In this episode Fr. Rob Galea and Danii Sullivan talk about sharing your Catholic faith in Highschool. Fr Rob and Danii both talk about their experience of sharing their faith at school and 4 ways to share your faith in Highschool.
Danii interviews Caroline, a secondary school Student from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Caroline shares the joy and struggles she finds being a young Catholic and how she shares her faith with her peers.
An OSV Podcasts partner. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.
In this episode Fr. Rob Galea and Danii Sullivan talk about sharing your Catholic faith in Highschool. Fr Rob and Danii both talk about their experience of sharing their faith at school and 4 ways to share your faith in Highschool.
Danii interviews Caroline, a secondary school Student from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Caroline shares the joy and struggles she finds being a young Catholic and how she shares her faith with her peers.
An OSV Podcasts partner. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.
Hey everybody, welcome to the Catholic influencers podcast, a conversation to help Catholic influencers like you and me to go deeper and further in influencing our world for Jesus.
Speaker 2:I'm your host, Father Rob Galea and I'm your cohost Danii Sullivan. And today we look forward to talking to you about being a witness in school... Danii.
:Fr Rob. It's such a hard thing to be a witness at school at a time when you a re impressionable at time when you, it's all about peer pressure, all about fitting in and also a time where we as often in western culture a re trained to keep our faith to ourselves.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. I don't know, I can share more recently I didn't finish high school that long ago but it'd be good for you to share what it was like to do high school in the 70's.
Speaker 2:oh, I wasn't in the 70s it was the 90s for my high school. But I'm sure it would have been difficult in the 70s, but also it's, I think it's harder and harder with pressures that keep going with pressures that keep going not only when you're at school, but pressures now when you're at home, when you're on social media and the pressure never stops. So it's all about keeping up appearances. So witnessing faith is something that is so hard today for young people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, in the past you might've only had to kind of put on an act for the eight hours that you were at school, but now with social media. It's so much harder. That act has to kind of stay up for social media. You only had to put on an act or hide maybe who you were for a certain number of hours every day. But now there's more pressure to kind of be who you want to be seen as for more time because you have to put this act up online as well.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. But also apart from this being a threat, it's also an opportunity. It can be a door opening to sharing our faith and sharing what we believe in.
:Yeah, absolutely. So where before we had to speak about our faith, then now we can just show pictures or we can show photos of us practicing our faith in some way and in some form. So I used to see for example, with our Stronger Youth, some people used to, we used to set it up like a nightclub, you know, and there were people who used to go there- like a concert, less than nightclub more a concert. And they'd go in and they take photos and they wouldn't say anything but people would ask what concert was that? And then they'd say like, Hey, Stronger youth, we went to a youth group and things like that.
Speaker 2:So it can be an opportunity also to share our faith. But what we want to do today is to talk a little bit, just give maybe some practical tips on ways in which those, particularly in high school, and this can be taken for work as well. This can be taken anywhere. But the person we're interviewing today is a high schooler, someone who is going to, talk a little bit about how she managed to share her faith. She's an extraordinary girl. She has incredible faith and incredible courage and not everyone, not everyone has the courage that she would have. But I'm going to give some practical tips on how we can share our faith.
Speaker 3:I know for myself Fr Rob, I wasn't a very vocal sharer of my faith, maybe, as I could have been. You know, if I went back to high school now I have more confidence and I would be much more willing to share my faith. But as a year eight student, I was 12 or 13. I didn't want to share my faith. It wasn't cool. I went to a Catholic school, but there weren't that many other Catholics in my class. So it wasn't minority. It wasn't something that was attractive to do, to share your faith, because it was kind of something that was looked down upon. I remember one time, this is an embarrassing story, but we'll go with it anyway. There was a really cute boy that I really liked and he asked me in front of the whole class,'Do you go to mass every Sunday?' And in that split second, I was like, okay, if I say no, I have to lie for the next four years. But if I say yes, he's not going to like me. But thankfully in that moment I said yes and he never liked me.
Speaker 4:Oh, poor girl.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was, it's tragic. I'm still recovering. I'm 10 years on.
