By Renée St. Martin Wizeman

The Son Light celebration was just the beginning for a weekend’s worth of youth and young adult minstry in Helena, including the Catholic Youth Coalition Fall Conference and the second meeting of the CYC Board.

Advocacy model of youth, young adult ministry discussed

Over 90 youth, young adults, and youth, young adult and campus ministers convened at St. Mary Catholic Community in Helena for a day-long discussion about the advocacy model of youth and young adult ministry. The CYC Fall Conference made use of Maggie Wilson McCarty and Robert J. McCarty’s book Be a Champion of Youth as the framework for the day’s discussion.

Doug Tooke, diocesan youth minister, said that the “teacher-student” model isn’t contained in any of the bishops’ documents on youth ministry, and that a better model is one in which youth ministry is done “for, with and by” the youth.

Tooke said that while campus ministry isn’t youth ministry, and youth ministry isn’t young adult ministry, the seventh grader does become the college sophomore, and the college sophomore becomes the young adult, so a common vision across the complementary ministries is important.

Participants did a number of inventories from the McCartys’ book to assess their current preferences and biases in terms of youth and young adult ministry.

“Nearly 45 CYC Board members were on hand to join in the roundtable conversation. I was extremely pleased with the turnout and the shared interaction on the day. It was a gift to see so many ministers join together to better their skills and share their successes,” Tooke said.

Youth discern CYC convention theme

After the CYC Fall Conference, nearly 90 teens and adults from across the Diocese of Helena gathered for the second CYC board meeting at SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in East Helena. Despite the intense weekend schedule, the group greeted one another with smiles and determination, said Tooke.

Through prayer and discernment, the board decided on a theme for the 32nd annual CYC Convention, scheduled for April 17-19, 2009. Tooke noted that the 2009 convention will be the first CYC spring gathering that does not take place during Lent.

“The theme is ‘Hallelujah: That Just Happened.’ How cool is that? We will celebrate the resurrection of our risen Lord and profess the joy of an empty tomb. What a weekend it will be!” Tooke said, and encouraged youth to mark their calendars now for this “sure to be extraordinary” CYC Convention.

Board members also heard from several speakers with the “Journey of Hope” tour to end the death penalty.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 10, October 17, 2008.