Welcome All!

We know it has been a while since you last heard from us, but we wanted to let you know that we are still here and still working hard to help you prioritize youth ministry in your own parishes.  We have been busy since last October when we brought in a special speaker for a Parent and Youth Ministry Track at Gifts for the Kingdom.  We have several irons in the fire and we are excited about what this new year will bring forth for our Youth and those adults that minister to them.

Please enjoy this issue of our newsletter - we have some interesting stories and some information about up-coming events.

Peace of Christ to you all,
Vermont Catholic Youth Workers.

The Vermont Catholic Youth Workers were excited to have been able to offer a new track at this past year's Gifts for the Kingdom. The VCYW wanted to find out how those attending felt about this new Parent and Youth Ministry track and if it met the needs of those who attended. Many who were there filled out our questionnaire and here are the results.

One of the workshops presented was a prayer discussion panel workshop, where attendees learned some new prayer ideas that could be shared with children and older youth in their own parishes, i.e. prayer bags with various items to encourage family prayer. Another comment that several people shared was that we need to educate parents so they can educate their children.

Some of the famous lines we heard from our special keynote speaker Sean Reynolds, like "more is more", were of much encouragement to those looking for direction with their own youth ministry programs. "We need to offer more in order to touch more people," he said.

Many talked about the need to help families stay connected to the church throughout life. How do we get more youth involved? How can we increase the attendance at events and get more parents involved? How do we help families make faith a priority in their lives?

This need to help parents see how important practicing our faith is in our lives and how teens could be helped through those difficult years is a major concern to most. The discussions with Sean Reynolds brought this into a clearer view, but the question was still HOW? How do we proceed?

Some people were wondering how we get the support we need, the expertise that we may lack and how we can coordinate activities with priests and other parishes in the area. One of the ideas that the VCYW has been working on to answer this need, is to have regional meetings for youth ministers and parents.

When asked what they would like to do at a regional meeting, some of the common responses were: brainstorming, fellowship with other youth ministers, sharing ideas and concerns, and learn about what programs or themes we can do with teens that are both educational and engaging. How do we teach specific topics of faith to our youth, how can we enhance and fire up kids - get them excited about their faith? These are all great ideas, and we look forward to being able to provide this time of exchange on a regular basis.

The VCYW is still discussing what the best way to start and maintain regional meetings would be, but we realize that fourteen of the responders said YES! Yes, they would like us to proceed with this avenue and we plan to. If you have any thoughts about regional meetings or anything else regarding our mission to support Youth Ministers, please visit our website and contact us.

A knock at the door and there is my ride. All my stuff is packed and I am ready (as ready as one ever can be). This would be my fourth such journey, and I would find it to be unique, just as every journey for God is.

Our story begins with much traveling. The troubadours in this tale are named Ryan (the driver), Cindy (the co-pilot), and Cathy (the sleepy passenger). We headed out on the open road at around 10:30 p.m. and spent eight hours travelling to arrive at our destination at 6:28a.m. The destination for this pilgrimage is Washington D.C., the beautiful capitol of our blessed country, the purpose: to testify to the sanctity of all human life.

Once we got to D.C. we wanted to connect with the rest of the Diocese of Burlington contingent who came down on a bus. This would prove to be more difficult than we had first guessed! There were hundreds of people out so early in the morning. Almost everyone spotted walking past was part of some group getting prepped for the March. If a person happened to be Catholic, that person would have to stand in line for about 30 minutes to enter the Verizon Center, where the Rally and Mass would be held. The Rally was about two and a half hours long (starting at 7:oo a.m.). The main emcees were Steve Angrisano and Jesse Manibusan. They pumped up the crowd and rocked the house! They were the ones who prepared our minds and hearts to enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There was also plentiful opportunity for receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a much needed blessing to some. The crowd, numbering about 20,000, were then led in a rosary as we prepared for the Mass to follow. As Mass began, a procession of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops were projected on the Jumbo-tron for all to see. I have to admit, I was a bit over enthusiastic when I saw Bishop Matano on the big screen... I didn't realize we weren't all going to jump up and scream when we saw him --oops. After this procession, the Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, Arch-Bishop of Washington, recognized each of the bishops by name and diocese, and as other groups did, we yelled and applauded for our beloved bishop. One of the great aspects of this particular Mass was the address from Pope Benedict the XVI, which was read to us by the American delegate from the Holy See. Another awesome part of the Mass was the funny and inspiring homily given by Fr. Swink from St. Pius X Parish in Maryland.

