News from Around:

Mary DeTurris Poust blogs at OSV’s Daily Take. She also served as a parent / chaperone travelling with her parish to NCYC.  Her post, Watching our Future Church in Action, is a great read and worth holding onto when promoting NCYC 2013.

This weekend I saw the future of the Catholic Church up close and personal, and I’m here to tell you that there is reason to hope — at least 23,000 reasons. As I sat on the 50-yard line of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, I watched teenagers from all over this country dance and sing and scream till their voices gave out in an effort to express their faith and celebrate their love of Jesus and the Church. It really was a sight to behold, and a goosebump-inducing sound.
The kids attending their National Catholic Youth Conference weren’t hung up on changes to the liturgy or surveys that say Mass attendance is down or any of the negative stuff we hear about our faith in the news. These kids were on fire for the Lord, clapping their hands and stomping their feet, wearing crazy hats and bright T-shirts emblazoned with everything from parish names and towns to the words, "And with your spirit." Read more here.

Meanwhile, from the Baltimore Catholic Review’s reporter, Matt Palmer…
> NCYC: Archdiocesan youths re-energized in Indianapolis

> Baltimore teens take center stage at National Catholic Youth Conference

> Archdiocesan youths take part in country’s biggest sendoff of Mass translation

News from ‘Round Here:

Last Monday, the long awaited and anticipated vacation started… after just a few hours of thank you e-mail writing and receipt filing. Home before lunch. A nap, some blogging, and some work on the blog’s banners. Oh, and bought two hardbacks to add to a paperback read for the week.

Tuesday (yea, I know I was on vacation, but…) I knocked out the bi-weekly office newsletter which was mostly a celebratory post-NCYC lap.  After that, nothing more special than cleaning and napping before a dinner out with the older daughters.

Wednesday involved a breakfast out with a dear friend that outlasted the lunch crowd. Thanksgiving morning I was up early pulling out the holiday decorations. The evening ended with a Ravens win in the Harbaugh Brothers Bowl.

The next morning was spent beating my mother to the punch.  During my visit with her in the next week, she will invariably ask me if I have had a recent physical. My answer will be Friday morning.

The first half of my vacation was very recuperative.  I feel well rested and as healthy as my initial health reports indicate. Most importantly, comparatively to other indications, I feel more human again.  And there is still a week to go on vacation!

UPDATED: I arrived Saturday lunchtime to my undisclosed destination. The sun was warm and I had overpacked swaetshirts. I napped as the ocean waves rolled in. Sunday, I struggled with others over “and with your spirit” and other “under my roof” but survived.  Then it was time to purchase shorts (which I hadn’t packed and more sun.

News from Around:

We are ramping up for NCYC

BALTIMORE, MD –  Two years ago, Emily Moesner didn’t know what to expect as she headed to Kansas City, Mo. For the National Catholic Youth Conference. By the end of the first night there, she was transformed. “It was amazing how many people were there,” Moesner said. “People were going crazy for Jesus. I definitely changed my attitude and the way I worship. It made me pray differently and I try to incorporate that into my life.”  Moesner shared her enthusiasm with nearly 300 people at Monsignor Slade School in Glen Burnie Oct. 30. The Archdiocese of Baltimore delegation of both NCYC veterans and rookies gathered as they prepared to head to the national event of praise and worship in Indianapolis Nov. 17-19.  Ream more in the Catholic Review

Bishop Timothy Doherty of the Lafayette, Indiana diocese recently wrote in his diocesan newspaper about why he is attending NYCYC 

NORWALK, CT — Why am I going  (to NCYC)? “Supporting youth ministry” does not begin to explain.

One obvious reason is to support our diocesan and Indiana youth. This is true, with a secondary twist: I can learn things there that are not available in articles or second-hand reports. I have heard this from bishops for years; now it is my turn to find out what they mean.

What might I be looking for? This kind of conference is a pilgrimage of sorts. Pilgrims look for celebration, renewal and growth by changing their surroundings. While faith and prayer will receive much attention, so will our world. Our daily contexts will reflect a different light. That light is the Holy Spirit.

I am also looking for expressions of faith, hope and joy that do not carry all the freight of tradition (small ‘t’). I sometimes muse that it has become too difficult to become a Catholic, too hard to stay one… Read the whole article from the Catholic Moment.

