catholicweekly.com.au 3 18, July, 2021 AMID SKYROCKETING in- ternet addiction, sexting and cyberbullying among teens, a newonline offering will aim to meet the problems head-on. Judi Prasser, founder of self-worth programs All .u.re and Valour, has developed resources for school students who during the current re- strictions and lockdowns are spending more time on social media than ever before. The lessons at www.redis- coverallure.org are aimed at helping teenaged girls “nav- igate their lives through an incredibly tough and some- times dark terrain”, says the young Sydney mother of one who hopes to soon launch a version for boys. “Thanks to technology and the 24/7 presence of social media hovering over their shoulders, teens were already facing an uphill battle when it came to developing a healthy view of themselves,” Judi told The Catholic Weekly. “If this weren’t already hard enough, since the outbreak of Covid they have faced months of uncertainty, of not seeing friends and other key support persons, and healthy aspects of life such as team sports and after-school clubs replaced with more time alone in their bedrooms to engage in nega- tive online behaviours.” Judi says a reported 184 per cent rise in attempted suicide rates among Victorian teen- agers in the past six months FROMPASSING on faith tradi- tions to offering a safety valve for the “pressure cooker” of family life, Dr Ron and Mavis Pirola relish their role as grand- parents. The Sydney pair have eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren and are delight- ed at the establishment of an annual Day for Grandparents and the Elderly beginning this 25 July. “It was great to read the Pope’s reminder in his mes- sage for the day of the vocation of grandparents to pass on the faith; in fact, he challenges us to never retire,” they told The Catholic Weekly . “That, of course, includes unmarried aunts and un- cles who are ‘significant oth- er adults’ in the lives of their grand nieces and nephews. “The witness of their faith- filled lives can have enormous ongoing impact.” The couple served on the Pontifical Council for the Fam- ily over three decades and founded the Parish and Mar- riage Resource Centre. They also participated in the Synods on the Laity (1987) and the Family (2014) and chaired the Australian Catholic Mar- riage and Family Council. They said the announce- ment of the World Day is a particular joy for the Catho- lic Grandparents Association which has advocated for one for years. “The pandemic hasmade us all aware of the preciousness of close contact with those we love andwho love us,” the Piro- las said. “The theme of the World Day, ‘I am with you always’ reminds us of the closeness of the Lord and the Church with us and it’s a support and con- solation as well as a challenge for us to pass on this awareness of Jesus’ presence in our lives. “It’s a wonderful gift to be a grandparent. Grandchildren give added meaning to our lives. “The elderly also benefit from the young; it works both ways. While we’re teaching them things, they also teach us. For example, they help us to keep abreast of new trends and technologies. They keep us young.” Apart from being a In a culture saturated in often-toxic social media, teens have it tough - especially girls. A new resource addresses that. Mean- while, those behind it are planning one for boys as well ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Resources help girls navigate life as the state faced repeated lockdown is just one indica- tor of the mental health risks her programs try to address by engaging young people and “sowing seeds of self-worth”. All .u.re (a play on the words ‘all you are’) provides online lessons and interactive face- to-face workshops in self- worth, friendship, social me- dia and mental health. Judi is now seeking to fund- raise the costs of establish- ing a complementary online program for teenaged boys, named Valour. “I think young men are cry- ing out to be taught how to be good, authentic men and many are trying to live a good life,” she said. “When it comes to mental health, I think we You’re worth it: teacher Katrina Alvir, at right, and AV Learning Hub founder Judi Prasser, inset, are the brains behind the online All .u.re resource. The course has won praise from principals of Catholic schools who often see firsthand the problems it helps girls address. PHOTOS: GIOVANNI PORTELLI Completing the picture: Ron and Mavis Pirola, at left, with mem- bers of their wider family. The longtime marriage and family advo- cates are especially pleased with Pope Francis’s institution of an annual World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. have done a great disservice to males. “There are many statistics of eating disorders and self- harm in young women which are truly troubling, but what is equally tragic is the men- tal health crisis in the demo- graphic of young men.” Daryl Castellino, assistant principal of Santa Sophia Catholic College in north western Sydney’s Box Hill praised the All .u.re program as “excellent”. “Self-worth, body image issues and appropriate social media usage are all topics that young women are facing in our culture and All .u.re addresses these topics in an engaging, life-giving way,” he said. Katrina Alvir, secondary teacher at Tangara School for Girls said the offerings en- hance the work her own pas- toral care program does on promoting self-worth, true beauty and the importance of growing genuine friend- ships. “All .u.re looks deeper into the impact of social media and popular culture on all these important aspects of a girl’s life,” Ms Alvir said. “The girls come out of the workshops reflecting deeper, being inspired and wanting to make positive changes in their lives.” Central to the programs is Judi’s Catholic faith. “Our niche is to be a small but crucial stepping stone to help young people along their journey of developing a loving relationship with Je- sus Christ,” she said. “To reach thembefore they become ‘jaded’ or ‘switched off’ from their faith, to help them be convicted that they are worthwhile and lovable as they are, as they are then less likely to make toxic deci- sions in their lives.” The fundraising campaign will also enable the growing organisation and its partner ChooseREAL to provide free ‘Teacher covid care packs’ including posters, cards, and chocolates, activity hand- book and lessons. To donate go to: https://go- fund.me/120d9052 For more details email
[email protected] It’s a wonder- ful gift to be a grandparent. Grandchildren give added meaning to our lives. The elderly also bene- fit from the young; it works both ways” Dr Ron and Mavis Pirola When age is an advantage store of living memories con- necting young people to their previous generations, grand- parents can also often act as “safety valves”, Mrs Pirola told The Catholic Weekly . The nuclear family is great but it can become like a pres- sure cooker,” she said. “It’s not unusual for a grand- child to seek out a ‘sleep or stay over’ with their grandparents at a time of tension at home.” Dr Pirola, a gastroenterolo- gist withmany elderly patients, is often struck by the number of people who are limited in physical ways but who can still pray. “Their prayers can be so powerful because they are the disadvantaged for which Jesus showed so much compassion,” he said. “In the confusion of a pan- demic, older people are the ones with the longest expe- rience of unpredictable and challenging times. “They are survivors whose experiences often include mi- gration, war, droughts, bush- fires, financial recessions, business failures, to name just some. They can provide per- spective in the face of uncer- tainty. This is relevant in terms of mental health, especially of the young. “The elderly are stabilising influences for young people who are rattledbecause of their limited experience of danger.” The couple believe much can be learned from other cul- tures about the importance of respect for elders for maintain- ing a cohesive andharmonious society. Bishop Richard Umbers will celebrate a Mass in hon- our of the day on 24 July from 10am, wich will be lives- treamed on the St Mary’s Ca- thedral You Tube channel. Lesson materials to help give teenaged girls tools to navigate issues of self-worth, friendship, and social media in their lives NEWS