The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry has placed two large trips on the 2011 calendar, one to Madrid, Spain, for World Youth Day and the other to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.

The World Youth Day delegation from the Diocese of Helena is scheduled to leave on Aug. 10, 2011, and return on Aug. 23. “Traveling with pilgrims from the Diocese of Helena, you will quickly become familiar with the motto: `We are pilgrims, not tourists,’” Youth and Young Adult Minister Doug Tooke said in a letter to people considering the journey.

Forty-six places in the delegation are available, all on a first-come, first-served basis. The full cost is $3,250. A $1,000 deposit is due by Nov. 1 of this year.

One important change from previous diocesan delegations is the age limit. World Youth Day pilgrims of the ages 16 up to 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Parental accompaniment is not required for those 18 or older.

More information about World Youth Day 2011 is online at www.dohyouth.org.

In Indianapolis, the National Catholic Youth Conference on Nov. 17-19, 2011, will welcome Catholic teenagers and adult chaperones to a weekend of general catechetical sessions, daily liturgy and other activities, such as concerts, a comedy club and a dance.

Tooke said that teens from every parish are encouraged to participate in NCYC, the largest Catholic youth event in the country. Previous NCYC conferences brought together more than 20,000 people. The 2009 conference in Kansas City, Mo., drew 21,000.

The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry will release more information about the youth conference as it becomes available. Questions may be directed to Tooke at the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 5, May 21, 2010.