Heneberry spent Sunday preparing for the church's World Youth Day in Toronto and rebuffing critics who said Cardinal Bernard Law failed to respond swiftly enough to the church's child sex abuse scandal.

"Most of us just want the fuss to go away. We just want to worship and pray without people from the outside telling us what's wrong," Heneberry said after Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. "I don't think I've changed because of this. I don't think the youth of the archdiocese have changed."

The Dedham resident was one of about 600 Boston area youths planning to attend the conference starting Tuesday, which will include an appearance by the Pope.

Law rallied the youth pilgrims during Mass, asking them "Are you ready?"

Law, however, offered no reaction to the first national meeting of a lay reform group, created in reaction to the sex abuse scandal.

An estimated 4,000 Voice of the Faithful members from 35 states and seven countries signed a petition Saturday urging Pope John Paul II to endorse reform policies that U.S. bishops approved in June.

Law, who has come under fire for not acting quickly enough to remove priests accused of sexually abusing children, focused his attention on World Youth Day, an event that began in Rome in 1985 and which draws thousands of young people.

"I can assure you that the Holy Father is looking forward to this meeting with the youth of the world ... Are you ready?" Law asked to the teens, who responded with cheers.

Law did not expect discussion of the scandal to dominate the trip.

"That issue is being dealt with at the level of the diocese," Law told reporters. "I don't think that will be the principal focus at World Youth Day."

James Post, president of the Voice of the Faithful, said at a separate news conference that the abuse issue must not be ignored.

"I hope and pray that the Catholic leadership will acknowledge to young people the responsibility to address the issue of abuse, one of the greatest social issues of our time," Post said.

The only way to fix the problem is to give rank-and-file church members more power, said Bonnie Ciambotti, 49, a state employee from Newton and Voice of the Faithful member.

Ciambotti said she was deeply moved by stories of people who said they were victimized by priests.

"I'm here to apologize for not being active in their struggle and mistakenly believing the people in control would take care of this," she said.

Some protesters who gathered outside the Cathedral said the Voice of the Faithful's criticism is too timid. They called on Boston area Catholics to refuse to attend Mass on Sept. 22 as a show of defiance.

"It's one thing to cut back on your donations, but you have to be more vocal. You have to take action," said Tom Brazil, a 57-year-old nurse from Norwood.

Several dozen "youth pilgrims," as Law called them, received a special blessing at the end of the service.

"As I look out upon you young people, I wonder how many of you God may be calling to serve the church and your brothers and sisters as religious women, as a religious man," Law said.

"I wonder how many of you young men God may be calling to join these young priests, and some not so young, who join me at this altar," he continued.

Fourteen young people -- including two women -- responded to Law's invitation to join him for a special prayer if God is calling them to be "a priest, a brother."

Most of the young people who attended the Mass, like 15-year-old Casey Cobbett of Bridgewater, said their faith was unshaken by the scandal.

"I don't worship priests or bishops. I'm a Catholic. I'm here to worship Jesus Christ," Cobbett said. "We're all human. We all make mistakes. He's (Law) a person. He's not God."