Every now and then, it is important to be reminded that youth ministry includes Scouting, Campfire, and the Girl Scouts.

ST. LOUIS, MO — Nearly 60 young women went “Inside the Fire,” at the annual Catholic Retreat for Girls in Scouting last weekend. Held at Camp Fiddlecreek in Gray Summit, the retreat was sponsored by the archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, which is part of the archdiocesan Catholic Youth Apostolate’s Office of Catholic Scouting.

The girls also participated in games, skits, a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt and other activities. Talks were presented on topics including using the gifts of the Holy Spirit, praying through music and chastity and respect for one’s body. Girl Scout chaplain Father Thomas Pastorius said Catholic retreats are essential for Scouts because “it allows their faith to be a part of their everyday lives. Faith touches every aspect of their lives, including Scouting. Scouting helps develop young girls into women, and we obviously want faith to be a part of that.” Read more here.

In twenty-three years, Brandon has already developed quite the faith story.

SIOUX CITY, IA — For one youth minister in the Diocese of Sioux City, his faith journey to this point has been quite the winding path. While Brandon Harvey, 23, youth minister at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, was born and raised Catholic, the journey to truly discover the richness of the faith had many twists and turns. “I don’t think I could have come to Catholicism if I hadn’t gone through these channels first,” he said. “I think God used those times that weren’t so good to get me to where I am now.” Read more here.

Always nice to hear youth ministry described as a “top priority.”

DETROIT, MI — The Archdiocese of Detroit is being praised by Jerry Goebel for its support of youth ministry projects and presentations including his own outreach to incarcerated youth. Seen as the top priority in the Archdiocese, youth issues require specific understanding of our culture, home environment and the individual maturity of adolescents. Goebel calls young people in an increasingly globalized world the “diversity generation” and hails their motivations as no less than heroic. Read more here.