Speaker 2:Ah, but since then, since then, anyway, you've moved on. I'm sure
Speaker 4:She's looking at me like,'don't you know I haven't moved on'
Speaker 3:No, I moved on. I forget his name,
Speaker 4:but you have him written all over your diary. That's good.
Speaker 2:But yeah, anyway, let's get down to the practical points of sharing faith. So I want to talk about four things, which I actually looked up on the internet but I found them really useful for the sake for copyright, it is taken from fervr.net. So if you want to look these up, we might even put the link on the podcast page. But the first thing that struck me was using our talents. Okay. I go to a prison, for example. I used to be a chaplain in a prison, in a juvenile prison. And as the Catholic schools here, also the government institutions like prisons and whatever, they're funded by the government. Okay. So this is why Danii earlier on said that she was a minority. Americans, in America it's not really understood because you're 90% to 100% Catholic in a Catholic school. But because our schools are funded by the government, sometimes you have up to 50%, who are and even 60% who are not Catholic in, in the schools. So when we work in a government institution, you're not allowed to talk about your faith. You're not allowed to vocally speak about it. You're not allowed to evangelise. So what I used to do was I used to take my guitar in and just used to sing songs, which happened to be about Jesus, but not necessarily mentioned Jesus' name. And once people ask, and then you can speak about this. So the first thing think is also using our talents and trying to instill a bit of, um, whether it's music, science, so whatever, to bring our faith into, what we do at some of the footballers do this, you know, like they're playing football and then they make the sign of the cross at the end. They don't stand on corners preaching. But somehow there's that instilling of the faith and the proclamation of the faith giving glory to God, which brings me to the second point as well, is not to hide your devotion, not to hide that you go, like you've mentioned, not to hide the fact that you go to mass on a Sunday,
:Even if a boy doesn't like you? That's your decision. But I would say yes even if a boy doesn't like, because it's ultimately it's about you being at peace with yourself. If it's a big part of your life, don't hide the fact that you, that you practice your faith. And a good, great example, it's like we're recording this a week or so after Ash Wednesday. And so that's an awesome time as well of people proclaiming their devotion. I'm following Mark Wahlberg for example, and Mario. Um, what's his surname?
Speaker 3:Uh, the one from the Saved By The Bell.
Speaker 2:He also did the ashes and walked through the streets and so took selfies and, is not afraid to hide his devotion, but we can do that as well in our faith and our school. Again, not easy, not being ashamed of the fact that we went to mass on Sunday.
:What's the third thing Fr Rob? You've got the list in front of you. Yeah. So the third thing here is still act like Jesus. I think that's the ultimate. You see and nothing makes sense if you're not going to act like Jesus, if you're not going to treat others with dignity, if you're not going to care for others, if you're not going to ultimately point to people to love personified. Point people to Jesus through the way we act, the way we forgive one another, the way we are kind to one another with the way we reach out to the poor, to those who are suffering. And this is one I think one of the most powerful ways that we can witness that. People look at us and say, Hey, I want that. I want that peace. I want that joy. I want to be selfless. But with that also comes with persecution I'm sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's never going to be easy to be like Jesus in high school. There can, you know, unfortunately, there's bullying, there's stereotypes, there's all kinds of cliques and if you, you know,are trying to act like Jesus. You have to love those even if they're not nice to you.
Speaker 2:And it's more difficult, I suppose if you spending what, 12 hours a day? I don't know. Every day or eight hours a day everyday with the same people. It's so easy to be the hypocrite. You go to mass on Sunday, you pray a rosary, you are Christian, but, and then you do this the way. And the thing is, it's not about being perfect, but it's about being able to fall, okay, But getting back up and serving people again. So even not to be when we feel like a hypocrite. And then the fourth thing, which is something that we kind of mentioned, we talked about devotion, not hiding our scriptures and not hiding the fact that we listen to Christian music and listen to Fr. Rob's music. For example.
:Do you play music? Yes, I played music once. But it's also about being honest about your weekends, where you spend your weekends, you know, about saying that you went to mass on a weekend, that you, and someone asks you,'what did you do this weekend?''Uh, the usual,' and it's, yeah, just being courageous enough to say, actually, no, I went to mass. I went to a youth group. I went to this, why not, you know, and then take that as an opportunity to invite people. Hey, I'm going next weekend. Again, you want to join me to a youth group. But it's not easy. Any of these points are not easy, but at the end of the day, this is our command wherever we are. You're never too young, never too old to evangelize, never too old to point and never too young to point people to Jesus.
