Photo By Thomas Spink

ATLANTA—Doug Tooke may be a member of Generation X, but he’s also the father of five daughters. And he’s counting on the new generation of Catholic young adults to show his girls what it means to live lives of faith.

Tooke was the featured speaker at REVIVE, the young adult track of the 2016 Eucharistic Congress Friday, June 3. Greg Ferrara and Geneva Tigue led music for the track, which was emceed by Paula Gwynn Grant, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Greg Ferrara, left, and Geneva Tigue, local musicians from south of Atlanta, lead worship for the REVIVE track at the 2016 Eucharistic Congress. Photo By Thomas Spink

Grant said her job was exactly where God wanted her.

“This is a job I know God put me in,” she said, speaking about her secular media background. “Little did I know that Catholic media was coming. When I graduated from the University of Maryland, I thought I was going to be the next Oprah. But God had a different plan. What he wants for Oprah, he wants for Oprah. What he wants for Paula, he wants for Paula. God puts every one of us where we are in our lives. Everything that happens in our lives has purpose and is from God.”

Grant then introduced Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, who welcomed the young adults to the Eucharistic Congress.

“I want to welcome you to this special time for our young adults and for those who like to think of themselves as young adults,” the archbishop said. “Pope Francis has urged bishops and priests to make sure we stay very close to all our people … including young adults. You are the ones who bring enthusiasm and joy to the rest of the family of the church.”

A call to action

Weaving personal stories along with humor and prayer, Tooke, director of youth ministry in the Diocese of Helena, Montana, encouraged those in attendance to live their faith in a new and vibrant way.

Several hundred young adults, many from area colleges, gathered for a talk, music and prayer at the REVIVE track June 3. Speaker Doug Tooke told them to keep following the path to the altar and “share the good news.” Photo By Thomas Spink

“There is a depth and a breadth to this church that I think a lot of us—we don’t really engage,” he said. “We engage part of it. We engage that Sunday thing. Some of us have a prayer life, but a lot of us don’t.”

Tooke spoke of the blood of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and said that there is “no greater symbol than the actual blood of his heart becoming our lifeblood.”

“Your generation and my generation haven’t done a real great job engaging that blood—like literally longing for that blood at the altar,” he said. “Our generations aren’t really sure, so we just sort of watch for a little bit. Then we get emotionally involved, and then we disengage for a little bit. That’s kind of what our generations do.”

But the church, he said, gives us seasons.

“Our faith comes in seasons. Now is your season. Right now. This is you. Because there’s a lot of crappy data about young adults in the church right now. Let’s just call it what it is. It’s real and it’s bad. It’s this generation that is leaving church—and disengaging,” he said. “But here’s the thing—the Holy Spirit works. You create a vacuum for the Holy Spirit, and Millennials, look out. Your face is going to be on fire.”

Advice from Pope Francis

He repeated what Grant had said earlier, that God puts everyone where they’re supposed to be.

“The people that are gathered in this room who are just kind of here, checking this thing out, listening to this crazy guy from Montana, you’re here for a reason,” he said. “If you keep pursuing that, be careful, because what happens is that the Lord just keeps laying down the tiles for that path—and that path will lead directly to that altar. And that altar is a heavenly thing.”

Tooke spoke of Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles who tells people to share the good news—“contagious, compelling and enthusiastic faith is evangelization.”

The close of the REVIVE session included time in prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic Congress security people were on hand as a precaution at the Marriott Gateway Hotel, where the track was held. Photo By Thomas Spink

“How are you doing with that? Pope Francis says to share the Gospel in a simple, profound, radiant way. Let me tell you something, your generation is really good at that. It’s really good at that,” he said. “So what’s the hold-up? Why aren’t we engaging?”

Church, he said, is an arena.

“It is a coliseum. It is an octagon. It is hard work. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to fall down. You cannot be a generation that walks away from that,” he said. “Because I am a parent and my kids need you—specifically you.”

Tooke concluded his talk by praying separately for the men and women as they sang “Sanctuary.”

With the music of Ferrara and Tigue as a backdrop, attendees spent the last several minutes of REVIVE in praise and worship as the Blessed Sacrament was displayed.

‘A call to renew’

For many who attended, REVIVE was a chance to experience their faith with their peers. Polo Vargas, a 19-year-old from Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City, was one who felt compelled by his faith to attend.

“I came here because I felt a call to renew my spiritual life,” he said. “I feel renewed. I feel like God has shown me a new path to show me who I am.”

Carly Weikle, a parishioner of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Newnan, attends Vanderbilt University and is active in campus ministry.

“I haven’t really experienced a lot of young people who are really into adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but it’s important to remember that we should really utilize the tools the church gives us to deepen our faith,” Weikle said. “Seeing all these priests and young people together reminds us how much the church cares for us and is there for us.”

Jonathan Chelena, a member of the University of Georgia Catholic Center, said he enjoyed Tooke’s talk and his call to action for his generation.

“I think we should focus more on our generation. We’re active, but we’re the minority. For so many, religion gets a bad rap,” he said.

Anna Speed, also a member of the UGA Catholic Center, said she doesn’t feel pressured when she thinks of encouraging her peers to come back to church.

“I may not feel worthy enough to evangelize to my entire generation, but at the same time, I know I’m in this place right now because God put me here,” she said. “So even though I don’t feel worthy, I know that I am loved. I feel super washed-over with just knowing I am loved. And I can share that.”