A drop-in centre, counselling services and a helpline were set up in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast last night to counter a spate of suicides.
Some 18 people have taken their own lives in the area since Christmas, two in the past week alone.
Father Aidan Troy of the Holy Cross parish told The Irish Times last night he firmly believed paramilitary squads who attack young people were central to the suicide problem, along with local deprivation and a sense of hopelessness.
Mr Bernard Cairns (18), was found by Father Troy and a curate hanging from scaffolding at Holy Cross Church on Saturday. The discovery was made shortly after the funeral of Mr Cairns's best friend, Anthony O'Neill also 18, who took his life last week. Both had suffered paramilitary "punishment attacks".
"Young Anthony O'Neill, whom I buried on Saturday, had been put down a manhole as a punishment," Father Troy said last night. "Mr Cairns had been shot in 2002 by the INLA. Everyone who seems to have been punished has died." He said the situation was "almost out of control".
He was also severely critical of the paramilitary involvement in cannabis and ecstasy rackets. There is no suggestion of substance abuse in the cases of either teenager.
A spokesman for the Irish Republican Socialist Party, which is linked to the INLA, denied the organisation was in any way responsible for the deaths of the two teenagers. But he added that he could not speak for the INLA itself.
Father Troy said he "put very little store" on the denials and called on the INLA to state that no more young people in Ardoyne would be under threat. He offered to meet the organisation and to work for a resolution.
"It is too serious for me to play precious. I will go anywhere at any time if I can get some resolution to this," he said.
According to the Association of Suicidology, there were some 140 deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months. Some 35 of these were under the age of 35, many of them teenagers.
Community workers, health professionals, clergy and political representatives have taken part in a public forum in Ardoyne to agree an urgent response to the problem.
Organised under the auspices of People Interested in Preventing Suicide, more than 100 attended.
They agreed to open a room in a community centre as a drop-in facility, with professional counselling services available both on a one-to-one basis and by telephone.
It is understood this will be an immediate response pending establishment of more long-term facilities for young people.