With Leaving Certificate results out next month, many parents are facing the prospect of one of their children going to college for the first time. It's an exciting time, but Catholic parents may be a little concerned about the unique challenges of college life. To get an insight into these challenges, I interviewed a young man who is heading into his third year of a BA honours degree in Drama and Performance. James (not his real name) was happy to discuss his experiences of college and began by acknowledging that the area of film and theatre might be viewed as a hostile industry for a faithful Catholic to get involved in.

However, a friend of his, Bishop Frank Caggiano, once told him that ''the journey will be perilous and full of challenges, but it is our duty as Christians to spread Christ's message to all reaches of society, even in the most hostile of environments''. He reassured James that the Holy Spirit would watch over him in all his undertakings.

James was quick to admit that he found it increasingly difficult to be public with his Catholic faith in the current climate of aggressive secularism. He said it would be impossible to keep afloat and upbeat without the Catholic groups that he is involved with. These groups are always there for him when he is in need of renewal or a spiritual lift. One of the groups is the organisation Opus Dei, a prelature of the Catholic Church whose mission is to spread the Word of God by making every mundane aspect of one's daily life an offering of prayer to God. As James put it, something as simple as making a cup of tea can be made into a prayer. Opus Dei offers spiritual formation through regular retreats, talks and spiritual direction.

'Spiritual health'

James has a spiritual director, Fr Tom Dowd, a priest of the organisation. In James's words - ''some say, if Fr Tom is a reflection of God's mercy and forgiveness, then we have nothing to worry about''. He meets Fr Dowd every week for confession and a chat about his ''spiritual health.'' James feels that meeting with Fr Dowd is a bit like going to the doctor for a health check, except that it's a health check for the soul.

James is also involved in the organisation Youth 2000. He describes their events as ''stoking up his evangelical side'' and sees Youth 2000 as a great organisation for those that are out of touch with their Catholic practice. It's also an organisation well known for its celebratory approach with plenty of singing and partying at its events. James describes Opus Dei as ''delving deep into the depths of what it means to be a practising Catholic''. James is happy to be a part of both organisations and both have been essential to keeping his faith while in college.

James often hears some of his peers saying that they've lost their faith and while, like many young people, he's had dips in his spiritual life, he's never experienced a period where he lost his faith in God. Sometimes he feels like he's a complete disaster, but the answer to these negative feelings always lies in prayer and the sacraments. James finds it very convenient to be near Dublin's city centre as there are so many opportunities to get confession or go to Mass. Instead of nipping over for a 'cheeky latte', James jokes, about how he can nip into town for a ''cheeky confession''. He feels that it's essential for every student to be armed with grace from the Holy Spirit to withstand the ongoing temptation to overindulge in alcohol, sleep around or ''get stoned.'' It might be expected that if you don't follow the crowd, you'll experience ongoing peer pressure, but James says that his fellow students respect his stance on these issues.

Patient

The real challenge for James is to remain patient in the face of opposition. He maintains that some actors have a bit of a name for being obnoxious because of their know-it-all attitude. James feels that he may sometimes fit the description and is careful when discussing controversial issues like abortion, contaception, etc. He's been involved in some pretty heated debates and finds that a lot of the views are based on the premise that ''if it feels good - do it''.

While James backs up his points with sound research and statistics, he feels that opposing views can often be irrational or completely emotion based. While some purport to be very open minded, James feels that, in reality, many aren't very open minded and are inflexible in their views and beliefs.

One difficulty for young actors is how to deal with the issue of explicit sex scenes. James feels that it's very possible to be a practising Catholic and a successful actor-if Jim Caviezel, star of The Passion of the Christ, can do it, then so can he. As he said: ''Despite the average punter telling me 'you'll never make it' or 'you'll have to leave your morals at the door', I believe I will succeed. God has always opened the right doors for me and he will continue to open them. If God's plan is for me to become an actor, then that is what I'll do come hell or high water.''

Balance

James's family and friends are key to his success in maintaining the balance between practising his Catholic faith and the very real obstacles he faces everyday in college life. He had particular praise for his grandfather who has always been a fantastic support and role model for James.

James was certain that ''if you have a good family, you can't go far wrong - if you're exhausted after a long day on the frontlines, your family is always a welcome retreat from being pilloried in the name of Catholicism and you can refuel and be ready for another day on the battlefield''.

James is lucky to have the benefit of a family that shares his beliefs and he feels very secure in his faith and confident that he can stand up to everything the world might throw at him through ongoing prayer and his trust in God.