News from ‘Round Here:

In the earliest hours of Monday, I was “dropboxing” videos and completing production of the final video (mine, natch!) for ReBuild. A friend came of in the late afternoon for homework space and to serve as my guinea pig audience. It was actually a great relief to pass the baton on to Tony on this project. It was a quiet day in the office, so lots of little movement on projects. I bought lunch for all of the Department’s administrative help, just because.

This middle of the week was out of the frying pan and into the fire. Our division staff meeting on Tuesday led into a two overnight planning retreat with the executive leadership of the evangelization department. If it sounds heady, well, please know that I was snifflely and sneezy throughout and that there was only three of us so my professional extrovert remained “on” throughout and my personal extrovert just wanted my blanket.

The grounds at Priestfiled, WV (where our retreat was held where beautiful in autumn.  Here;s a retrospective:

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I returned November 3 to catch a brief amount of desk time before the event that was ReBuild my Church. Over 180 viewing site, many from Maryland, viewing parties in Wichita, in a classroom at Franciscan, in other countries… awesome! Just to keep me reasonably humble, there was a meeting immediately proceeding after the internet broadcast.riday

Friday, I taught a class (live). Saturday was mostly a day or rest and rehabilitation from a head cold.  I attended Mass at New All Saints as the celebrated both the vigil as well as the beginning of National Black Catholic History month. Sunday, I continued my use of my investment in NyQuil and DayQuill. In late afternoon, I headed out for a dinner with the Msgr. O’Dwyer Youth Retreat House Clergy Council.  The evening finished with the Ravens/ Steelers Sunday Night Football game and a stunning come-from-behind victory as we swept the season series.

News from Around:

SUNSON, GHANA — The 36th annual general meeting of the Ghana National Catholic Youth Council is under way at the Saint Martins Pastoral Centre in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region. Over a 100 delegates from Catholic Dioceses and National Movements are attending the meeting.

Bishop of Yendi, Most Rev Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai said the youth are the future of the church and that it was important to give high priority to the youth ministry by investing adequate resources in them. He said the event should seek to cultivate a critical attitude which will enable the youth to make appropriate choices and accept responsible commitments.

Mr Issah Zakaria, the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive, urged the youth to shun pornography on the internet, cyber fraud, indecent dressing, disrespect for the elderly, drug abuse, alcoholism and adopt the word of God.  More from the Ghana News Agency

SAO PAULO — Bruno Maragato went through the Roman Catholic Church’s rites like so many others before him in this most Catholic of nations: baptism, first communion, confirmation. But at age 16, Maragato left Christianity altogether.

"The religion didn’t stick with me," said Maragato, now a 24-year-old journalism student. "In the past, the church was much more a part of Brazilians’ daily lives. Today, young people can easily seek out other ways of thinking." A new study by Brazil’s top research institute finds a sea change among a younger generation of Brazilians and present a fresh challenge for church leaders already struggling to hold on to parishioners across Latin America. Read more from CBS News

News from ‘Round Here:

Last Sunday began a very busy week on an up note. I drafted an opinion column for the Catholic Review, then it was a good day-off made better by a Pittsburgh lass and the daughters over for dinner and a Ravens win. Monday was a long drive across the Archdiocese for a meeting with our pastoral leaders in Mountain Maryland.

Tuesday was an early morning staff meeting and then a lunch meeting with our regional diocesan directors.  What a delightful conversation and time together.  There was a creative brainstorming session near the end (for which I must review the notes – I became secretary/ treasurer of the group.)   Wednesday, a majority of the day was spent looking at mission with our Association of Professional Youth Ministers. The day finished off with ride to DC to watch a Strong Catholic Families / Strong Catholic Teens presentation

Thursday started off with an interview on Relevant Radio. The Department of Evangelization had a walk through of our messages for the Together in Mission… then we went off onto the Employee Appreciation Cruise.  I was recognized for ten years of service for the Archdiocese. While I had desk time almost all of the previous days of the week, Friday was the best day regarding that. We drafted the bus schedule for NCYC. The day was rounded off with a daughter lunch and a lively dinner with friend and former co-worker Dr. Kristin Witte.

Saturday was spent mostly chillin’, a little blogging , , some light housework and a visit to a Hispanic  young adult event.