José Ángel Saiz Meneses urged Life Teen España leaders to keep bringing the Gospel to teenagers, even when results are not immediately visible. The archbishop of Seville delivered that message during a Eucharist at the organisation’s training meeting in the city.
Around 80 leaders and catechists attended, representing Huelva and Cádiz, as well as Granada and Seville. They joined the Life Teen España team from the Diocese of Terrassa.
His homily made one demanding point: youth evangelisation cannot be judged only by successful activities or visible short-term growth. Drawing on the Gospel image of the sower, Saiz Meneses described the mission as work that calls for initiative and patience, with the trust that each effort may bear fruit later.
El Confidencial Digital has reported that around 15% of children enrolled for First Communion in Spain are not baptised. The figure points to religious socialisation increasingly taking place later in childhood.
The sower does not wait for the soil to come to him.
That image placed the catechists’ work within the wider mission of the Church. Saiz Meneses acknowledged the difficulty of accompanying teenagers in a secularised society. Many have grown up without strong Christian references.
He linked their attitudes and doubts to questions of identity and life’s meaning, including how love and forgiveness might make a fresh start possible.
For Saiz Meneses, those questions reveal a spiritual thirst. He did not ask catechists to lower their expectations. Instead, he urged them to keep working without judging the mission solely by immediate results.
A conversation, a gesture or an experience during adolescence may have an effect years later. The person who planted that seed may never see what came of it.
Spain’s wider context is marked by a sharp gap between religious identity and practice. Vida Nueva, citing Funcas research from 2025, reports that about 55% of adults still identify as Catholic. In 2024, 42% were non-religious, while only 17% maintained regular religious practice. A Fundación SM study cited by the publication found that the share of young people identifying as Catholic rose from 31.6% in 2020 to 45% in 2025.
The archbishop also placed the catechists’ credibility at the centre of their work. He said those who accompany young people must first live a real relationship with Christ through prayer and the Eucharist.
Teenagers can recognise authenticity, he said. Personal witness matters more than the ability to deliver an impressive presentation.
That gives the meeting a sharper purpose than a simple exchange of pastoral techniques. Life Teen España uses programme dynamics, with music and gatherings among its resources, and also offers training. Saiz Meneses insisted that these tools are not the final goal.
The aim is to help teenagers know Jesus Christ and discover that they are loved by God. The work also teaches them to pray and belong to the Church, bringing them to encounter Christ in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
The mission must take place within the Church and come from the Church. The archbishop described Life Teen as an instrument of that mission and urged the group to stay close to pastors and priests. He also called for ties with parishes, diocesan delegations and other ecclesial realities. Manuel Jiménez, the diocesan delegate for Youth Ministry, concelebrated the Eucharist.
The gathering also recognised youth ministry’s often unseen work. It takes place in conversations and camps, in catechesis and meetings, and through music, prayer and travel.
Saiz Meneses thanked the leaders and catechists for those hours. He reminded them that God sees their efforts, even when they receive no immediate public recognition.
The celebration ended with a sending prayer for all the young people of the Archdiocese, in keeping with the message delivered in Seville.
Life Teen España cannot be judged only by attendance at attractive activities. What matters is whether they lead young people towards faith and life in the Church. The archbishop’s appeal was practical and demanding: keep sowing with joy and patience, carrying that work forward with enthusiasm while staying close to the tabernacle and united with the Church.
The Seville meeting also reflects the expanding diocesan network around Life Teen España. ODISUR’s report on the formation activity identifies participants from Huelva and Cádiz, with Granada and Seville also represented. A separate ODISUR report describes a Life Teen España training day in Murcia.
Together, the reports place the initiative within a broader interdiocesan effort to equip catechists for youth ministry. They show that the Seville gathering was not an isolated parish event.
Recent statements and reports connected with the Archdiocese of Seville also show Saiz Meneses speaking about evangelisation and education, as well as the missionary character of Christian service.
That wider pastoral focus helps explain why his message to the catechists centred on programme quality and perseverance, while stressing personal witness and communion with the Church.
