All right, two Carolina’s, two Dakota’s, two Virginia’s… We got to celebrate the two Washington’s as well. Of course, last year we visited both the state and the district separately, but we will now visited them both… you guessed it, two-by-two

+ More buttons on the Seattle site… serves as a great visual menu!

+ We forgot Spokane last year, but, maybe not.  A google search of the site did not offer much to see catholic youth ministry-wise there…

+ While over in Yakima, we find Guidelines for Quinceaneras in Spanish

+ Mixed Messages is a series of chastity presentations being offered by Washington, D.C. 

+ Great picture of young people blessing their Archbishop on the cover of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA site.  Sweet!

We are getting closer and closer to the end of the tour folks…

Was back on Relevant Radio this morning – my third visit (See June 24 and July 22)  If you want to give a listen, you can either play the Streaming Broadcast or Download for later use.

As usual, we referenced some things on the blog such as Sunday’s Prayer Meme and Would Jesus be in Myspace? which was an article that had been published a few years back.

Meanwhile, thanks to Sean Herriott and the production staff of “Morning Air” for making this all happen.  And Sean…make sure your daughter wears her bike helmet!

ALBANY, NY — According to  two now-active Catholics and many youth ministers in the Albany Diocese, delaying an adolescent’s confirmation until he or she feels ready can be a smart choice.

Eileen Davenport, assistant for special programs at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry in Albany — the diocese’s graduate school for theology — said questioning one’s Catholic faith during adolescence is “not a bad thing.” “It shows they’re developing in their faith and they’re looking for answers,” she said. Read this recent Catholic News Service article.

BALTIMORE, MD — We upgraded the banner above recently to note the availability of this workshop at the upcoming NCCYM in New Orleans.

It is an honor to be able to serve the church by “Equipping the Saints for Ministr.”

Still in the doubling-up mode, but actually breaking from alphabetical order to do it! I know, I know, last year, Virginia and West Virginia were days apart, but here they are together… Ohhh, the chaos!

+ There is a side column with upcoming events (with attached mini-images) on the Arlington site. Nice visual (branding) effect.

+ Richmond offered a set of F.A.Q.’s (and answers!) related to Confirmation preparation.

+ The youth conference for Wheeling – Charleston recently moved off the Thanksgiving weekend to earlier in November.

We will resume alphabetical order tomorrow with Washington.

I’m been hounding our local Catholic newspaper reporter lately with stories and articles like this one from the New York Times. I’ve sweated the economy before while noting the relentless optimism of millennials while also singing along to we are all in this together.

That all being said, there must be an impact of the economy of youth and young adults today. My youngest daughter recently celebrated getting her first “real job” at 18 – -  a position that she had applied for months and months in advance.  There was joy and hope for her, but this is not an experience overwhelming shared within her peer group.  Louis Uchitelle of the NYTimes reports:

For young adults, the prospects in the workplace, even for the college-educated, have rarely been so bleak. Apart from the 14 percent who are unemployed and seeking work, as Scott Nicholson is, 23 percent are not even seeking a job, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total, 37 percent, is the highest in more than three decades and a rate reminiscent of the 1930s.

The college-educated among these young adults are better off. But nearly 17 percent are either unemployed or not seeking work, a record level (although some are in graduate school). The unemployment rate for college-educated young adults, 5.5 percent, is nearly double what it was on the eve of the Great Recession, in 2007, and the highest level — by almost two percentage points — since the bureau started to keep records in 1994 for those with at least four years of college.

For catholic youth ministry, this is a matter of advocacy and pastoral care as well as fostering the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person. This is something towards which we need to “stay tuned.”

When I sing the Alphabet Song (what of it, don’t you still do it?), it seems I come to the near end of it all and mumble “U & V” together to sound like “You envy.” And after last year’s visit to Utah and Vermont what’s not to be jealous all over?  Beautiful areas of the country to minister in, my friends.

+ Salt Lake has a rare set of links related to contests.

+ The Office of Catholic Formation in Burlington coordinates events including Vermont Catholic Youth Conference, pilgrimages to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., Middle School Rallies, and Mount 2000 and Beyond Retreats.

There was a combination of two state groupings…  but this was a unique match-up, I think.

Father Austin, my blog’s spiritual advisor, recently tagged me with this meme, after he got it from Deacon Greg, who I read regularly. The deacon broadcaster got it from Julie who received it from another of my blog reads, the IronicCatholic.

IC received it from Mary who got it from Kate who got it from Fr. John Boyle who got it from Karen who got it from Dominic Mary who got it from Mac McLernon’s Mulier Fortis  who started the whole thing July 19th and begat it to all of us.

The rules, as stated by the sources, are: Name your three most favourite prayers, and explain why they’re your favourites. Then tag five bloggers – give them a link, and then go and tell them they have been tagged. Finally, tell the person who tagged you that you’ve completed the meme… The Liturgy and the Sacraments are off limits here. I’m more interested in people’s favourite devotional prayers.

Here we go:

> The Classics:  When leading public prayer, I default to involving others in completing prayer with me by reciting together an Our Father, a Hail Mary, or a Glory Be.  With Catholic identity factors as a consideration, it seems a fitting inclusive way to complete spontaneous prayer.

> The Rosary: In tough patches of life, when negative thoughts can overwhelm my attention, a decade of the Rosary proves to be a good palette cleanser. (Yea, I know that seems like doubling up… but deal with it… different purposes make for different prayer.)

> Prayer before Meals: It is a simple little prayer but when reciting it, a mental connection is made between that salad or steak, or BLT sandwich and the company with which it is shared to the Eucharistic supper… 

And, now, to pass it forward…  Hey, Roy Petitfils, Randy Raus, Bob Rice, Judy McDonald, and John Rinaldo… Tag, you’re it!   YOU ALL ARE IT.  Everyone can play in the comments section-What are your favorite (spelling it the non-British way) prayers???

From the “mentors:”

 Be bold. Be amazing.

Simon de Pury
Work of Art

 Make it work.

Tim Gunn
Project Runway

So, here we are for a second day of visiting the Lone Star state – exhausted from reviewing seven dioceses yesterday, we are finishing it off by visiting eight today. Here we go:

+ I really like the calendar buttons on the Fort Worth page – it’s very visual

+ CYM Connect offers Galveston – Houston Youth Ministry Leaders the chance to connect with the peers from throughout the Archdiocese for prayer, discussion of Youth ministry topics and networking.

+ Laredo is without a director, but lists Ruben Garza as secretary

+ Unsure if Lubbockians are served by either LubbockCatholicYouth or Catholic Lubbock

+ For at least the second year running, we could not find anything youth ministry-friendly in San Angelo.

+ They place a value on formation in San Antonio.

+ In Tyler, they need to update their site from last fall.

+ NET ministries comes to Victoria for D-Week (D for Discipleship)

See you again Monday!