Sunday Sept. 30

WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS
In September,  despite a systems failure (9/16-19). the Catholic Youth Ministry blog discussed adolescent faith formation (09/04) and ecclesial lay ministry (09/11-24) along with the following features:
> First Up, a new feature utilizing SlideShare, experienced it’s premier edition looking at Refocusing Catholic Youth Ministry (09/01). Also added were the Beloit Mindset List (9/06), an introduction to our new youth ministers (9/13), eight simple rules for success  (9/23), and a promo for the 2008 Pilgrimage (9/27)
> Inside the Youth Ministers Studio, a weekly pod-cast, featured Tony Campolo (9/05 and 12) along with Jeff Kaster. (09/26)
> We concluded visiting the States of Youth Ministry picking up with South Carolina and went off-shore to the territories and eparchies.  (9/01-22). Next stop:  Canada??
> YouTube entries included a rerun of a Campolo interview (9/03), a Sister Act version of Hail, Holy Queen (9/08), Stephan Colbert take on Mother Teresa (6/21), a last lecture (6/24), and the program [blogging]
DARE YOU TO MOVE
Youth Contact went well yesterday.  We were matching some of the same themes stuck up by Bishop Zubik as he was installed in Pittsburgh. He challenged the faithful to "be excited about our faith, and how we live it. . . I dare you to join with me today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. I dare you to join me in being excited about our faith, not tomorrow but today. . . Can people who see us day in and day out know without question that we’re proud of our faith, that we’re dependent upon God and that we’re excited about doing his work?"  Read more here. [church]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BALL BEARING
AND A BEACH BALL
Seth Godin poses the question: Which do you want to be?  Do you want to be a ball bearing – small, hard to find and continually in the state of being polished. Do you want to leave others with a deep impression when they get hit with it. Or do you want to be a beach ball – big, seen all over the place, colorful and yet leaving very little impression when it hits. A beach ball is very fragile indeed and must avoid challenging environments, because it requires so much air to keep it afloat. A weighty ball bearing can withstand both challenging environments along with the pin pricks of adversity.  [culture]

Saturday Sept. 29

CARDINAL CONTACT LAST ROUND
At the end of Friday, Cardinal Keeler took at lap around all of his offices in the Catholic Center, shook hands, and said "thank you." God bless you, Cardinal Keeler. [church]
YOUTH CONTACT ROUND 2
Today is our second round of the Youth Contact experience 2008. Differences: Mark, the boss, is back from his Ecuador travels, so we are relieved to have a fourth presenter.  Also, the crowd has tripled in size. Pray for us. [work day]
UN CHRISTIAN
When young people were asked to identify their impressions of Christianity, one of the common themes was "Christianity is changed from what it used to be" and "Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus." These comments were the most frequent unprompted images that young people called to mind, mentioned by one-quarter of both young non-Christians (23%) and born again Christians (22%). See more here. [youth ministry]

Friday Sept. 28
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY I
   The new laptop is here. It’s a Dell Latitude D620 and it’s pretty sweet. Can I just say how jazzed I am that there was no noticeable disruption in service for you. Whew! [blogging]
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY II
   You probably can figure out where I stand on this. . . this report indicates that "where K-12 schools are hampered by fear of technology and how teens might abuse it, lack of resources/staffing and the mandate of teaching to the test, colleges and universities are embracing technology and beginning to see the positive impact on learning." [youth ministry]
PILGRIMAGE ’08
   For the Youth Contact meeting on Saturday, I’ve prepared two presentations to help promote.  This second one is my latest effort as a producer of YouTube content.  The editing is done by a highly skilled local youth minister.    [work day]

Thursday Sept. 27
HOLD YOUR BREATH
   The IT Gods are, allegedly, gracing me with a new laptop today.  What this means for my internet connection has yet to be seen. Be patient if I drop-out for a day or two. [blogging]
PILGRIMAGE ’08
(To view with full screen, go to the SlideShare page here.)For the Youth Contact meeting on Saturday, I’ve prepared two presentations to help promote the annual Youth and Young Adult Pilgrimage  This first one will be offered as you see and hear while the staff provides a voiced-over overview of the annual tradition.  [work day]
THE U.S. CHURCH’S BEST INVESTMENT
   Despite its strategic importance, Hispanic youth and young adult ministry suffers from a chronic shortage of paid personnel, training resources, and other financial support. Among those surveyed, 65 percent completed at least high school and the majority (61 percent) is bilingual. However, these largely single lay leaders are virtually all volunteers! The future of the church in the United States will be largely determined by our ability to form leaders, both clerical and lay, from this generation of Hispanics. Hence, wise stewards must ask: Why do we continue to invest disproportionate amounts of Catholic youth ministry resources in non-Hispanics? Can we invest more in this booming youth market for our faith? The Encuentro highlights the value and consequent requisite care of our long-disregarded family’s heirlooms — Latino and Latina young people. Read more here. [youth ministry]

