By Mary Knapke

SIDNEY DEANERY — Teens from three Troy churches have come together this year to learn about the ongoing genocide in Darfur, study Christian teachings on social justice and experience ecumenical partnership in approaching global issues.

Students from St. Patrick Catholic Church, First Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church, along with youth ministers from each faith community, have worked together in planning events that highlight the atrocities currently taking place in the western region of Sudan, where a military conflict has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of as many as 2.5 million refugees.

"I think teenagers care a lot about what’s happening in different parts of the world," said Diane Mengos, youth ministry coordinator at St. Patrick. "There’s great injustice going on. They are just like adults — they feel very powerless to do anything about it, but I think they’re interested in doing something effective that will make a difference."

Using resources from Catholic Relief Services and World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, Mengos works with Mario Bolivar, a youth minister at First Presbyterian, and Sandy Fisher, a youth minister at First Lutheran, to educate the teens about the background and ongoing events of the Darfur crisis. Their work will culminate in a 30-hour fasting retreat in April.

In an effort to raise money for Darfur relief agencies, the teens seek sponsors who will make a contribution in honor of their fast. Students also worked together to host a spaghetti dinner at St. Patrick in January. Nearly 200 people attended the dinner, including the pastors of all three participating churches, and donations reached $1,500, exceeding the group’s goal. The funds were divided among each church’s humanitarian efforts in Darfur, with one third going to Catholic Relief Services. While teens from the three churches have worked together for five years on various social justice topics, this was the first year they combined their efforts to host a fundraiser.

"They accomplished something," with the fundraiser, Mengos said. "The kids were working together, and they knew the money was going to three really good relief agencies."

At next month’s fasting retreat, participants will attend a worship service at each church and hear a presentation from representatives of Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, which is active in Darfur. The retreat also includes a Bible study and an opportunities for games and fellowship. Teens will also have the option of writing letters to government officials on current events or pending legislation relating to the crisis.

Bolivar, the youth minister at First Presbyterian, said he hopes the teens use the lessons learned at the retreat in making connections with other parts of their lives.

"I would love for us to remember that every day we are blessed, that every minute of that day we could help, and that every second of that minute someone is crying for help," he said.

First Lutheran youth minister Sandy Fisher also said she hopes the teens’ retreat experience will extend to their lives as a whole.

"I would like us — the kids and me — to feel hungry, to appreciate food when we do begin to eat and to realize how blessed we are to be able to eat daily, without the fear of starvation. I hope the experience will give us insight into the sacrifices Jesus made for us."

Like the students from St. Patrick’s, Fisher said teens at First Lutheran have enjoyed past service projects such as a door-to-door competition to gather groceries for local food pantries, visiting nursing homes and working with students with developmental disabilities.

"The retreat is a wonderful ecumenical service event that benefits others and also helps us grow as Christians," she said.

Mengos added, "I think (the teens) have the right heart. But they need to first of all experience that it can be done. Together they can accomplish something and hopefully through all this effort, between the dinner and the retreat, they learn some organizational skills so that as they move on in life they can put together events that will raise money but also that will work for justice. . . . We want to give them those skills, and we want to give them a sense of accomplishment and something they can be proud of. That’s important."

The Vatican has called on the United Nations to take action to protect displaced Darfuris, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is a member of Greater Cincinnati Advocates for Darfur, a group that works to increase awareness of the conflict and raise money for victims. For more information, visit Catholic Relief Services at www.crs.org.