Not so much news today.  More like editorial.

In this week’s edition of Newsweek, the cover stories take on the state of education.  And, we in youth ministry must be attuned to what is being said.  As a profession, we are “lumped in” to the education field, so much so that often our salary base guidelines are the equivalents of local teachers’ salaries.

So, it is worth both reading Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers as well as reading between the lines as well: “Yet in recent years researchers have discovered something that may seem obvious, but for many reasons was overlooked or denied. What really makes a difference, what matters more than the class size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher.” 

It is entirely possible that soon as a church that we are about to begin to question the quality of our pastoral ministers serving young people.  And, we will potentially default into a defensive position, such as “The problem is not the teachers, went the thinking—it’s the parents (or absence of parents); it’s society with all its distractions and pathologies; it’s the kids themselves. Not much can be done, really, except to keep the assembly line moving through “social promotion,” regardless of academic performance, and hope the students graduate.” Really, we who share in the responsibility “to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today” can neither pass the buck on our responsibilities nor settle for processing kids through their high school years and/or sacramental preparation.

And, then, you’ve got to wonder about our own preparation for ministry.  In a related article, Blackboard Jungle, this comes under examination: “Now when you talk to new teachers. . . their biggest complaint is that no one teaches them how to control a classroom. For the small fortune they spend to get a teaching degree, they get plenty of pedagogy (‘Reflections on Learning’ is a typical course name), which they generally don’t use. But their professors never seem to get around to teaching ‘Keeping Kids Under Control 101.’” And so, we need to take a look around… (and just sticking with the goals of Catholic youth ministry) How well do we equip ourselves as well as parents and adults to care for, love and disciple our young people?  How we do we empower and equip parish communities (not isolated youth groups or teen masses) to be settings for young people to fully and freely participate as they aspire towards the adventure of faith? Are we directing our efforts to a common denominator making everything comfy and safe for the kids (and ourselves) or are we fostering, promoting, demanding total personal and spiritual growth of each young person? 

If Newsweek did a cover story on us today, how would we fare?

In light of our own local activity regarding the state of education, these are the things that have been on my mind recently… and, perhaps, should be on yours as well.

EUSTON, ENGLAND – The first Catholic Youth Ministry Federation of England and Wales (CYMFed) Congress was held over the weekend and seems to have been a huge success. A packed crowd of over 1000 youth ministers filled Friends Meeting House for a day of inspiration and hope.  Bob and Maggie McCarty traveled from the states and offered a keynote.

During the Day CYMFed launched Mapping the Terrain – Discovering the reality of young Catholics, a groundbreaking research project into the lives and faith of 11-25 years olds in England and Wales. A quote to  note: “What is clear, however, is that this ‘diluting’ of core Catholic concepts amongst those who consider themselves Catholic doesn’t automatically remedy itself. Instead of rediscovering deeper and more profound perspectives on faith, the young adults (20-25) in the survey tend to stick with their adolescent views, or continue to find them increasingly diluted.”

They have begun to forge the personality of their own generation – - confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change.  They are more ethnically and racially diverse than those who have gone before them. They re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in American history. Their entry into careers and first jobs has been badly set back by the Great Recession, but they are more upbeat than their elders about their own economic futures as well as about the overall state of the nation.

They are the millennial generation.

The Pew Research  Center has been looking into what makes who are the millennials?  You should,too!

Today is usually news day… and I’m late posting and don’t got much.

Life has been hectic and it is throwing off the usual schedule…  We’ll be back up  to snuff soon.

We are all responsible for the future of the Church… therefore research assists in our efforts to form partnerships to bolster the structures that sustain ministries that demographically will/ should become the mainstream of our faith community.

NEW HAVEN, CT — Religious attitudes of young Americans, and young Catholics holds both promise and challenges for the Catholic Church according to the results of a new Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll. Some of the good news for the Catholic Church in the survey includes: 85% of Catholic Millennials (those 18-29) believe in God.  80% of Catholic Millennials see religion as at least “somewhat important” in their lives. 98% of practicing Catholics agree.

Among the challenges for the Church in reaching young people in the United States, the survey found that: Nearly 2 in 3 Catholic Millennials see themselves as at least somewhat more “spiritual” than “religious.” On the other hand, 55% of practicing Catholics see themselves as more “religious.” 82% of Catholic Millennials see morals as “relative.” The majority of practicing Catholics (54%) disagree. Read the entire Knights of Columbus press release.

WASHINGTON, DC – - Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, executive director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, announced February 4 the completion of a report titled National and Regional Hispanic Catholic Ministry Organizational Initiatives: An Assessment.

Limited outreach to youth and to a large segment of Hispanics who are not parish affiliates in a formal way are also seen as areas of concern. “The NRHM assessment underscores what many Hispanic ministry leaders have been saying: the major challenge in nearly all national and regional Hispanic ministry organizations is the curtailment of their mission due to a severe lack of fiscal and consequently personnel resources,” said professor Tim Matovina of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at Notre Dame, and a member of the advisory group. “Bolstering the structures that sustain Hispanic ministry is one of the most urgent strategic goals for the vitality of Latino Catholic faith.” Read the entire USCCB press release.