Wednesday Sept. 26
JEFF KASTER IS "INSIDE
THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO"
<<Enter the studio here.>>  Fall.  College starts. Young minds engaged. Jeff Kaster visits the studio and gets us all thinking about lay ecclesial ministry, accountability to our bishops, the communal side of discipleship, and more – all in less than 11 minutes. Give a listen. [studio]
PAPAL TOUR ’08
   So, I asked around about my own theories shared on this site last Saturday.  It does not look as if a youth event is on the Vatican’s traveling road show’s radar screen. . . yet?  Anyway, there seems to be a growing consensus regarding the theme of the UN visit with additional thoughts from Rocco regarding an intervention at the UN yesterday. Be advised, church, we’re going green! [pope]

Tuesday Sept. 25

A SPIRIT IN MAN, THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY
   (With grateful acknowledgment to Ian’s YouthBlog) The next revolution in youth ministry can be found in Job 32:
So Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite, spoke out and said: I am young and you are very old; therefore I held back and was afraid to declare to you my knowledge. Days should speak, I thought, and many years teach wisdom! But it is a spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not those of many days who are wise, nor the aged who understand the right.  Therefore I say, hearken to me; let me too set forth my knowledge!
     . . . I too will speak my part; I also will show my knowledge! For I am full of matters to utter; the spirit within me compels me. Like a new wineskin with wine under pressure, my bosom is ready to burst. Let me speak and obtain relief; let me open my lips, and make reply. [youth ministry]
SHARING THE NEWS
   The office newsletter is up and on-line- actually holding up to an every two week pattern- go figure!
THOSE WHO HAVE EARS
When Amy Welborn clips a blog entry on youth and campus ministry like this one, it’s important to take note because so many others are. [youth ministry]

Monday Sept. 24

LIVING LIFE LIKE YOU WERE DYING
They had come to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." This is a common title for talks on college campuses today. Schools such as Stanford and the University of Alabama have mounted "Last Lecture Series," in which top professors are asked to think deeply about what matters to them and to give hypothetical final talks. For the audience, the question to be mulled is this: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? At Carnegie Mellon, however, Dr. Pausch’s speech was more than just an academic exercise. The 46-year-old father of three has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months. His lecture, using images on a giant screen, turned out to be a rollicking and riveting journey through the lessons of his life. Read more here. Deacon Greg offered a homily this weekend about this as well. . . . By the way- Me??? Still climbing over brick walls- not dead yet! [culture]
GO RAVENS
   In what has become a too-familiar pattern for the weekend, the Ravens beat the Cardinals on a game-ending field goal. [friends and family]
CO-WORKERS: THE DISCUSSION CONTINUES
   In April 2008, six national organizations will band together for a National Ministry Summit to address emerging models in pastoral leadership. [church]

Sunday Sept. 23

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES
(To view with full screen, go to the SlideShare page here.) Again, the simple beauty and learning available form slideshare. Here’s a quickie- how to get towards success.  Enjoy.  [slide share]
GO NAVY
   The Naval Academy beat Duke today 46-43 with a game-ending field goal. I think I received more exposure to the sun in a few hours than I had all summer.  Tailgating before and afterwards- priceless.  And a win. . . awesome!  [friends and family]
SEA OF PINK
   "You’re always hearing about the youth of the world and how bad things are. Well, they’re not that bad." Two teens lead a "sea of pink" campaign to help a classmate deal with bullies.  See more here. [youth ministry]
CO-WORKERS:  RECOMMENDATIONS
   The Symposium in Collegeville created national recommendations to advance lay ecclesial ministry in the United States. The following recommendations were generated in the areas of: Pathways to Ministry, Formation for Lay Ecclesial Ministry, Authorization for Lay Ecclesial Ministry, and Workplace Issues.  [church]

