Sacred Stories,
Living Justice
Creating Intergenerational Spaces for Faith and Service
Sacred Stories, Living JusticeCreating Intergenerational Spaces for Faith and Service
In many parishes, service opportunities already exist, but they often stay disconnected from youth leadership, from the specific story and needs of the local community, and from any real space for reflection. Young people show up to serve, but they are not always the protagonists of the process, the ones actually shaping it. Elders carry decades of wisdom about how faith has been lived in this community, but that wisdom is not always being passed on or honored.
Inspired by Pope Francis’s Christus Vivit and the Church’s call to synodality, Sacred Stories, Living Justice invites parishes into a process where youth take the lead in designing local service projects, accompanied by adults and informed by the lived wisdom of elders.
This project is part of the Drexel Project, NFCYM’s Initiative on Faith and Service.
The Vision
The Vision
Catholic Volunteer Network created Sacred Stories, Living Justice to respond to that need, drawing on the vision of youth protagonism found in Pope Francis’s Christus Vivit and the Church’s ongoing call to synodality: a Church that walks together through listening, discernment, and shared responsibility across generations. We envision a Church where young people grow as faith rooted leaders and true protagonists of their own faith and service, and where elders, adults, and youth walk together in mutual accompaniment rather than serving side by side without ever really knowing one another.
The Community
Together on the Journey
Parish Teams
- Minimum of 2 Youth Leaders (lead the process)
- 1 to 2 Adult Companions (guide and support youth)
- Elders (serve as storytellers and sources of wisdom)
Mentors
- Experienced practitioners at the intersection of faith and justice
- Provide coaching and support to Adult Companions
- Guide teams through each phase of the journey
- Bring wisdom from ministry and lived experience
CVN
- Convener (brings parishes and mentors together)
- Curriculum Developer (builds formation content)
- Program Coordinator (guides mentors and adult companions)
- Storytelling Partner (equips youth with a platform to share stories)
“Youth lead. Adults accompany. Elders share wisdom. Together, they design service rooted in the real stories of their community.”
— Sacred Stories, Living Justice frameworkThe Process
Design, Serve, Reflect.
Participating parishes will engage in an intergenerational rhythm of listening, action, and faith reflection, as described below.
- Form intergenerational teams of youth, adults, and elders
- Listen deeply to community stories and wisdom
- Discern where they are being called to serve, and design a project to answer that call
- Carry out a service program rooted in real relationships and local needs
- Engage in prayer and theological reflection throughout
- Reflect on experience individually and collectively
- Youth leaders share stories of faith and service
- Grow in faith as a community rooted in listening, service, and reflection
Projected Timeline
Discern & Apply
- Parishes discern whether this journey is right for their community
- Parish application submitted
- Parish selections will be announced
2026
Team
Design | Building a Team
- Intergenerational parish team formed
- Mentors assigned to parish teams
- Parish orientation session completed
- Formation modules begin
Design | Listen & Discover
- Listening sessions with elders and community members conducted
- Stories of elders synthesized
- Priority community needs discerned
- Service project designed
2026
Together
Serve Together
- Service project carried out together
- Midpoint reflection session held
- Stories of elders compiled
Reflect & Share Stories
- Team engages in final reflection together
- Stories and reflections from the season produced
2027
& Report
Reflect & Report
- Cross parish learning shared
- Culminating presentation held
- Evaluation data collected and synthesized
- Journey celebrated as a community
The Invitation
Join us on this journey.
We are looking for 8 parishes ready to say yes to this journey. Ideal parishes already have a connection to Catholic Volunteer Network, whether through the Rooted in Sacred Ground initiative, a CVN member organization, a campus ministry partner, or a CVN member alumni connection, since these existing relationships help ground the project from the start.
We are especially looking for parishes and teams who bring:
- A listening heart, curiosity, and openness to being changed by what is heard.
- A genuine commitment to youth leadership, not youth simply assisting an adult led plan.
- Willingness to commit to the full journey, about fourteen months, from summer 2026 through early fall 2027.
- Openness to prayer, theological reflection, and sharing stories of faith along the way.
Cultural Preservation
We believe that the stories of our elders and communities deserve to be collected, honored, and shared, and that the process of cultural preservation itself is an act of service.
Because of this, we have a particular interest in parishes with a distinct communal story to preserve and pass on. This might be a Black Catholic parish rich in cultural tradition, a community guided by the charisms of a religious order, a parish shaped by immigration or migration, or a parish that has carried its community through a shared tragedy or hardship. This project offers a chance to gather and honor those stories through the voices of elders while they are here to tell them, and to let the next generation carry that history forward.
If what you have read resonates with you, click the link below to begin your parish’s journey!
Apply Now