The Office of Diocesan Youth Ministry has applied the theme of “a special year of the Eucharist” to all of its 2004-2005 activities and programs.
Assistant director of the Office of Youth Ministry, Kate Iadipaolo, said, “It is our hope that each young person that attends one of our programs will leave knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist.”
To remind young people of what is real, “Get real…the real presence” will be the basis for the teaching at each event of all this year’s programs. Youth Rally, which is the kick-off-event for the year on October 17th, will announce the theme and all the events for this year. Every activity and event, from the Junior High BASH to the Youth Minister Retreat and Work Camp 2005, will be planned and formed according to this theme.
Working together with the Office of Catechetics, the Youth Office is planning to offer a new Diocesan Confirmation Retreat this April. This day-long retreat will include activities such as talks on the Holy Spirit and the sacrament of confirmation, small group discussions, confessions and Mass. Speakers including Bob Rice, a professor from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and an entertainer at the annual Steubenville Conferences will be taking part at this retreat.
The Youth Ministry Office also released the new “Youth Ministry Resource Manual” to assist the coordinators youth ministry and the parish staff in ministering to young people of their parish. This over-200-page manual contains an overview of the eight components of youth ministry as defined in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document, “Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry” and ideas on how to apply these to a parish. The manual also contains the recommended Catholic curriculum for teenagers, the latest code of conduct for youth workers and the latest recommendations on permission slips from the Office of Risk Management. This manual can be found at www.ArlingtonCatholicYouth.org.