We are gonna be celebrating Valentine’s Day all week, offering up Catholic Youth Ministry Valentines out to a few folks. On Tuesdays, we offer Catholic YM News clips, so here is one as we celebrate all diocesan youth ministry types…  I’ve recently returned from the NFCYM annual membership meeting and these folks are just passionate and talented…  Marilyn is but just an example

ATLANTA – The Brooklyn diocesan coordinator of adolescent faith formation, Marilyn Santos, has joined the archdiocesan Office of Formation and Discipleship as associate director of youth ministry and associate director of inculturation.

In her first month of work here, she has seen some differences between her previous diocese and the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “The parishes here have embraced the idea of youth ministry as a catechetical ministry,” she said, noting that in her previous job, she was still working to convince parishes that youth ministry “is more than youth group. It is faith formation.”

As the associate director of inculturation, a ministry called an emerging trend throughout the country, Santos will work with Hispanic youth groups and those of other ethnicities and constituencies in the church that may be underserved. In a statement on the archdiocesan Web site, the office describes inculturation ministry as collaboration with “department entities, ministry leadership and parishes to ensure that the gospel and ministry permeate every culture. Drawn forth by the Catholic principle of ‘unity without uniformity’ we provide support, training, and resources that respect the richness of our multicultural Church.” Read the whole Georgia Bulletin article.

MADRID, SPAIN – -  The English-language version of the 2011 World Youth Day website was launched on Friday. The Web site has been available in Spanish since November. Read the whole Zenit article

LONDON, ENGLAND – - Britain’s national Catholic Youth Ministry Congress will take place in London on Feb. 27. Organizers say they have scheduled some of the best known Catholic speakers for the event, which will also present new research into the life and faith of young Catholics. The Congress, organized by the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation for England and Wales (CYMFed), has as its theme “We have set our hope on the living God.” Over 700 youth leaders, chaplains, teachers and priests have registered to attend. Read the whole Catholic News Agency article.

SAINT ALBERT, ALBERTA, CANADA – - Youth ministers must be able to translate the tradition of the Catholic Church into a language that young people can understand, says Father Stefano Penna. And they must start going online to teach the tradition because that’s where young people are, Penna said. Penna, academic vice president and dean of theology of Newman Theological College, led a retreat for members of the Western Association of Catholic Youth Ministers at their annual conference at the Star of the North Retreat Centre.

Penna said many are using the Internet not just to entertain themselves but also to make connections and to engage in meaningful conversations. Youth ministers should do the same. Most youth ministry in the future will take place online, he predicted. “It might be that youth ministry in the future looks like one meeting a month in the church and six meetings a month in some sort of online space,” he said. “You younger people should be able to mobilize and use that kind of space – not to entertain people but to create connections and to bring the Word of God to young people.”  Read the whole Western Catholic Reporter article.

WASHINGTON, DC — Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, praised the presence of young people in pro-life activities.
“A new generation is rising that will usher in a culture of life . . . We should not underestimate the role of young Catholics,” said Cardinal DiNardo, . “What a tremendous gift to have young people! What a wonderful energy they bring!”  The cardinal said young people know in their heart what is right and what is wrong when it comes to life. “They do not make some of the tortured distinctions that some of we elders have made,” he added. Read the whole Catholic News Service article.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Otherwise, not much is tripping hot on the wires right now… so we are packing out to LA for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry’s annual membership meeting.  Watch for irregular updates throughout the next few days as we report on the events occurring there. I’m really looking forward to the trip… LA host Mike Norman has promised me front-row seats to the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien throughout the week!

In the news, the good side of Catholic Youth Ministry in action… and, ummm, an oopsie, I guess.

BALTIMORE, MD – - An estimated 1,500 young people from the Baltimore archdiocese are expected to attend the youth “Rally for Life” at the Verizon Center.

D. Scott Miller, coordinator of adolescent faith formation in the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, said he attended the first March for Life in 1974. He remembers more adults attending that day. “That’s not the case anymore,” Miller said. “This is a young people crowd. It’s young people celebrating life together and celebrating faith together.”

Miller said the archdiocese has developed a special pro-life curriculum that will be used in schools and parishes for young people who are not attending the March for Life. St. Mary, Hagerstown, is hosting a Rock for Life Concert Jan. 16 featuring the band, Alakrity. St. John Neumann in Annapolis will have Life Week activities starting with Joia Farmer in concert Jan. 15. Two Youth Rallies for Life will be held Jan. 21, each from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Peter, Libertytown and St. Mary, Hagerstown. Read the whole Catholic Review article,

DIMAPUR, NAGALAND, INDIA - - After four days of raging inferno in Dzukou Valley, which destroyed almost 15 square kilometers of greenery, the fire was finally dowsed Saturday around 1pm. SDO (civil) of Zubza, Akunu, informed that volunteers numbering more than 400 were able to contain the fire at a firebreak area near a stream separating “Knonoma Dzukou” and southern “Angami Dzukou.” The fire was sparked off by a group of campers from Catholic Youth Association of Sechu Zubza on January 4. The arduous operation was undertaken by volunteers from Knonoma village and other surrounding villages, with the help of personnel from the Home Guards and Fire department. Read the whole Morung Express article.