As always, after Mass all those attending the Rally at the Verizon Center found their groups and with Police escorts made their way over to the Mall where we would listen to inspiring speakers encouraging those gathered. To our surprise, we would find that the March to the Supreme Court Building would end up taking just as long as our time spent on the Mall! It was funny to watch our group interact as we marched. On the way there our group morphed like the lava in a lava lamp, seeing different parts of our group lose and find each other as we went along. The focal point of most of the Vermont group revolved around the Bishop, of course, and the funky cow flag that one of the group leaders made. (You should have seen that thing, it was a cow print that went up about 15 feet in the air on a pole...) Marching with such a diversity of people was one of the most amazing aspects of the whole event. Random groups would burst out in song, mostly praise and worship, sometimes patriotic anthems, usually songs that are familiar to people nation-wide. It was unifying!! The whole march and singing together made each of us realize that we are not alone in this fight for Life. We are not the only ones who love life and want to protect it! Due to time and the looming thought of trying to get out of D.C. during rush hour, my little group (pilot, co-pilot and sleepy passenger) decided to take a short cut to our car rather than continue with the rest of the group. The trek back to our vehicle was the most personal witnessing I did during the whole March. Why you might ask. The reason this because the route the whole crowd of marchers took was practically disserted by the normal D.C. people, blocked off to the general public. This part of the city really looked like a ghost town when we walked through. I guess this makes some sense, because if I were a local of the D.C. area, I would probably avoid the homogenous crowd of crazy "Life People" too! (Well I wouldn't, but I am one of the crazy "Life People".) When I walked with Ryan and Cindy to the car, we walked along the streets of Washington with the normal citizens, and I carried my sign very visibly in front of me! Three different people approached me or commented to me about the message I proudly displayed. The first was a black gentleman in his mid 30s and he disagreed with the Pro-Life movement. He said it was convenient saying you're Pro-Life, but not everyone could afford the practicality of it - having babies is expensive. It did seem to me though, that he wished he could be Pro-Life. Well, that is my hope for him! The other two that commented to me about my sign were both positive about my displayed opinion! One was a young black lady and the other a white gentleman, both in their mid to late 20s (interesting that the people who shared their opinions with me all looked fairly young). That little walk back to our car, amongst the everyday life of the city, was the most life-changing part of this March for me. The voyage home to VT was rather routine. The round trip, from door-D.C.-door, was just over 27 hrs, not bad if you think about it.

Overall, this trip, or rather this Pilgrimage, was better than past years. But in the end, I find that going on a march for life and making such a visible and political stand on this issue is important, and that is what keeps drawing me back each year. However, even though Washington was overrun by pro-lifers for one day which shows how many really back this movement, the most important and effective thing we can do is pray and ask for intercession from God for the little, the old, and those in a position to protect them. United We Stand- and In God We Trust. God Bless America- Jesus, Protect and Save the Unborn!

Cathy Brown
Christ the King- Rutland, VT

Join the Diocese of Burlington on this 16-day adventure to northern Spain and Madrid, 7-22 August 2011. Launched by Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day (WYD) continues to excite young and old about the power and magnificence of our Faith in God. The success has been unprecedented drawing millions from across the globe every three years to a host city. Come along and experience how vibrant and alive our Faith and Church are today.

This WYD pilgrimage will include touring northern Spain following the famous pilgrimage route of the Way of Saint James. We will also be hosted by a parish community for four days in Lugo, and then continue to Madrid for the main WYD events. Details of the schedule and sign-up forms can be found at http://www.savevermont.org/htm/wyd11.htm  or on the Diocesan website. The deposit to sign-up is $450, with no further payments due until August 2010. The total cost is $2320 plus the WYD registration fee, which is usually about $300. Sign-up now and take advantage of the time to fund raise!

For more information, questions or presentations for youth groups, please contact Christopher Dawson, 802-872-9776, wyd_christopher@myfairpoint.net

My trip to the 2009 National Catholic Youth Conference begins before it starts! As I pack my clothes and necessary items for travel, only hours before I stack my bags in the car heading soon to the Airport in Burlington, I find myself praying for a good experience and safe traveling.

When I finally arrive at the airport and greet some of the other kids I'll be with throughout the Conference, nervous and barely contained joy fill my limbs and heart, as though I could fly plane-less to Missouri!

The connecting flight to Chicago's O'Hara airport went smooth and quickly. The small Vermont group of youth filled the section with excited chatter and laughter as we boarded our next plane. When we finally touched ground again, the only thing on my mind was sleep. That only lasted a second though before I saw the crowd of youth in the airport. Frantic and drowsy Youth Ministers and kids alike from around the country all gathered around the baggage claim, waiting for their own bag to roll into sight.

