CATHOLIC CHURCH REACHING OUT TO BRING TEENS BACK INTO FOLD.

Byline: Tracy Valeri Daily News Staff Writer

On any given Sunday after Mass you can find them - the knot of teen-agers huddled at St. Mel Catholic Church.

They aren't praying.

Instead, they are talking about what they want and need from the Roman Catholic Church that will satisfy them spiritually. It's part of a growing national effort among Catholic churches to reach out to more young congregants and make God more relevant in their lives.

One way to keep teens interested in religion is to plan activities that they enjoy - with a spiritual connection, said Michael Franzen, director of the newly formed Youth Ministry at St. Mel.

``Enriching the spiritual lives of the kids will prevent them from straying away from their faith as they reach college age,'' said Franzen, who operates the program for 13- to 18-year-olds.

Activities for the young people include such things as retreats with their parents to foster better communication, he said.

At nearby St. Joseph The Worker in Canoga Park, Youth Ministry leader David Lara is busy integrating three youth groups into a larger, more comprehensive ministry.

``Our vision is that if we start working with our young people now and invest our time and our faith in them, then we can assure a better future as Catholics and Christians and will yield a better community,'' Lara said.

These efforts come at time when the nation's bishops have concluded that there is a strained relationship between the church and young Catholics.

During the National Conference of Catholic Bishops held recently in Washington, D.C., church leaders discussed a plan for youth ministry that will be set in motion across the country, according to local priests.

Using popular meeting spots - like shopping malls, health clubs, campuses and the Internet - church leaders will open the lines of communication with young Catholics through prayer groups and meetings and by simply listening to what the teens have to say, according to the plan, which was developed by the Bishops Committee on the Laity.

Mentoring programs also will be used, pairing married couples with engaged couples to prepare them for the ups and downs of married life; and high school students will be matched with young adults so they can share their views on life and the relevancy of the Catholic Church.

Parishes also will be urged to stay in touch with young families by making small gestures, like sending anniversary cards to newlyweds on their first anniversary.

Other highlights of the plan include reaching out to parents as they prepare to baptize their children, taking advantage of the tendency of first-time parents to return to their faith.

``This plan urges church leaders to do more for young adults, and young adults to do more for their church,'' said Boise, Idaho's Bishop Tod Brown, chairman of the committee.

Why the alienation of young people from the church?

The Rev. Mike Sears of Our Lady of Grace explained that while his Encino congregation has a large number of young people, many simply don't see the riches of their faith.

``Catholicism has been so intellectualized. We need to reach out wherever they are so they can experience God,'' Sears said.

The Rev. Gregory Coiro, a spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said the bishops' plan is a step in the right direction.

``In actuality, young people are looking for spiritual grounding in all faiths. They may move away from the church at one point in their lives, but marriage and children come and they return because they want valuable examples of faith for their kids to follow,'' Coiro said.

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Photo: Michael Franzen of St. Mel Catholic Church, front row center, is surrounded by youth group members Margaret Moral, 17, front row left; Eugene Lee, 17; Tim Abad, 17, left, back row; Lauren Ianiro, 16; Sarah Layman, 17; adult volunteer Bob McCulloch; and John McCulloch, 15.

David R. Crane/Daily News