Gulf Pine Catholic • May 22, 2026 11 Within these digital worlds, athletes or those who lead athletic teams can become heroes, warriors and other significant figures who are noticeably admirable. They can defeat enemies, lead teams, build empires and master difficult challenges. Their efforts are rewarded, their identity affirmed and their progress recognized. These all can be good things. The problem? This is only within a virtual world. But when the person disconnects from the video game, the contrast with real life can be stark. Many young men feel that in the real world, they are none of those things. They may not feel needed, not feel capable, not feel invited into any meaningful mission. This presents a real opportunity for the Church to present young men with a real opportunity for community, mission and vocation. -- The deeper hunger -- The deeper issue facing young men today is not simply technology or entertainment. It is the absence of spaces where they can feel invited to flourish, serve and mature. Without clear pathways into meaningful responsibility, young men often drift. Some turn to digital worlds where the experience of achievement is easier to obtain. Others struggle quietly with isolation, anxiety and a lack of direction. But beneath these struggles lies something deeper: a desire for mission. Young men do not simply want comfort or entertainment. They want a challenge. They want to build something meaningful. They want to know that their lives matter to others. However, this process requires maturity, and maturity requires sacrifice. This can be a scary process for many. Yet this deeper hunger in a young man's formation opens possibilities for growth that are both demanding and deeply rewarding, growth rooted in human formation, supported by places and spaces of accountability, and strengthened by the other pillars of formation. In these environments, young men begin to develop discipline, responsibility and a clearer sense of purpose. They learn to order their desires, to persevere through difficulty, and to commit themselves to something greater than comfort or self-interest. -- A call to accompany young men -- Emerging research highlights a decline in close social bonds among men, with increasing numbers reporting that they lack close friendships or feel deeply unknown by others. A 2023 report by Equimundo, for example, found that many men resonate with the statement “no one really knows me well,” particularly among younger generations. This growing sense of isolation stands in sharp contrast to the Church՚s longstanding understanding of the human person as inherently relational and purpose-driven. Within this view, young men flourish not in isolation but when they are invited into lives of meaning -- called to serve, to lead, to sacrifice and to help build communities grounded in love and responsibility. This means that families, parishes and ministries cannot simply criticize young men for drifting. They must accompany them, challenge them and invite them into meaningful participation in the life of the Church and society. When young men come to recognize that they are genuinely needed and they are entrusted with responsibility and supported by a community that believes in them, their sense of identity begins to shift. The “hero” they may have once only encountered through screens starts to take shape in real life through meaningful action and purpose. This transformation is especially significant given that loneliness has been consistently linked to adverse health outcomes, including increased risk for premature mortality, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, dementia and stroke. Findings from Equimundo further underscore this burden, with 40% of men meeting criteria for depressive symptoms and 44% reporting recent suicidal ideation. Within this context, helping young men rediscover a sense of mission has implications that extend far beyond the individual. As they become more grounded in purpose and connection, families are strengthened, communities become more cohesive, and the Church is renewed by a generation of men prepared to serve. Vicente Del Real is the founder and CEO of Iskali, a Catholic nonprofit dedicated to forming and empowering young Latino leaders. He writes from Chicago, where he leads Iskali՚s mission of faith, service and community. This column was written in collaboration with Maria De Leon-Sanchez. Young Men Struggles From page 6 USCCB campaign bolsters Catholic media as ʻcritical need՚ for its evangelizing mission intensifies BY OSV NEWS WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- Sharing the Gospel means “we must be present in digital spaces,” and an annual collection held May 16-17 this year by the nation՚s Catholic bishops aims to bolster those efforts. This year's funding campaign comes as the Catholic Church in the U.S. faces political and cultural challenges, with attacks on the Church, from Catholic Charities and pro-life ministries to Pope Leo himself, increasing in the public forum. “When you give to theCatholicCommunication Campaign, you shed light on the work of the Church and help the Church to shed the light of Christ on everyone,” said Bishop William D. Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops՚ Committee on Communications. Donations can also be made online at igivecatholic.org/story/USCCB-CCC. Each contribution is evenly split between local diocesan and national communications efforts. Greg Erlandson, longtime columnist and former director of Catholic News Service, said “the critical need for the Catholic press” has “only gotten stronger,” adding, “We need to be able to look at what՚s happening in the world, and see it in the context of faith. And that՚s the one thing that can՚t be provided by secular news media.” Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia told OSV News, “The Church՚s communications are crucial for our Catholic unity and for disseminating the Gospel message.” He added, “Our media bring to those in and outside the Church the beautiful, freeing, salvific words of Our Lord, His blessings and the witness of so many of His followers, which inspires us.” To include your parish and school events and activity information in“Diocesan Briefs”, email that information to: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org.
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