Denver Catholic

2 OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 10, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE OCT. 29: Mass and closing of the Holy Door at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Lakewood (11 a.m.) NOV. 1: Mass with seminarians and faculty, St. John Vianney Seminary chapel, St. John Paul II Center (10 a.m.) NOV. 2: Mass, Legatus - Denver Chapter meeting, St. John Paul II Center (6:20 p.m.) NOV. 5: Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10:30 a.m.) NOV. 8: Blessing of new chapel, Fr. Woody's Haven of Hope (10 a.m.) NOV. 9: Mass with seminarians and faculty, Redemptoris Mater Seminary chapel, St. John Paul II Center (5:30 p.m.) Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $50 a year in Colorado; $57 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $57 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $63 air; Canada, $70 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. CIRCULATION: denvercatholic.org/circulation General Manager KARNA SWANSON Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Decoding social media and teen suicide J ust a few weeks ago I learned with great sadness that a middle school and high school student in Littleton took their lives within two days of each other, and almost a week later, a 15-year-old girl in Thornton did the same. These kinds of heart-wrenching deaths move us to search for answers, and ultimately cause us to turn to Christ, who knows the depths and trials of our hearts. Suicide by teens in Colorado is tragically on the rise. In 2014, there were 50 students who took their own life, but in 2015, the toll rose to 72 and remained elevated with 68 in 2016. The question that continues to churn in the minds of anguished friends, teachers and family members is: Why? There are several theories about the reasons why we are seeing this troubling spike in teen suicide, and I will leave the interpretation of those factors to psychiatrists and psycholo- gists. But as the spiritual shepherd of the Archdiocese of Denver, I would be remiss if I didn't address this growing problem in some way. One theme that I see running through the stories of teens who strug- gle with suicidal thoughts is the perva- sive infl uence of social media on their identity and sense of self-worth. The teenage years have always been a time of uncertainty, as physiological and emotional development takes place. But in 2017, many teens live in a world that is heavily infl uenced by the digital realm. The latest statistics show that between 76 and 78 percent of teens use the two most popular social media apps, Snapchat and Ins- tagram, on at least a daily basis. The pressures being placed on young people through social media are not helping slow the suicide epi- demic; in fact, they seem to be fueling it. Bullying has always existed, and it always attacks the basic dignity of another human being through demeaning the person. But when we crossed the threshold in 2012 of more than 50 percent of Americans owning a smartphone, bullies gained access to their peers on a scale never seen before. Not only did fallen human nature obtain a virtual megaphone it could use 24/7, but the anonymity o" ered by some apps removed the accountability provided by plat- forms that require users to identify themselves. The introduction of these apps has also led to a new phenomenon in which about six percent of teens resort to "digital self-harm" by post- ing anonymous hateful messages about themselves for their friends to see. This allows them to get attention from their friends while also airing their internal feelings. Tragedies have a way of crystaliz- ing the truth and giving perspective. In the wake of the two deaths in Lit- tleton, a group of students has orga- nized to promote an initiative called O— ine October, which asks students to delete their social media apps for the month. "We believe," the students state, "that social media plays a neg- ative role in teenagers lives and is a factor [in] depression and suicide. By removing social media for one month, morale and confi dence will be boosted." So far, they have gotten over 1,600 students to take the pledge from 26 states. In his 2014 message for World Communications Day, Pope Francis called attention to the lack of charity that lies at the root of social media misuse. He writes: "It is not enough to be passersby on the digital highways, simply 'connected;' connections need to grow into true encounters. We cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves. We need to love and to be loved. We need tenderness." The danger the Holy Father is highlighting is that we become con- vinced that our identity is found in how our peers and even strangers speak about us online. When a per- son's relationships are so dependent upon online interactions and social standing in an anonymous environ- ment, then one becomes an easy target for manipulation and lies. As Catholics, we need to be people who bring our experience of encoun- tering Jesus' love in prayer, the sacra- ments and authentic community with others to those who are awash in the digital realm. The most important thing that we can do for those who are consumed with their online existence is to per- sistently, lovingly show them that they are a son or daughter of God the Father, and that this is what matters most. Status updates, likes, Snapchat streaks and Instagram posts will always disappear, but the eternal identity of each person and the love and tenderness that the Father shows them through you will not fade away. I urge all people of the archdiocese to join me in praying for those who are despairing and are searching for their true identity. May the words of Jesus to the disciples about knowing and experiencing the truth become their reality. "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear" (Mt. 13:16). @ArchbishopDen Oct. 13 Tonight conse- crated #ArchDen to #Immaculate- HeartofMary on #fatima100. Mary's Immaculate Heart will Triumph! +sja Film crew from the Augustine Institute fi lmed on location at St. John Vianney Seminary Oct. 24 for an upcoming program titled Presence. The scene depicted here is part of the story a priest and nun in New York who, in 1957, ran into a burning church to save the Eucharist. PHOTO BY AARON LAMBERT

• Cover