| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines the spirituality and participation in faith-based activities of young
Catholics in Whangarei, New Zealand. Six youth aged 16-17 years have shared their
experiences in several areas of Catholicism such as religious attendance, Catholic identity
and Catholic faith, morals and values, peer group socialisation and religious commitment.
Using a qualitative mixed-methodological approach with the underlying philosophical
stance of interpretivism, the intent of the study is to discover ways in which these young
Catholics integrate their faith into their daily lives and make meaning out of it. It also
compares the religious beliefs and values of Catholic youth in Whangarei to those
reported worldwide.
The findings reveal many similar themes to those from international studies. Although all
of the participants in this study possessed a distinct sense of ‘spirituality’ and being
‘Catholic’ was a very important part of their identity, not all of them seemed to consider it
practical to live out their Catholic beliefs. Similarly, although they did not face any
insurmountable challenges in practicing their faith in daily life, only a few of them had
strong convictions about their faith and, like their peers in other countries, only a few
could concretely list the core Catholic beliefs. Concepts of moralistic therapeutic deism
were found to affect half the participants while nuances of moralistic relativism were also
prevalent. Results also showed a growing disinterest in attending Mass, participating in
the sacrament of Confession, leading an active prayer life, being a part of church youth
activities and some difficulty in finding similar peer group support. Overall, the findings
presented in this thesis suggested that the participants involved in the study could be
separated into two groups on the basis of their differing spiritual levels and commitment
to the Catholic faith
The findings suggest a need for Catholic youth in Whangarei to be supported in their
spiritual development in order to help them grow in their Catholic faith. Accordingly, the
main recommendations are for community-based services such as providing a variety of
youth programmes/groups to engage young people and finding ways to facilitate the
secure engagement of youth in a dialogue about their faith and religion, in order to
spiritually encourage, nourish and sustain them at whatever stage they might be at. | en_US |
