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A Review of “A Noble Quest: Cultivating Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents”

This work begins by drawing the reader’s attention to an overlooked area in youth ministry, that of adolescent spirituality, and offers both a brief primer on the topic itself, and a tool for religious communities and youth ministry practitioners to evaluate their current efforts and to identify new directions in ministry with Catholic young people. Chapters 1 and 2 constitute the “primer,” exploring multiple definitions and discussions of “adolescents” and “Catholic adolescent spirituality,” respectively. These are followed by three chapters of practical suggestions and advice offered as methods for deepening spirituality among Catholic youth. Within these three, chapter 3 focuses specifically on the Eucharist and chapter 4 on “12 pastoral practices” (Bible time, contemplation, honesty, introspection, journaling, meditation, music, prayer, retreats, Rosary, spiritual direction, and time usage), while chapter 5 looks more closely at three of those twelve (meditation, contemplation, and spiritual direction). In the final chapter before concluding remarks, Canales provides his own critique of this work highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of these pastoral practices for cultivating spirituality. Each chapter is followed by a number of discussion questions designed to assist communities in identifying their own thoughts and feelings on the topics, in assessing their ministries, and in choosing which new practices might be most beneficial to their particular settings. What distinguishes this book from merely a list of practical advice stemming from the experience of a single youth ministry professional is the way in which Canales conscientiously connects each offering both to Roman Catholic mandates and goals for youth ministry and education (using Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, among other documents), and to current literature regarding adolescents (using data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, and Soul