In this episode of In Goodfaith, hosts Stephanie Peddicord and Maggie Smith open the floor to a candid and heartening conversation with Marisally Santiago about “youth protagonism” within the Catholic Church—what it looks like, where it comes from, and why it matters now more than ever.
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ exhortation Christus Vivit, the three of them discuss how shifting the Church’s attitudes about youth, leadership, and faith transmission can bring new life to parishes and communities everywhere.
5 Key Quotes & Takeaways
- Pope Francis’ Mandate:“The young want to be protagonists of change… You are the ones who hold the key to the future.”
- Walking Together (Accompaniment):“Accompaniment… means to go with someone so they don’t go by themselves.”
- Faith as Empowerment, Not Just Education:“We’ve, you know, really looked at faith transmission as a dumping out of information… but we’re gonna walk with you so that you don’t have to process that alone.”
- Youth Are Already Church — Now:“I am church by virtue of my baptism… By that, I am already commissioned… to go and… preach the gospel.”
- Why Copy? Be Original!“Why copy someone else when God has made you unique in the world with a unique mission… the teens that went through [YCOPI] identify themselves as white copy, which is fantastic.”
