Denver Catholic

19 DENVER CATHOLIC | NOVEMBER 11-24, 2017 What barn are you raising? A community comes together to help a neighbor build a barn. That's a rural tradition that still happens today in some parts of the country. The e¡ort reveals many powerful ideas. That together we can accom- plish more than as individuals. That many hands make light work. That there's joy in ser- vice to others. In Greeley recently, we saw a mod- ern-day barn raising with the opening of the 47-unit Guadalupe Apartments, a $13.5 million project of Archdioce- san Housing, an aªliate of Catholic Charities. Eight years ago, in a very tough economy, the Greeley community came together to support the Guada- lupe Community Center and home- less shelter, which opened in 2011. Then they said, "What's next?" Today, on the same property, we have the Guadalupe Apartments, which also provides residents with case manage- ment and a range of social services. Catholic Charities led the way. But it could not have happened without the many public, private and faith- based entities, and individuals of good will, who step up in Greeley because they know they are doing something for other people that is very, very important. "We know, in our business, you need first a place that is safe to be before you can work on some of the other issues that may be going on in your life," said Greeley Chief of Police Jerry Garner, one of the many oª- cials who attended the grand opening celebration of Guadalupe Apartments on Oct. 27. The need for a¡ordable housing in Denver and northern Colorado is vast and the Catholic Church will continue to be part of the solution. Overall, Archdiocesan Housing manages 29 a¡ordable housing properties, with more than 1,700 housing units, serving more than 3,100 people. That's more than 1.1 million nights of shelter a year. Not only are we a developer, we do it with the dignity of the human person in mind. These properties are managed with the individual in mind, as if our own families were living there. The residents are family to us, because they are children of God. We don't take money out of these prop- erties, we put money into them. As a result, the people who live there are given a dignified and loving place to live, regardless of where they come from or their situation. That, after all, is what the Catholic Church is all about, serving others with the love, mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ. At Catholic Charities, we have the equivalent of barn raisings every day of the year. At Samaritan House, Marisol Services, Sacred Heart Coun- seling and all of our ministries, we're serving those in the greatest need, day in and day out. I encourage you to get involved, year-round, in one of those ministries, or in your parish, at a school or in your neighborhood. If you're already deeply involved, invite others to join you. This time of year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, is when people feel joyful. We like to give gifts, make donations and get involved. That's great. We want to experience the joy that comes from giving of ourselves to others. But why not have that experience year- round? That's what's happening in Greeley. It can happen everywhere. So ask yourself: What barn am I raising? belief means that young generations' disassociation from religion is not just about their distrust of institu- tions; more are disconnecting from religion entirely, even at home and even in their hearts." Now what are some of the reasons for this disconnect? One, Twenge argues, is the iGen preoccupation with individual choice. From their earliest years, iGen'ers have been presented with a dizzying array of choices in everything from food and clothes to gadgets and lifestyles. And they have been encouraged, by practically every song, video, and movie, to believe in themselves and follow their own dreams. All of this self-preoccupation and stress upon individual liberty stands sharply athwart the religious ideal of surren- dering to God and his purposes. "My life, my death, my choice"¹(a rather iGen friendly motto which I recently saw emblazoned on a billboard in California) sits very uneasily indeed with St. Paul's assertion, "whether we live or we die, we are the Lord's."¹A second major reason for iGen dis- satisfaction with religion is one that has surfaced in lots of surveys and polls, namely, that religious belief is incompatible with a scientific view of the world. One young man that Twenge interviewed is typical: "Religion, at least to people my age, seems like it's something of the past. It seems like something that isn't modern."¹Another said, "I knew from church that I couldn't believe in both science and God, so that was it. I didn't believe in God anymore."¹And a third—also attested to in lots of stud- ies—is the "antigay attitudes"¹suppos- edly endemic to Biblical Christianity. One of Twenge's interviewees put it with admirable succinctness: "I'm questioning the existence of God. I stopped going to church because I'm gay and was part of a gay-bashing religion."¹One survey stated the sta- tistical truth bluntly enough: 64% of 18-24 year olds believed that Chris- tianity is antigay, and for good mea- sure, 58% of those iGen'ers thought the Christian religion is hypocritical. Dismal stu¡, I know. But Dr. Twenge performs a great service to all those interested in the flourishing of religion, for she lays out the objec- tivities unblinkingly, and this is all to the good, given our extraordinary capacity for wishful thinking and self-deception. Further, though she doesn't tell religious educators and catechists how to respond, she unam- biguously indicates what is leading this most unreligious generation in our history away from the churches. Her book should be required reading for those who wish to evangelize the next generation. iGen'ers are poised to be the least religious generation in history. Guest Column Larry Smith is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver. Visit online at ccdenver. org or call 303-742-0828 to learn more, volunteer or make a donation. LARRY SMITH The Guadalupe Apartments that just opened in Greeley is a great mod- ern-day example of a community coming together to help their neighbor build a barn. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CATHOLIC CHARITIES

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