By Jessica Easthope
CORONA — St. Leo’s Viva Cristo Rey (VCR) youth group meets every week for one day in Corona — not to sit in a circle and talk about their faith, but to get to work, putting it into action.
Cleaning out the parish garage isn’t your typical youth group activity, but for Kevin Jara, it’s the kind of job that makes him feel like he’s making a difference.
“After Confirmation, I became somewhat distant. But then, when VCR came, I was interested, and we were learning about God in fun ways and activities,” Jara said. “I think it brought me closer to God and helped me connect with the community.”
The VCR group is made up of young people ages 13 to 20 years old. Before joining, Jara didn’t talk much to anyone.
“I was nervous because I didn’t talk to anyone,” he said. “But over time, I felt a true connection. Like, ‘These are my people.’ ”
Since Father Ernesto Alonso, St. Leo’s parochial vicar, brought the group together last November, every week is something different, whether it’s sitting in silent adoration or visiting the elderly at a nursing home. He said it’s building character and faith.
“We have to encourage them to find different ways to belong to the community, to have this identity and this sense of belonging to Saint Leo’s Church,” Father Alonso said.
As a college sophomore, Lizbhet Grande, a lifelong parishioner of St. Leo’s, is close to aging out of VCR but plans to stay on to help organize and pitch in wherever she can because she feels called to.
“It really makes a big difference when you put yourself to actively helping the community you’ve grown up in,” Grande said. “The youth know there’s a place for them, right? That God is waiting for them.”
Working in a garage isn’t the ideal way for many teens to spend their last days of summer vacation, but Isaias Castillo, 16, said, why not?
“We have a bunch of free time now, so why not just use it all up and have a fun experience?” Castillo said.
They get to build their own future while building up their church and see how Christ can open the door to new experiences.
“I’ve just fallen in love with being able to serve and saying, ‘Hey, God, use me,’” Castillo said. “I think, especially for my age, a bunch of people are just closed off and don’t feel like they have some kind of support. But you have to find Christ to have that kind of support. So it’s been a blessing.”