The Clear and Profound "Charism" of Young Life

In the video above, Catholic theologian Dr. Tom Neal examines and praises the mission and methods of Young Life and how the expression of this ministry aligns with Catholic teaching.

Neal is a professor at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, and he’s the first Catholic to serve on Young Life’s Theological Advisory Council. In his message, Neal describes the “charism” or Spirit-given gift of Young Life that benefits the church. He shares two snapshots of what he calls “the genius of Young Life.”

First, Young Life presents a sacred space in which Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians can come together around what unites us. And, second, he says the charism of Young Life — its mission and methods — are clear and profound expressions of the “new evangelization.”

Neal goes point-by-point through Young Life’s mission and methods, and he says this is exactly what Pope Francis is calling for, a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, accompaniment, and a winsome presentation of the gospel.

Neal tells the story of how he rejected the Catholic faith of his youth during his teen years but how his life changed dramatically in college when an evangelical Christian friend who had earned his trust took a risk and professed faith in Christ.

“What he showed me was Christ was there in my Catholic faith, in my Catholic Church, in my Catholic tradition and communion, but I couldn’t see it,” Neal says. “I had scales on my eyes, and he introduced me to the only one who could take the scales away.”

Neal’s message was given last month to a group of 350 Catholics and Protestants who are working on local Young Life-Catholic collaborations and who attended the virtual Young Life Catholic Summit.

Next week we’ll send out one more presentation, a message that Bishop Daniel Flores shared at the summit about how we need to give our time to our youth and how love isn’t real unless it is experienced in community.