Speaker 3:So now we're going to hear that interview that we've had with this high school student who is courageously sharing her faith.
:So I'm here today with Caroline. Caroline is a year 11 student from Sydney who also is an incredible witness to the Catholic faith. So Caroline, do you just want to introduce yourself a little bit to us?
Speaker 1:So, hi, I'm Caroline. I am 16. I'm in year 11 and I'm currently studying at an all girls school and I do physics, math, advanced english, digital art, music, photography and studys of religion I have three younger siblings. I have the sister who is 14 years old. My brother who's 13 and a little sister who is four.
Speaker 3:That would be so cute to grow up with a little four year old just running around the house. I imagine she'd pretty spoiled.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. You mentioned that you're doing a lot of subjects there. That was a really diverse range like from the advanced English and mathematics and then to like the more creative subjects. Why did you choose those? Do you have anything like any plan in mind or are you just doing what you enjoy?
Speaker 1:No, I don't really have any ideas yet for the future, but I'm pretty open since I enjoy a few different things.
Speaker 3:So good that you're able to pick subjects that you're interested in that and then also can open new windows. Who knows where you'll be at the end of next year, going into the big wide world of past high school. So we're interviewing you today, Caroline, because you're incredible and courageous young woman who's sharing her faith, particularly in your high school. Do you think it's important that you have to share your faith in high school?
Speaker 1:I think for me it's not really a matter of it being important, but it's really just something that comes naturally for me. I guess it's just something that you love. It is something that makes you feel so much love and hope about something- What else can you do other than share it?
Speaker 3:That's so true. That's awesome. Is it something that you've always done? Just, it's been quite easy for you to always, you know, share your faith with those you're sharing a classroom with or those that you hang around with?
Speaker 1:From what I remember. So I've grown up in a catholic family all my life. My first outing after I was born was to church. So, it's kind of surrounded me, but within the past year or so, year and a half, I've been presented that so many opportunities to kind of own my faith, going to different youth festivals and groups and I think this bit experiencing those and being able to really own it for myself and not really something that are just growing up with or something else passed on.
Speaker 3:That's so awesome that you've had those opportunities, you know, experience your faith and have an encounter with Jesus and then that's transformed from what I'm hearing, your faith, and now it's something you're able to own yourself. Have the people that are close to you notice that transformation?
Speaker 1:I think i just have been so open about it. My family and my parents and siblings are kind of open about it to me as well more open because if that makes sense. I go to my mom and saying,"Oh, I'm really stressed at the moment with school" She'll be like pray about it because she knows that I've experienced that kind of encounter and that I can do that or consider it.
Speaker 3:that's really beautiful that you've got that support at home. You know, where you're spending a lot of your time and your parents...
:I am very lucky. Yeah. They're really fostering that relationship that you've encountered, with Jesus. Do you find that your schoolmates and in school also supported?
Speaker 1:It is such a different environment, especially when it comes to my friendship group, so I didn't have many friends who are practicing Catholics. Everything I say is something unknown to them, unlike if I were to share it with my parents who have gone through similar things before.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. And you know, with a small portion of your friends been practicing Catholics that, you know, I'm sure there's more that are not practicing Catholics. What are some ways that you find is easy to share your faith with them?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I really just try to be myself and myself is in the person who just really loves God and to really be honest with them and the transparent in what I believe. Just having everyday conversations, I guess talk to them about, Hey, what did you do to on the weekend? And I would say, Hey, I see, uh, I went to church or yeah I've went to youth group, nothing really extravagant. I think it's just for being able to show the genuine love that you have for something.
Speaker 3:And you mentioned that, you know, it doesn't have to be anything extravagant, but you know, the things that you said that it's the way that you live your life. That just tells me like, you know, you have been authentic. You're not trying to change yourself to fit in with school or home or youth group or church, like if you love something and that's going to shine through all your conversations and just by being authentic, which is really beautiful. Have you, I'm just curious. I didn't finish high school that long ago and I know that even though I went to a Catholic high school, it wasn't always easy to talk about my faith or share it. Sometimes there was a bit of, I don't know, maybe judgment or maybe just perceived judgment on my behalf, but do you ever find it difficult to share your faith? Like do you think sometimes it might be easier if you don't or are you pretty happy to talk about it and no matter the setting?
