A Passionist's Prayer From The Heart
BY FATHER PETER GRACE

As the Rector of the Passionist Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Jamaica, the mission work our priests do here in Jamaica and around the world has always been close to my heart. I attended Immaculate Conception school, served Mass as an altar boy and found inspiration in the wonderful Passionist priests and brothers- so much so that I decided to join the Passionist Community and serve the spiritual needs of all those who turn to the Passionists for prayer and guidance.

One of our greatest challenges is reaching out to our at-risk youth, but also to encourage our young people to be actively engaged in the Passionists' mission work and to support the work, the priests and the monasteries.

The recent U.S. visit by Pope Benedict XVI provides us with a wonderful opportunity to capitalize, if you will, on the historic event. Since our Passionist Monastery of Immaculate Conception is supported almost entirely by offerings from Mass cards and prayer cards, it is my duty to do all I can to encourage the offerings.

Sadly, however, young people are not as eager to utilize Mass and prayer cards as are older Catholics.

Prayer cards and masses have generally been viewed as something the Catholic Church does primarily for those who have died or who are gravely ill- hardly the life events on which young people wish to focus. But the purposes and intended use of prayer cards and masses are much more varied than that. Weddings, births, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, confirmation, Mother's Day, Father's Day, general intentions and tokens of friendship and affection are all excellent opportunities to present a prayer card or Mass card to friends and loved ones.

The notion of prayer cards and Mass cards for positive, happy occasions, rather than only for the dying and the dead, has been lost on younger Catholics. The tee shirts and other "youth culture" items have taken precedence over the prayer and Mass cards for young people, chiefly because they are more relevant in their lives. By broadening the perception of the cards to positive life events and presenting them as something young people can take advantage of in their everyday lives, the practice of purchasing prayer cards and Mass cards on a regular basis by young Catholics will be passed down to future generations, as well, and become a staple in the Church.

The funds from the offerings for Mass and prayer cards comprise more than 90 percent of the support for the priests and brothers at the Passionist Monastery of the Immaculate Conception. Catholic priests take vows of poverty, so the funds also support charity missions in countries such as Haiti and the Philippines, as well as our work right here in Jamaica, helping to get young people out of prostitution and gangs, and hosting spiritual retreats for people of all ages.

We are reaching out with our new message in our mailings and are excited about our impending updated Web site that will allow offerings to be made on the Internet. It has been my experience, however, that the best ideas often come from the most unlikely places.

I ask you, the readers, to contact me with your suggestions, input and feedback on how you think we can promote Mass and prayer cards so that our mission work here and around the world can flourish. Please feel free to e-mail me at frpetergrace@ gmail.com.