Youth Ministry:

 

We must keep our mission - to empower young people to live as Disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today - in the forefront of our minds  (Jn 13:34-35). The world will know we are His disciples by our love.  By drawing young people into the source and the summit of our faith, the Eucharist, not only do they grow to love Christ intimately and sacrificially, but so do we. As we grow in personal holiness, we become the change that we long to see in the world, we become visible disciples of Christ. 

In challenging them to be the change they long to see in the world, we should draw them into active participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic Church.  For the Church is the place where God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament - coming into contact with the source of the Churches life.  Through the sacraments the youth should be welcomed and encouraged to grow in Christ, working side by side with adults as they grow into mature adults in their own faith.

As we work side by side, we should be the image of Christ to them, giving a good example that will foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person as we nurture and lovingly guide them to a deeper understanding of Christ and his Church.  Our lives must be a witness to our Catholic identity, opening up the door to address the obstacles on the path of spiritual growth. We must have the courage to speak to the issues of this day brought about by the changing tides of a culture rooted in secular humanism.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb 13:8).  He is the rock, which we must trust in all things. In Novo Millenio Ineunte,   John Paul the Great said, "Our Christian communities must become genuine schools of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly falls in love."   These communities of love are crucial for the spiritual growth and development of our young people.  These are the communities we want to continue to build here in our diocese, communities that beat with a universal heart - the Sacred Heart of Jesus.