everywhere are struggling with the abuse crisis that has plagued our beloved Church. It is easy to feel ashamed, embarrassed or use current events as an “excuse” to slowly back away, attend one less Mass, and fade gradually from the Church.
But we are actively in battle, and this is a turning point, a time for mindful and deliberate choice. Our young people (babies, children, teens – and their parents) are our future, and this is why my husband and I feel so passionate about passing on the faith.
What do you believe has caused some young adults to drift from the Church, and how can the Church reach out to them?
I believe the allure of our busy and enticing secular world has pulled young adults away from the faith. There’s a lot of sin out there disguised as beauty and busy-ness. I believe we can re-reach young adults by investing in them.
Our parishes need priests who are willing to preach on difficult topics yet meet their parishioners with understanding and love. We need programs for young adults and networking events where this demographic can find and support one another. And most important, we need prayer.
Young adults are searching, seeking truth, and navigating a world of professional and familial demands. I believe that prayer – particularly intercessory prayer to our Blessed Mother – will bring so many home to the faith. I am grateful every day for my mother-in-law, who prayed fervently to Mary for my now-husband to return home to the Church. And here we are.
In light of the clergy abuse crisis, how and why did you remain steadfast in the faith?
I choose to remain steadfast in the faith despite the crimes, sins and faults of our human Church leaders because I know that truth is the foundation of the Catholic Church.
I’ve attended two evangelical universities and have had much experience in the Protestant and Evangelical worlds. We have a lot to learn from these brothers and sisters in Christ. However, I know that truth lives in the Catholic Church.
We have the real deal that no one else has – Jesus in the Eucharist, and universality of Mass and the Communion of Saints all over the entire world. Now is the time to dig in, to remain steadfast, to be truly Catholic and most important, to be the Body of Christ on earth.
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours” – St. Teresa of Avila.