Speaker 1:I think I've got to that level now where I'm pretty comfortable with it, but I do remember we are alot of period of time last year where I was very hesitant. I felt like I was very alone. I was feeling and with that love that I was feeling and it was frustrating sometimes just looking at the world around. I mean, that seems so far from what I believe. So yeah, it was, it is hard sometimes even, now, I'm not expressing to keep this up. I'm not expecting to feel this way for forever because I know I've experienced that problem times. It'll be easy and sometimes it will be hard to learning about that. I'm still learning how to trust and realize what I can do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's awesome and I really love what you said there, that you don't expect to feel this way forever. And I think that's really important for everyone to remember that faith, you know, it fluctuates. How will we feel? But if we know the truth...
:Yeah, it definitely does. But you know, the truth is that Jesus loves you and he's called, you know, you to a relationship with him and that's unchangeable. That's never going to change. Even if you don't feel it. Even if other times of the year you feel on fire and you want to share it with everyone, it's really beautiful that you have that understanding that you're not always going to feel the exact same way. But you know, you know that truth, that foundation is always there, that that's unchangeable. That's unmoving and that's really beautiful that you recognize that. You mentioned that, you know, sometimes you did feel alone particularly last year. What are some of the things you did to overcome that feeling of loneliness or uncertainty?
Speaker 1:I did try a few different things. It was quite a difficult time, but I really, there's something that really helped me was sharing what I saw and what I was feeling with other people. I think something that really helped me in those times was writing down what I was feeling and kind of writing it in a letter or a precedent because I was struggling to even pray sometimes. So I would for example, just get out a piece of paper, write and write what I felt and then trying at the end with amen, and that kind of reminded me that God is still there despite what I felt.
Speaker 3:that's really beautiful, that you took what you knew you could do. So you took that journaling and turn that into a prayer and you know, that's a really great practical way of reminding yourself, you know, what's important and you know, just talking about your feelings and thoughts as well. I think that's really important in sharing that with those that you trust and those that are closest to you. So I guess to finish off, what advice would you have Caroline, for other high school students who want to share their faith but might not know exactly how to start?
Speaker 1:I think first of all, I would say that you're not alone. There is such a big crowd up there. So many young people who actually l ove God a lot. And even though you may feel like in your school or at home, no one is, n o o ne feels the way that you do. You are definitly not alone. S econdly, I feel like you don't have to be extravagant when sharing your faith with o thers. I think the most important thing is just showing t he genuine love you have for god. Through just no rmal c onversations as I said, or being enthusiastic about special such holidays like easter coming up or lent getting involved in masses, liturgies li ke s ocial justice groups or things like that. Ju st d oing some little subtle th ings t hat eventually ca use t hey le ad t o p eople knowing that you have that love and it's opening up that opportunity to make people know that they can come to you whenever, if they ever want to learn or if they ever want to experience something that you have to trust in you and that you can provide them hope. No t, n ot necessarily about showing us a l l, y ou are drawing attention to yourself, but just being genuine. It is really powerful and it's v e ry s imple like greeting his faith Lo rd, I love you. I want all of us to know about your love, so please be w ith me and be with them and he lp m e. Gi ve m e the strength to show other people of your love.
Speaker 3:That's awesome advice. Thank you so much for that Caroline, thank you so much for your time today. I know that just after this short conversation that you and I have had I feel so encouraged in my own faith and I'll listen to as well as well. So we asked them to pray for you and pray for, you know, all, all young people around the world who are, you know, in this transition period between, you know, the faith that maybe their parents, you know, um, raised them in, into the faith that they can own and make their own. So thank you so much for your time, Caroline. Um, and we will definitely be praying for you.
:All right, thank you. Thank you so much for listening to the Catholic influences podcasts today. It's been a joy to have you with us. Remember to get in touch at frgministry.com/podcast or any of our social medias, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram with FRG ministry. See you next week. Bye.