Saturday Sept. 22

HERE COMES THE POPE
   One of the consequences of my unscheduled "systems crash" earlier this week was the inability to forward or comment on this report and this report that the Pope will be in the states April 15-20, 2008.  All indications are that New York and the UN are the cornerstone of the trip.  DC and Boston seem to be intended additional stops and Baltimore (God help us!) is mentioned as in the running as well.  What has not been mentioned is a youth event, which seems to remain a JPII holdover on the papal itinerary for BXIV’s travel. (see: Loreto, September 2007; Assisi, June 2007; Brazil, May 2007; Pavia, April 2007; and Poland, May, 2006)  Meanwhile, is it too much to hope, that if he is visiting, that he wears some funky vestments such as he does in the picture? (Click pic to enlarge!)  [pope]
YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT
   There was one movie on the must-see list all summer and I almost missed it before summer was over.   Hairspray was great.  It was an overly optimistic coda to a complicated week.  From the opening strains of “Good Morning, Baltimore” to the celebratory finale of “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” the movie doesn’t relent on earnest hopefulness.  John Travolta will likely get some award nominations, but it shouldn’t be for lifetime achievement or cross-dressing.  It should be because he nailed the Bal-mer “hon” accent.  Amanda Bynes plays Penny Pingleton by spending a majority of the movie in a Harpo Marx-ist mime that conveys vacuous blonde innocent combined with a deeply buried but simmering lust. Queen Latifah is the peaceful rebel-rouser. Brittany Snow’s character and performance demand the spotlight despite a full and talented cast.  Finally, Nikki Blonsky is irresistible as the movie’s moral center, Tracy Turnblad. If you haven’t seen this yet, catch the DVD when it comes out! I will. Summer Movie Final Count: 16 [culture]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY
   Whew!  Cool!  It all started on July 7th and the tour has finally wrapped up.  Hope you enjoy our visit.  Next stop (after an appropriate break for the virtual world’s equivalent of packing, repacking, and washing underwear.) . . .  our neighbors in CANADA! [state]
CO-WORKERS:  REVISIT AND REDEFINE
Bishop Gregory Aymond, in The Movement of the Spirit: Challenges and Reasons for Hope suggests: the document Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord is being rewritten by  this conversation. The Spirit is helping us put flesh on the bones. That document represents the  bones of lay ecclesial ministry. This conversation helps to rewrite it. The document was written after much work, consultation, deliberation and many, many revisions. As we live it, as we discuss it here, we rewrite it. I call our attention to page sixty-seven of the document that says, and I quote, “Within the next five years, it will be helpful to revisit the material here and redefine it in the light of our experience.” This revisiting must be guided, and is guided by the Holy Spirit.  [church]

Friday Sept. 21

A FUNNY DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
   Steven Colbert takes on Mother Teresa in a manner only a Catholic could.  There is a lot of irreverence and respect all at the same time.  Even the Jesuits were not immune! [funny stuff]
SERIOUS CRASH OF THE SOUL
   Yesterday, I reported about the system crash by hard drive and personal drive experienced. Lesson learned:  I do not need to blog.  I choose to blog. I do not need to push in various corners, I choose to. I haven’t chosen to take better care of organizing my self and life.  I need to.  [blogging] CO-WORKERS: NEW PENTECOST
Sr. Ana Maria Pineda, Ph. D., in The Movement of the Holy Spirit: Challenges and Hope! claims that: in the midst of such richness, I believe that through the struggle to understand the call to lay ecclesial ministry the Spirit is pushing us to examine anew the vocation of both the ordained and non-ordained. And what relationship exists between them? We struggle with the question of authorization and certification, and that is a good and healthy sign. Because ultimately it is the work of the Spirit. And all of this fills me with many reasons for hope, and a felt assurance that we are living a New Pentecost and that the Spirit is among us.  [church]s

Thursday Sept. 20
SYSTEM CRASH
   So- what happened, where have I been?  My office laptop crashed Sunday morning… (Thank God it was after the youth contact meeting!)  The system reverted to its most primitive state, I couldn’t find any files and couldn’t access any programs. I was out of the office  for the last two days and had difficulty gaining IT’s attention to my issues until today.  Meanwhile, I have also slept more in the past three days than I could possibly imagine. This period of "systems crashing" has offered much – both for your inspection as well as personal introspection. But will pick that up tomorrow. [blogging]
CO-WORKERS: BEST PLACE TO WORK
   Michael Brough, in Raising Expectations in the Ministerial Workplace, asks us to: Imagine if you opened your daily newspaper and saw the headline, “Catholic Church voted ‘Best Place to Work’ in national survey!” Those who create such lists define great places to work as where employees "trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with." Co-Workers in the Vineyard speaks of “close mutual collaboration” and “enabling all the disciples to realize their calling to holiness and service…” . [church]
"STATE" OF YOUTH MINISTRY: VIRGIN ISLANDS
** The Diocese of St. Thomas does not have a youth ministry page but does report the following in their "vision and ministry" report: Bishop Vincent Darius of St. George-in-Grenada, led the Regional Catholic Youth Conference on St. Thomas; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church hired a full-time youth minister; youth choirs were started at Holy Family Church, St. Anne Chapel and St. Patrick Church; youth groups were started at Holy Family, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and St. Anne Chapel; and three Catholic schools hosted summer camps.  [state]

