The Holy Spirit came alive in a profound way on Nov. 22 at Bethlehem Catholic High School, as youth from across the Diocese of Allentown came together for the first Youth Rally in over a decade.
As over 150 teens who signed up for the rally began to pour through the doors of the high school, the organizer of the event, Zelenda Hodgskin, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese, said, “It is very inspiring to be able to see the overwhelming response. Most of these kids don't know what a rally is.”
After long days preparing for this rally, Hodgskin could not help but feel “overwhelmed” and “overjoyed” to know how “joy-filled and excited” the teens were to attend.
“I have not really been anywhere like this,” said Naya from St. John the Baptist in Allentown, “so I am a little nervous to see what is going to happen, but I am also pretty excited and ready for a good day.”
As the teens came in, they described how they felt about the day with words like “intrigued,” “ready,” “open,” and “hopeful.”
The teens were excited to hear from Paul Kim, a world-renowned youth speaker, who would go on to creatively and authentically explain his journey of faith and how it ultimately led him to follow Christ.
As a teen, Kim said he found himself chasing girls at church, rather than chasing Christ, but ironically that led him to a Steubenville Youth Conference where he encountered Christ in the Eucharist in a life-changing way.
Kim urged the youth to recognize that power, relationships, money, fame, etc. would not ultimately fulfill them. Instead, they alone would need to make the decision to allow Christ to come into their lives and transform them. He stated that there is a point at which our faith is not just our parent’s faith. We need to choose on our own to enter a relationship with God.
Other activities during the day included Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, games, Adoration, Confession, and Mass with Bishop Alfred Schlert.
“When Christ is King, fear loses its power, sin loses its grip – just as you saw today in the Sacrament of Penance,” said Bishop Schlert in his homily. “With Christ as King, loneliness loses its sting, and your life begins to make sense in a way no technology can provide.
“My young friends, you are growing up in a world that's unlike any generation had to grow up in before you. It's a world of brilliant technology, dazzling screens, instant communication, and yet, it's a world that can feel empty, more isolated, and more soulless than ever.
“Artificial intelligence, social media, algorithms, and endless content can simulate connection, but they cannot love you. They cannot accompany you. They cannot sacrifice for you. They cannot lift up your dignity. They cannot forgive your sins, nor can they heal your heart. Only a king with a human heart can do that – only Christ. The Church does not fear the world that I just described, the world in which you're living … but the truth is the opposite.”
He continued, “My friends, the world gives you tools – useful ones, powerful ones, technological ones, but only Christ offers you a destiny. Only Christ offers you a love that never updates, never expires, never crashes.”
As the Mass ended, teens hugged their friends and expressed thanks for the day.
Hodgskin shared afterward that parents were sending messages about the visible impact the event made on their kids.
By Annaleigh Gidosh
Photo by Norm Steinruck.
