Beliefs May Be Shaken, But Not Trust in God

By COLLEEN FONTANA
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
For the past five years, since the sex abuse scandal surfaced in the Diocese of Yakima, I have questioned my faith and my church.

Having been Catholic since birth, it was a strange realization to look at my religion and notice its dire need of repair rather than the flawlessness I had seen as a child.

Naturally, I didn’t like what I saw. It wasn’t comforting knowing that something I had believed in my whole life was not as perfect as I had once thought.

In response to the scandal and my misgivings, a priest told me that even though I might lose trust in priests and bishops, I need not lose trust in my religion. He said I could still go on with my faith.

So, for a while, I tried. I came up with many ways to keep my faith. Most of them, however, involved trying to ignore the problem.

Working to look past it, I focused my attention on the good things about my religion. But this method was short-lived. I found that even the things I enjoyed — receiving communion, going to youth workshops, even morning prayer at home — were all tainted by the knowledge of the scandal in the church.

I constantly asked myself: If church leaders are hiding information that impacts the safety of children to protect the power of priests and bishops, then what else are they willing to lie about to protect that power?

Ignoring the problem was impossible, and trying to keep faith in my religion when so much was being concealed was just as difficult.

Priests and bishops are the Jesus figures in the Roman Catholic Church. Without them, we can’t perform sacraments, which are vital to our roles as Christians. If I can’t trust them, how can anyone ask me to trust the religion they have helped to build?

The support beams are what keeps the house standing. Whether you trust the house does not matter if the beams’ failure causes it to topple.

I want to believe that my faith will be unaffected by these events, but the scandals have caused me to question more than just my trust in priests. I have questioned myself and my judgment. When something drives you to second-guess the decisions you have made, you know you have been affected in more ways than one.

So, in response to the priest who told me to keep my faith throughout this trial, I say, impossible. Instead, I must work to decipher what is left to believe in.

I do know one thing, though, and that is there is someone out there bigger than these disagreements and scandals. Someone who is in much more control.

Though my beliefs in my church or priests might falter during these events, my trust in God need not. In that, I can put my faith.

— Colleen Fontana is a junior at Davis High School

EDITOR’S NOTE: Unleashed writer Colleen Fontana is the daughter of Robert Fontana, the former director of evangelism for Catholic Diocese of Yakima. He sued the diocese in 2005, saying he had been forced to resign after he questioned how the diocese was handling the case of a priest whom church officials believe downloaded images of naked boys. The diocese disputed Fontana’s claim of being forced out and a state appeals court dismissed the lawsuit in 2007.

“Jobs not Jails”

Editor’s note: A story about gang violence in the Sept. 23 issue of the Yakima Herald-Republic reported that this event has been canceled due to a lack of advance registration.

The message is simple.

And teens are the target audience.

Yakima’s Davis High School is hosting a conference for young people. And it’s not too late to sign up. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Sept. 24.

The “Youth Summit 2008” event takes place Saturday, Sept. 27, beginning with check-in at 11 a.m. Yakima Mayor Dave Edler is slated to give the welcome address at noon, along with Ben Soria, the superintendent of the Yakima School District.

The featured Speaker is the Rev. Greg J. Boyle, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Homeboy Industries, which helps at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth become contributing members of society through job placement, training and education. He’ll talk about “Jobs not Jails.”

The afternoon includes “Working Circles” sessions in English and Spanish. The conference is slated to end at 6 p.m.

Sponsored by Davis High School, the Catholic Diocese of Yakima, and Barrios Unidos, the conference is designed especially for youth. But parents, educators, school counselors, youth activists and caseworkers, health providers, and members of law enforcement are also invited.

The conference takes place at Davis High School, 212 S. 6th Ave. in Yakima. The cost is $50 per person.

For more information, contact Virginia Santillanes at virgies@charter.net. Or check out www.youthsummit509.com.