Saturday Sept. 15

CALLED TO WITNESS
   Your prayers are encouraged for the participants of Catholic Relief Services annual immersion trip for professional youth ministers.  They depart today, after a two-day orientation in Baltimore (where CRS is housed) for Ecuador. This trip is co-sponsored by the NFCYM. More information here and here. [youth ministry]
YOUTH CONTACT
   Your prayersToday is the first of two of our annual gatherings of our Youth Contact meeting. Subject matter:  Evangelization and Safe Touch/ Sexuality.  What a mix! [work day]
CO-WORKERS: THE WORD "MINISTRY"
   Msgr. Michael J. Hoeppner, in his Thoughts and Concerns Regarding the Authorization of Lay Ecclesial Ministers states that: Co-Workers is presented as “A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry” (emphasis added). The document “attempts to ensure that development of lay ecclesial ministry will occur in ways that are faithful to the Church’s theological and doctrinal tradition and that respond to current pastoral needs and situations” (emphasis added). Certainly, as Avery Cardinal Dulles and others point out, the word “ministry” is validly applied to the service of both the lay faithful and the ordained. [church]
"STATE" OF YOUTH MINISTRY: PUERTO RICO
** There are five dioceses in Puerto Rico, none of whom seem to have a significant we presence. They include: Arecibo, Caguas, Mayaguez, Ponce, and the Archdiocese of San Juan. [state]

Friday Sept. 14
TRIUMPH
   I first met Danielle Rose  at NCYC’s and was always impressed more by her backstage manners than her quality on-stage leadership on song and prayer. She would greet the security guards by name with a smile and a hug. Now comes the news that on August 2, 2007 Danielle Rose entered religious life as an aspirant with a community of Franciscan Sisters called "The Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ." Read more here. [church]
CO-WORKERS: NO SUCH THING AS A FREELANCE LEM
   Susan Wood, regarding the Authorization of Lay Ecclesial Ministers reminds us that: One of the challenges among lay ecclesial ministers will be whether or not they see authorization as a vehicle for communion in a church, or whether they see it as an exercise of power, which limits them. Ed Hahnenberg said last night, “Power is a reality” and I think we have to recognize that the person who authorizes is exercising power. But, may I hasten to add, that the principle behind authorization is that there’s no such thing as a freelance lay ecclesial minister.  [church]
"STATE" OF YOUTH MINISTRY: WASHINGTON, DC
   After we toured past Maryland, I got an e-mail pointing out that it looked as if I was skipping DC.  Nope, it was the plan all along to get through the fifty states and to continue into the rest of the US Catholic population, wherever we find them. . .  which includes:
** Washington, DC has the district as well as some counties in Maryland and Virginia. The Our Lady of Mattaponi youth retreat and conference center is past of the youth offices services.
** The Archdiocese of Military Services, USA has a well designed site, which is so important for a diocese dependant on the world wide web to reach their world wide diocese. They have a podcast site, which includes the director’s visit inside the youth ministers studio. In just over two weeks, Baltimore will acquire Archbishop O’Brien from the military chaplaincy. [state]

Thursday Sept. 13

LET’S GET IT STARTED 
(To view with full screen or comment or contribute to the conversation, go to the SlideShare page here.) Yesterday was our new youth ministers orientation.  It’s an effort to mind-meld as much possible information in one day regarding youth ministry in the Archdiocese. [work day]
CO-WORKERS:
THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 
Dr. Edward Hahnenberg, in The Holy Spirit’s Call in Ordering Lay Ecclesial Ministers with our Church, claims: I believe the single most important line of Co-Workers is buried in the middle of the third paragraph on page 14: “Lay ecclesial ministry has emerged and taken shape in our country through the working of the Holy Spirit.” Whether or not the bishops realized it, here they committed themselves to an important theological claim: This thing is of God.  [church]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: WYOMING
** Cheyenne has their fall conference coming up in October.  [state]

