Week of June 20, 2010

CYX Group Leaders Mtg. this Sunday:  A friendly reminder that each group attending the 2010 Catholic Youth Xperience is asked to have at least one adult represented at this Sunday’s CYX Adult leaders’ mtg. We will cover an array of topics to make sure your group is ready for what is shaping up to be an unforgettable conference. See ya’ Sunday, 4pm, 2^nd floor, Harre Union, Valpo U. If you are from a parish/cluster that has not yet submitted a Form E, it’s not too late to come! Contact me ASAP to let me know where you are in the registration process. This year we moved the diocesan registration due date back to give groups some extra time to gather together their paperwork, so you have until July 9^th to register!

New this year at CYX: Priest and Bishop Forum:  Catholic teens and priests both have unique lifestyles. But while their days are spent doing very different things, they are united by one mission, the mission of One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church! All priests in the Diocese of Gary are invited to join Bishop Melczek and a group of incoming HS seniors from throughout NW Indiana for a Priest & Bishop Forum as part of the 2010 Catholic Youth Xperience. During the forum, priests and teens will have a chance to learn more about one another and one another’s culture: opportunities, challenges, and visions about what their ideal Church would look like. What do we assume about the other? Through dialogue, we’ll realize there’s more than meets the eye! Most importantly, how can priests and teens work together to build a better Catholic Church in the Diocese of Gary?  The facilitator is Mark Erdosy, Marian University in Indianapolis. For more information about this and all of our other learning sessions, click the “Learning Sessions” link at catholicyouthx.com . Each year we prove that teens can be engaged in solid, intentional catechesis post-Confirmation. YES! It can be done!

Lots of “Coffee Talk!” Thank you to everyone who attended the first YM Coffee Talk! It was a larger-than-expected turnout and gave YM’s a great chance to connect and pray together in a relaxed environment. Join us for the next one July 5^th, 4-5:30pm, at the Starbucks at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza Merrillville. No RSVP necessary. Just come! More info: tu.nu/coffee

Seminarian invites youth & young adults to weekly adoration: The visiting seminarian at Saint Matthias (101 W. Burrell Dr., Crown Pt.), Chris Stanish, is offering an evening adoration time from 7-8 pm each Thu. through July. He’ll start with prayers and an inspiring talk, followed by time for individual prayer. All are invited.

World Pulse Fest 2010: More than just an outdoor Contemporary Christian concert, World Pulse Festival attracts appr. 50,000 each year and millions more listen and watch from around the globe. Toby Mac & Amy Grant highlight a full list of award-winning Christian artists. St. Matthias (Crown Pt.) and Our Lady of Consolation (Merrlvl) are taking a group to World Pulse. Participants will take a bus. Tickets are free, participants will pay $12 to cover the transportation. All are welcome to attend. There are two ways to register: register and pay online by completing a form, or download a permission form and drop it off at either parish office with payment no later than Sat., July 17. Visit facebook.com/stmatthiasym or facebook.com/olcyg  or contact Joe Kern directly at 708-932-9683.

Congrats to new YM appointments: Two Diocese of Gary YM vets are bringing their YM gifts into new settings. Congrats to longtime event emcee Alfredo “Pepe” Flores-Carillo, recently appointed as the new HS YM Coord. at Nativity of Our Savior (Portage). Doris Stanish, a graduate of the Ctr. for Ministry Development’s Youth Ministry Certificate program, assumes DRE duties there. And kudos to Carrie Shelhart, former DYC rep from St. Edward (Lowell) and current CYX Staff Coordinator. She was hired to succeed Phil Dietrich as YM Coord. at St. Teresa of Avila (Valparaiso). Phil is stepping down to begin a new career in teaching (but not before serving one more year as CYX Environment Coord. Wait ‘til you see what he’s cooking up this year!) A special tip of the cap to Fr. Andrew Corona (Nativity) and Fr. Kevin McCarthy (St. Teresa) and their parish communities for continuing to value the role of the professional YM Coordinator.

Indiana’s Youth at Risk: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released findings from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Categories in which Indiana students are at a higher risk than their peers nationally are: dating violence, smoking, suicide, drug use, and obesity. Indiana’s rates of youth feeling sad or hopeless, attempting suicide, and seriously considering suicide are up from 2007 and are above the national average. A third of Indiana’s youth describe themselves as slightly or very overweight. The state’s youth are less likely than their national peers to eat healthy and exercise, but more likely to stop eating for 24 hours or to vomit in an attempt to lose weight. (read more: tu.nu/inrisk) Indiana trends on other indicator sets such as car safety, alcohol consumption, and sexual activity have remained relatively steady since the last YRBS was released. To see all of Indiana’s results, visit cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm