Youth
-
Two hours-plus online daily tied to teen mental illness
For girls aged 12-13 heavy daily use was tied to around 11 extra cases of high depressive symptoms per 100 adolescents.
-
Can the church compete?
We do not live the faith alone — but fewer young people are choosing to live it at all. With church attendance competing with sport, children’s parties, and endless leisure alternatives, parishes need to actively reimagine how they engage young people, or there maybe no one left!
-
The hidden theology of “our young people now leave us”
What is the spiritual impact on the congregation when children and youth depart for their groups near the beginning of a service? Why are the adults who remain in the main church building typically the ones who are seen to remain in worship and teaching?
-
The boy in the basement
War does not only flatten buildings. It dismantles the invisible architecture of childhood — the assumption that the ground is solid, the belief that adults have things under control. When fear becomes normal, children stop imagining that anything better exists.
-
From TikTok to the baptism font
Faith communities are engaging digital culture rather than retreating from it. Conversion stories on YouTube and TikTok, alongside a growing Vatican online presence, are sparking real curiosity that leads people from screens to parishes and into sacramental preparation.
-
Nurturing children when religions meet at home
Interreligious families embody both fragility and beauty. Catholic children growing up amid multiple faith traditions must navigate festivals, rituals, and beliefs with curiosity and compassion — a lesson in diversity that many adults still struggle to learn.
-
Catholic educators sacred calling
Catholic educators carry the profound task of shaping hearts that encounter the living God through prayer and liturgy. Beyond curriculum, this mission calls teachers to nurture faith through lived, transformative experiences that form lifelong belief and deepen students’ awareness of God’s presence.
-
Carlo Acutis: saint of the internet or symbol of conservatism?
The rise of Christian influencers – “Christfluencers” – has shaped how faith is presented online. Their emphasis on miracle healings, biblical literalism, and sexual morality mirrors the spirituality many link with Carlo Acutis, raising concerns about his image being appropriated by right-wing groups.
-
What young people seek in faith
The decline of youth in the Church is not the full story. Across Australia, young Catholics are rediscovering faith in surprising numbers, seeking authenticity, community, and a sense of hope that speaks to their deepest aspirations.
-
Prayers alone are not enough to stop school shootings
Pope Leo XIV ended the Jubilee for Youth with hope-filled words, but days later, violence struck Annunciation Catholic Church. The contrast between his message and the tragedy underscores the urgent need to transform inspiration into action against what he called the “pandemic of arms.”
Get Flashes of Insight
Flash Focal Points
AI Baptism Church History Church Reform Clericalism Communications & Media Compassion Culture Culture & Faith Deacons Digital Age Discipleship Eucharist Faith Dialogue Gender Equality Hope Human Dignity Inclusion Justice Lay Leadership Leadership LGBTQ+ Liturgy Ministry Mission Peace Politics Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Poverty Prayer Priesthood Reconciliation Social Justice Synodality Theology Tradition Vatican Vatican II War Women Women's Ordination Women Deacons Women in Ministry Youth
Donate
All services bringing Flashes of Insight are donated.
Significant costs, such as those associated with site hosting, site design, and email delivery, mount up.
Flashes of Insight will shortly look for donations.