Wednesday September 12
TONY CAMPOLO IS STILL "INSIDE
THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO"
<<Enter the studio here.>>  Dr. Campolo’s resume includes appearances on The Colbert Report, Nightline, Larry King Live, CNN News, and MSNBC News. And now. . . Inside the Youth Ministers’ Studio. Here is part II of the Campolo interview!  [studio]
DIRECTORY OF SERVICES
   Yesterday, we finalized the office directory of services book- an impressive little twelve page look into our office. It will go up on-line today and hard copies will be distributed at today’s new youth ministers orientation. UPDATE: The link is now live here. [work day]
CO-WORKERS: SHARE IN THE PRIESTLY OFFICE
    Bishop David Zubik, in his The Tale of Three Trees and We presentation, states that: Lay ecclesial ministry traces its sacramental roots to the proper understanding of the Sacraments of Initiation in which God’s people are incorporated into the Body of Christ. Through baptism, all Christians share in the priestly office of Jesus. Although the baptismal priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood of the ordained share in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ, they differ not only in degree but in essence. I repeat, they differ not only in degree but in essence.  [church]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: WISCONSIN
** The cheeseheads of Green Bay utilizes Cultivation Ministries’ VITAL Youth Ministry Training.
** Chris Rogers, new staff person in Lacrosse introduces himself in the latest edition of the cleverly named LaCrosseRoads newsletter.
** Madison has the dreaded "under construction" sign on their site.
** In Milwaukee, home of one of my favorite bishops, has an extensive list of resources.
**  Superior has a "Youth Plan" which is an assessment tool to help parishes identify what youth ministry efforts are already in place in a parish/cluster and to determine what steps should be taken to continue building and improving youth ministry efforts. [state]

Tuesday 9/11

PRAYER
A good occasion to remember and pray the prayer of Mychal Judge O.F.M., NYFD chaplain:

Lord, take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say
And keep me out of your way.

CO-WORKERS
   In early August, there was A National Symposium on Lay Ecclesial Ministry: Working in the Vineyard of the Lord. Read more here. Throughout the next week, we will be calling your attention to the keynotes.   [church]
CO-WORKERS: AMPLIFY THE NATIONAL WILL
   Jeffrey Kaster opened and outlined the History, Context, and Vision for the Symposium including this quote: So what’s our vision for this symposium? There are four goals. And I think these are important for me to state before we conclude here. The first goal is to amplify the national will to advance lay ecclesial ministry in the United States. [church]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: WEST VIRGINIA
** Wheeling – Charleston has the West Virginia Catholic Youth Conference coming up.  [state]

Monday Sept. 10

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??
Answer: YES!!!
  Despite what might have occurred on Thursday and Sunday, the season clearly begins tonight.
Go, Ravens! [family and friends]
TEENS AND SLEE . . . ZZZZZ
   Adolescents who don’t get enough rest have more learning, health, behavior and mood problems than students who get at least nine hours a night. Few adolescents get the sleep they need. In one recent study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that more than half of students slept seven hours or less, and almost one in five got less than six hours. Read more here.  [youth ministry]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: WASHINGTON
**  For the sake of avoiding the sin of envy, all diocesan staff should avoid reviewing the Staff Directory for Seattle.
** Could not find the youth related page for Spokane.
** Yakima has established the goals and the programs of their office. [state]

Sunday Sept. 09

A MECHANIC AND HIS DOG
A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of  eating all the grass in the mechanic’s lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside. The grass eventually became overgrown.
   One day the mechanic was working on a car in his backyard and dropped his wrench losing it in the tall grass. He couldn’t find it for the life of him so he decided to call it a day.
    That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard.  The next morning, the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight. Realizing what had happened, he looked up to the heavens and sang out loudly, proclaiming…
   "A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound that saved a wrench for me!"  (Thanks to Mikey’s Funnies) [funny stuff]
THE FULL-NESS OF DAY
  Let’s review Saturday: The Keep on Teaching conference sponsored by the African-American Ministries office, two hours in the office, mass, guest speaker at a high school catechesis program (yes, Saturday night!) and a birthday miniature golf tournament with friends/ youth ministry contacts.  We must be back in September! [work day]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: VIRGINIA
**  Over in Arlington, they have an awesome logo for their upcoming "Witness the Spirit" youth rally. Seriously, Kevin. I want a blue jean jacket with that bad boy on the back!
** Richmond has a Youth Day scheduled for Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. [state]

