Week of March 21, 2010

TAPT followup: A tremendous thank you to all who made TAPT XXII an incredible ministry experience, including and especially Bishop Melczek, who heard confessions Saturday night, and Father Ian Williams (Sacred Heart, La Porte), who served as retreat Chaplain. We had eight small group adult leaders, all of whom were new to TAPT, and some of whom are fairly new to youth ministry. It is my sincere prayer for them that they continue in youth ministry at their parishes, as they were very talented at ministering the Gospel alongside teens! Over 100 teens and adults are standing atop that mountain, riding a Spiritual high. Now is the real challenge: giving them a welcoming and supportive community to visit when they come down from the mountain. If you are the youth leader of a teen that attended TAPT, a mailing was sent today that includes retreat processing materials. It was also sent to the Pastor of each TAPT participant, along with a list of attendees. Be sure to check out the photos at garytapt.com .

Catechetical/Liturgical Day Followup: It was a great chance to touch base with a lot of great people, mostly from the Religious Formation community. Jim Chesnes passes along his gratitude for the opportunity to engage in dialogue on the importance of the ministry of Pastoral Care (Renewing the Vision, part 3, section 7). A lot of folks stopped by the OYYA exhibit buzzing about Grásta Dé!, or annual diocesan middle school youth ministry day. Just a reminder, the date for that is Sunday, October 24. We love when religious ed programs make it an exciting way to supplement the classroom experience with a day grounded in the principles of comprehensive Catholic youth ministry! Congratulations to Our Lady of Sorrows, South Haven, who won the drawing for one complimentary CYX 2010 registration!

Lots of great opportunities for ministry in April & May. Here are just a few:

Catholic Youth Igniting the Fire Lock-in: Teens from across the diocese are invited to attend the “Catholic Youth Igniting the Fire” lock-in retreat April 10 (3:30pm) – April 11 (7:30 am) at St. Matthias (southern Crown Point, adjacent to CPHS & St. Anthony Med. Ctr.). The event is a joint effort of the YM programs of St. Matthias, Our Lady of Consolation (Merrillville) & Nativity of Our Savior (Portage). Open to both middle and high schoolers. Cost: $10. Participants must complete registration packet, available online (OYYA Youth Ministry page, “Around the Diocese”) and submit by April 4. The planning team asks teens: Where can you stay up all night, hang out with friends, talk, eat, have a great time and your parents won’t care? Our Youth Ministry Retreat, of course! Hosted at Saint Matthias! Come enjoy an overnight experience with youth from across the Diocese as we celebrate our Catholic Faith and Embrace the leadership skills in all of you! COME FIND THE FLAME IN YOU!

Source & Summit 2010: Immerse your teens in a Eucharistic-centered retreat, think about bringing them to Source & Summit 2010. This retreat weekend is jam packed with lively talks, inspiring music, celebration of Holy Mass, Reconciliation opportunities, small group workshops, fellowship and more! A presentation of St. John the Evangelist (St. John), Source & Summit is scheduled for April 23-25, 2010 at Andrean High School. Promo packets were recently mailed. If you need one or require additional materials contact P.J. Anderson at 219-365-5678 x254, and check out sourceandsummitretreat.org . Be sure to check out the great YouTube promo video!

Matt Maher returns to NWI: Songwriter, recording artist and worship leader Matt Maher brings his infectious spirit and powerful music back to Northwest Indiana on Friday, May 14 at St. Paul in Valparaiso. It will be Matt’s third visit to the parish, and since his last visit in 2006, Matt has racked up numerous awards, risen to the top of the Christian Contemporary charts, and earned perhaps the greatest honor to date: he is currently on the road as the opening act for legendary artist Michael W. Smith. Just last month, Matt was nominated for six GMA Dove Awards, including Praise & Worship Album of the Year (“Alive Again”) and Worship Song of the Year ("Alive Again") Newly added: opening act: P.J. Anderson (YMC, St. John the Evangelist, St. John)! Tickets: $30, $20 (with student ID), $20 group rate (groups of 15 or more). Tickets on sale now: contact Meghan Conley (YMC, St. Paul/Valpo) at 219-465-7762, email: mattmahertix@yahoo.com, www.itickets.com (search “Matt Maher” under “Find events”). Proceeds benefit St. Paul’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2011 in Spain. PDF promo flyer is available here.

Rachel’s Vineyard passes along great resource: Our friend Kathy Druzbicki, diocesan Rachel’s Vineyard ministry coord., and 2009 CYX learning session presenter, passes this along. "101 Reasons Not to Have an Abortion: A Girl's Guide to Informed Choices" is a free 500+ pg. PDF that equips you with answers for some of the most commonly-heard arguments. You hope you’ll never need it, but it’s a great file to have on your hard drive if you do. Go to 101girlsguide.com .