Listen, Teach, Send is a document of the entire Body of Bishops of the United States that offers guidance and direction to the Catholic Church's approach to pastorally accompanying youth and young adults in church communities and families. It was voted on and approved by the bishops at their 2024 June Plenary Assembly.

The Listen, Teach, Send framework complements the previous USCCB statements on the Church's ministries with youth (Renewing the Vision, 1997), collegians (Empowered by the Spirit, 1985), and young adults (Sons and Daughters of the Light, 1996). There were great insights and wisdom in those documents, and they should continue to be used by Catholic pastoral leaders and others engaged in these ministries. Listen, Teach, Send, on the other hand, is a response to Pope Francis' exhortation on young people (Christus Vivit, 2019) and to the realities impacting youth and young adults in the U.S. in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. 

An official bilingual English-Spanish print edition of Listen, Teach, Send will be published by Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) in 2024. The English and Spanish texts will also be available as PDF documents through the USCCB website. The English version is currently available here, and the Spanish version will be available online in late summer 2024.

The U.S. Bishops wrote Listen, Teach, Send for Catholic pastoral leaders (pastors, deacons, lay and religious pastoral ministers, and active parishioners engaged in parish leadership) and families (parents, grandparents, godparents, and the extended family), as well as young people stepping into peer leadership roles. 

The preface letter of the document, however, is written directly to all youth and young adults across the United States, regardless of their role in the Catholic community or active engagement in a life of faith.  

The terms "youth" and "young adults" are distinct demographic categories used by the U.S. Catholic Church to designate various populations of young people. The term "youth" designates adolescents or teenagers, often in junior high and high school, between ages 12 and 18. The term "young adult" is used to describe women and men in their late teens, 20s and 30s, who are in college, single, and married (with or without children). 

These terms may differ from the understanding of "jovenes" or "youth" as understand beyond the United States. The "jovenes" term may be applicable in Latin American communities in the U.S. and, as in Central and South America, would define a young person between ages 16 and 30, or up to the time of being married.

In addition, in Europe and in Vatican documents, the word "youth" can mean both adolescents and young adults; because this can lead to some confusion, the USCCB has opted to use the terms "youth" and "young adults" to clearly identify the pre-age-18 and post-age-18 categories of young life. When the term "young people" is used in the Listen, Teach, Send document, it should be understood to include both groupings (youth and young adults).  

Recognizing that the writing of the Framework was given at a "30,000-foot view," the USCCB will be developing supplemental resources in the coming months that will provide some directions and ideas for the practical implementation of Listen, Teach, Send in local communities and families. These resources will be available through the USCCB website. 

In addition, national organizations, apostolates, and dioceses/eparchies may also produce some tools and guides to help local communities better understand and integrate the insights of the Framework. These may be available by contacting those groups directly or checking out their websites.