Saturday Sept.08

HAIL
  A little YouTube love toward the Holy Queen whose birth we commemorate today! Salve Regina!  [church]
THANKS, YOUR EMINENCE II
Rocco has the report from Thursday’s Appreciation of Cardinal William Keeler:
And, finally, the stars were out in force last night for Cardinal William Keeler’s appreciation dinner in the Baltimore Convention Center. As the hometown Orioles lost another one next door at Camden Yards, retired auxiliary Bishop William Newman joked — and, with the O’s 24 games back in the AL East, maybe rightly — that more of the faithful had come downtown for their outgoing archbishop than for the ballgame. Leading the lauds to his much-beloved predecessor, who formally hands him the reins of the Premier See on 1 October, incoming Archbishop Edwin O’Brien said that "You can’t retire experience — you must use it. Nor can you retire goodness or kindness." "I hope you can manage a day off here or there in the months and years ahead," the 14th successor of John Carroll told the 13th, "but not too many." Clearly, Rome agrees; in his own remarks, Keeler announced that, at the request of the Holy See, he will step up his involvement in international ecumenical and interreligious affairs, beginning next month at the next round of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in Ravenna. He’ll also remain the American hierarchy’s top liaison for Catholic-Jewish relations. As the crowd of 2,000 — headlined by Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and the cardinal’s sister, Julia, in from Toronto for the event — looked on, a half-hour tribute video ended with a greeting from Keeler’s longtime friend and sidekick, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whose excuse for his absence underscored that, indeed, there’s life after retirement: "I’m in the Arctic Ocean," the Ted said, "probably eating raw fish, while you’re eating all kinds of good stuff in Baltimore." McCarrick — who’s racked up more air miles than ever since leaving the DC church to Wuerl’s care 15 months ago — is serving as papal legate to a weeklong symposium in Greenland on "Religion, Science and the Environment" sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. [church]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: VERMONT
** Burlington has the Catholic Edge, an e-newsletter written, organized and published by members of the Diocesan Youth Council. [state]

Friday September 07

THANKS, YOUR EMINENCE
  An appreciation dinner was held last night for Cardinal Keeler. What a wonderful celebration of one man’s service to God and the Church.  [church]
A MEDITATION ON HARD WORK
  Seth Godin offered this Labor Day reflection on hard work. "If I’m doing this for fun (and I am) then I might as well doing something remarkable/great/worth doing. Otherwise, why bother?" Read it all here. (Thanks to Mikey’s Funnies) [funny stuff]
STATE OF CONFUSION: OHIO
  We blogged about Ohio on August 19, but, somehow, it never made it to the States complication page. Angry Ohioans have stormed the website with bitter complaints (ok, actually, it was only one and it was more whimper-ish than angry.) Anyway, that situation has been resolved.  [funny stuff]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: UTAH
**  Salt Lake City will host the Utah Congress which will features a Youth Ministry track with presenter Chris Culver of Notre Dame. [state]

Thursday Sept. 06

SAINT OF DARKNESS
"If ever I become a saint," Teresa of Calcutta said, "I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ " The Washington Post yesterday ran this excellent remembrance.  Great quote: Christianity teaches that grace is found in the worst of that suffering, and through a figure who despairs of God’s presence in his parting words. This anguish is not convenient — "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" is hardly the best religious marketing slogan. But for millennia this abandonment has offered hope that God might somehow be present even in shame, loneliness and betrayal, even on the descending path of depression, even in the soul’s hardness and doubt, even in the silence of God himself — and that all these things may be the preface to glory. [church]

TALKING ABOUT MY GENERATION
(To view with full screen or comment or contribute to the conversation, go to the SlideShare page here.) Almost immediately after publishing "Refocusing Catholic Youth Ministry.,"  I launched into making  this presentation of the Beloit Mindset List (as promised in last Thursday’s posting) [youth ministry]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: TEXAS (BORDER)
** Brownsville lists out over 20 different services of the office.
** El Paso has an annual pilgrimage to  Mt. Cristo Rey
** Laredo has forms available for World Youth Day 2008.
** San Angelo does not seem to have a specific page dedicated to youth ministry.
** San Antonio has information on formation for youth ministry. [state]