Our small group of eight seemed dwarfed by the group from Montana and New Jersey! When most all the bags were claimed we trouped outside to find the bus that would take us the rest of the way to the Dreary Inn, where we would finally rest our heads. We arrived at the Inn around 11pm, though I was still on East Standard Time, so it felt like 1 in the morning. The next day, I was like a zombie just following the crowd and was only awakened by an unfortunate incident... when I walked right into the elevator door that hadn't yet opened all the way. Those waiting for the next ride up and those traveling down with me were all witness to this embarrassing moment in my life. Luckily nothing was hurt except my pride.

The day NCYC starts had finally arrived! Breakfast was hurried before we boarded the bus that took us to the activity building. The general sessions, MCed by Steve Angrisano, were all held in the Sprint Center.

The first day we spent mostly in the Activity building where there were several talks and activities one could chose from at any given time that were being held in separate rooms throughout the building. In the schedules that were handed to us as we arrived that day, the what, where and whens of all the talks, activities, and free times over the whole weekend were laid out for us.

One of the great activities provided to us over the weekend was a giant blowup obstacle course and bungee race. If you've never seen the bungee race, it is quite the sight. First there are two opponents that are strapped to a bungee line via waist strap and then once the race has started each person runs as far as they can go and they try to attach a Velcro marker to the side of the runway before they get slung back, often head over heels.

By far the most amazing band that performed that weekend was Matt Maher and his fellow musicians. Hearing twenty thousand teens screaming for more in a large stadium was definitely a unique experience.

We were told that, besides the twenty three thousand people that actually arrived in Misouri, there were an additional seventeen thousand joining us virtually on the live streaming web cast over the Internet. I personally was texting and picture messaging my family and friends at home while at the Conference to the point of exhausting my phone's battery!

When we finally got on the plane to return home, our group began to quietly relive the last few days, our thoughts and emotions, laughing at the inside jokes we shared over the weekend, and just reveling in the deep presence and life changing experience we just had. As we prepared to take the wonderful spirit of this pilgrimage back to our cherished Vermont, hopefully to share with all those that will listen, I felt a deep presence of Christ working in my heart and He left a seed of hope - hope for all youth in our Diocese that one day they too will be able to share in such an experience!

God Bless,
Brigid Brown
Christ the King- Rutland, VT

The Rutland Deanery Youth Apsotolate offers monthly masses on every first Saturday.  These Masses are open to teens and older, along with their chaperones or parents.  They take place at Mount Saint Joseph Academy on first Saturday evenings at 7p.m., with snacks and about an hour of different forms of catechesis following.  The Mass and catechesis has usually been done by MSJ's chaplain, Fr. Tim Naples, but occasionally other priests have offered to participate as well.

For more information, visit their website at htt://www.youngapostlesvt.org

We are proud to announce that Mr. Damien O'Connor will be the Keynote speaker for the Parent and Youth Ministry Track at this Year's Gifts for the Kingdom Conference scheduled for Saturday, October 9, 2010 at St. Michael's College in Colchester. Mr. O'Connor's topic will be: "The Holy Family's Response to God's Call Changed Salvation History". Here is a brief biography.

Damien J. O'Connor:
Damien is the Director of the Office for Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT. For the past twenty years Damien has worked for the Church in several diverse capacities. He has a Masters degree in Religious Education from Fordham University and a Bachelors degree in Religious Studies from Iona College. Damien has worked as teacher and Assistant Headmaster for Catechesis at Iona Preparatory in New Rochelle, NY, Executive Director of Nazareth Farm, Inc. in Salem, West Virginia, Campus Minister for Catholic Evangelization at Villanova University, Director of Adult Formation and now Director of the Office for Pastoral Services for the Diocese of Bridgeport. A member of Bishop Lori's senior staff, Damien is responsible for directing departments that provide the following ministries: Family Life, People with Disabilities, Adult Formation, Youth Ministry, Religious Education, Pro-Life, Deaf Apostolate, and Campus Ministry.

Damien and his wife have been married for 13 years and have three children: Damien Joseph, Jr., Mary Rose and Ana Theresa.

Vermont Catholic Youth Conference 2010 – We Have A New Name!

Ø Formerly the “Youth Leadership Congress”, this conference has taken a new name to encourage ALL high school aged students within the Diocese of Burlington to participate.  This includes 8^th graders who will be in the 9^th grade beginning in the Fall of 2010.

SAVE THE DATE!

Conference Date:     July 10 and 11, 2010

Conference Location:   St. Michael’s College, Colchester

Conference Musician:  Mr. Steve Angrisano!

Keynote Speakers:  Franciscans of Renewal (CFRs)

And

Sisters of Life

More Information will be posted as it becomes available.

Questions?  Call the Office of Catholic Formation at 658-6110

Dorothy Barewicz – Ext. 1130

Deacon Chris Keough – Ext. 1132

Kristina McSalis – Ext. 1131