Wednesday Sept. 5

TONY CAMPOLO IS "INSIDE
THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO"
  <<Enter the studio here.>>  Well over a year ago, my mother calls to report that she has just seen this excellent speaker.  I put down my copy of Adventures in Missing the Point, and listen to her as she describes the passionate, justice-minded speaker that she had seen the previous night.  As she goes on and on, what comes to mind is that this must have been Tony Campolo, a speaker I remember seeing on the Youth Specialties national convention circuit back in the ’80′s (where he continues to have an active voice.) Recently, Tony co-authored his 34th book The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice. It was a thrill to share a phone call with Dr. Campolo. Folks, please give a listen to my mother’s favorite Inside the Youth Ministers’ Studio guest. [studio]
START SPREADING THE NEWS
Would you like to support this web-site?  Please go to the news page, copy and paste the text into a e-mail, and let others know about www.catholicYMblog.com! Thanks! [blogging]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: TEXAS (DEEP IN THE HEART)
**  Amarillo has CovenantTeen.com, a virtual Catholic Youth Organization which communicates through newsletters and other means of communication.
** The 50th Jubilee of the DCYC in Austin is taking place at the Waco Convention Center. Bishop Aymond is requesting that all parishes participate and are represented at this monumental event.
** Dallas has a collaboration with some parishes and Group Magazine n two upcoming fall trainings.
** Fort Worth has a well designed site. Their Youth Ministers’ Retreat will be led by Bob and Maggie McCarty.
** Lubbock does have a site for youth ministry.   [state]

Tuesday Sept. 04

THE A.B.C.’S. OF
ADOLESCENT FAITH FORMATION
   Laura Henning has contributed an eighth article to the NFCYM/ NCCL/ NCEA series of articles on adolescent catechesis.  In it, she dissects the Affective, Behavioral, Cognitive components that are "necessary for an effective, comprehensive catechetical approach to forming disciples."
   Now, I’ve been playing along on this topic, can I chime in? Previously, I’ve attempted to add Spiritual as another necessary component. (As hinted towards in this power-point presented at the NFCYM’s January 2OO6 Annual Membership Meeting as well as expanded upon in these postings on March 19 and 24, 2006.) Following Laura’s model, adding Spiritual would be look like:
  > AFFECTIVE: Loving/ Heart/ Context/ Faith Formation
  > BEHAVIORAL: Serving/ Hands/ Methodology Conspiracy/ Discipleship
  > COGNITIVE: Knowing/ Head/ Content/ Religious Education
  > SPIRITUAL: Being/ Home or Feet/ Communion/ Catholic Identity
     I’ve identified the Behavioral element as Conspiracy as that makes it more about the recipient than the provider.  The recipient is invited to con-spire (with Spirit) in faith. 
   The "Being" of SPIRITUAL is a sense of Home (where your Feet are planted/ from where your Feet will take you), continuing the on-going battle against spiritual homeless. . . which, of course, connects to our concerns regarding Catholic Identity as well.  As evidenced by the image and the March ’06 tables, these all tie into the GDC’s (and Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us) definition of what constitutes mature adult faith.
   Clear???  Maybe, I need to SlideShare this all together…? Comments? [youth ministry]
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND JUSTICE
   In The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice author and activist Tony Campolo (remember yesterday’s YouTube?) teams up with Protestant (but Jesuit trained) spiritual director Mary Albert Darling to show how contemplative spiritual practices can lead to greater intimacy with God and fuel passion for reaching out to others through spreading the Good News and fostering justice for the poor and oppressed. The authors reveal why this combination is not only crucial but historical and is vividly demonstrated in the lives of saints such as St. Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, and Catherine of Siena.  It’s a thick read but a good one. [blogging]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: TEXAS (GULF)
** Beaumont has some pictures from the 2006 Regional Youth Conference.
** Corpus Christi has Bob Rice and Chris Padgett at their October High School Spectacular.
** The OYM Hotwire is the place to get the latest information on Galveston – Houston‘s full and active slate on their site.
** Tyler (which is not located on the Gulf) is promoting Youth 2000.
** Victoria offers a full slate for Youth Leadership Training.  [state]

Monday Sept.03

DIGNITY OF WORK
Just as we need to remind ourselves as Americans that Labor Day is about workers and their unions, it is also important to remember as Catholics that the dignity of work and the rights of workers are central elements of Church teaching that continue to challenge all Catholics. For more than a century, the Church has insisted that “human work is a key, probably the essential key, to the whole social question” The US Bishops offer statement on Labor Day. [church]
TONY TWICE
I really try not to repeat stuff except, for those rare occasions where there is cause to celebrate something… Hmmmm, what’s occurring Wednesday Inside the Youth Ministers’ Studio that is  worth commemorating with an old June posting of a YouTube clip?  [blogging]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: TENNESSEE
**  Knoxville is searching for a CYM for the Smokey Mountain deanery.
**  Memphis has their 2007-2008 calendar posted up.
**  The Second Annual Teen Forum will be held in Nashville. It is presented by the Campus for Human Development’s Room in the Inn program . The day will be full of justice, community and solidarity.  [state]

Sunday September 02

INCONCEIVABLE
  Watched The Princess Bride last night at the Columbia lakeside – - – it is filled with memorable quotes.  My top ten:
  > "As you wish" (That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "As you wish", what he meant was, "I love you." And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.)
   > That Vizzini, he can *fuss*.  Fuss, fuss… I think he like to scream at *us*.  Probably he means no *harm*. He’s really very short on *charm*.
   > INCONCEIVABLE.  (You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.)
   > I do not mean to pry, but you don’t by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?
   > You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha… (after he falls dead: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned. – - They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.)
   > Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I’ve got my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I’m swamped.
  > You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.
  > Have fun storming the castle!!
  > Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…  So tweasure your wuv. Summer Movie Count: 15 [friends & family]
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: SOUTH DAKOTA
** Rapid City has the bulletin board website effect with links to TEC and the Youth Rally.
** WOW! Sioux Falls just claimed the prize for best looking site thus far. Also, a twelve page description of Totus Tuus is available. [state]

Saturday Sept. 01

REFOCUSING CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY
(To view with full screen or comment or contribute to the conversation, go to the SlideShare page here.) Is it time to re-vision the Vision of Youth Ministry?  And if so, what should our focus be?  Guests on this ambitious SlideShare slidecast. include Jeff Kaster, Mike Carotta from inside the youth ministers’ studio, and Sharon Bogusz from the Confirmation Summit.  If you could point towards the future of Catholic Youth Ministry, in which direction should we go?? 
STATE OF YOUTH MINISTRY: SOUTH CAROLINA
** Among the forms that Charleston provides, there is one for drivers that collects information on the car as well as the driver’s insurance.  [state]

(taped 08/29/07)

BIO: Jeffrey Kaster is director of Youth in Theoloy and Ministry at Saint John’s University School of Theology-Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota.  He is actively involved in the work associated with competency based standards for those involved in youth ministry as well as convened a national Lay Ministry symposium.

QUOTES TO NOTE: The New Testament just does not talk about individual disciples much. It really talks about a community of disciples. Jesus hung out with a group and after Jesus’ death and resurrection there was a church which is a community of disciples. I think a really good Catholic understanding of discipleship is that it involves a community, a group of people saying we’re committed to this mission, we’re committed to love God, love our neighbor, and ourselves.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Why do we ask the disciple question in every interview?  (Even Campolo answered it without being asked!)  It was because Jeff helped to pose the concern in this article

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for September 25th.

(taped on phone 08/22/07)

BIO: See below on September 5.

QUOTES TO NOTE: Every heresy is built on a neglected truth of Christianity. I contest that the “new age movement,” recognizing that main-line Christianity has downplayed the spiritual ecstasy of the individual. (They) have moved in and said, “We’re going to make a market where Christianity has failed to take advantage of what is at the heart of its genius.”  Christ wants us to not only believe in him, Christ wants to be in us.

Youth was made for heroism. . . We will lose this generation of young people not because we made Christianity too hard for them.  We will lose this generation of young people if we make Christianity too easy for them. 

BEHIND THE SCENES: Last week’s surprise at the end was that it was a two-parter.  After the music, we pick right  up with last week’s cliff-hanger question.

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for September 12th.

(taped by phone 08/22/07)

BIO: Tony Campolo, PhD, is professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University. As a media commentator on religious, social, and political matters, he’s appeared on numerous television programs including The Colbert Report, Nightline, Larry King Live, CNN News, and MSNBC News. Dr. Campolo is an ordained minister and the author of 34 books, including his most recent, The God of Intimacy and Action. 

QUOTE TO NOTE: The “best” spirituality drives you out to work for justice, work for the end of oppression.  Let justice roll down, let there be a commitment to that, that this is true religion, that this is true spirituality, say the Bible, “to love justice, to do mercy, and to walk humbly.  That’s the measure of spirituality.
   . . . If Christ is in you, If Christ is a driving presence in your life, you will be somebody who is committed to the poor and oppressed.

OBSCURE FACTOID: Dr. Campolo was originally set to speak in Annapolis and I was hoping for an actual face-to-face.  Nonetheless, he stepped outside of a busy schedule and graciously too the call mid-day from a hotel room somewhere in middle America. BEHIND THE SCENES: If you listen, you’ll note that I dropped my usual “format” with Dr. Campolo. There is an additional surprise at the end as well

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for September 5th.