When I was discerning the religious life, my fellow aspirants and I lived by the oft-repeated motto of living with our hands open. By this we meant that what we had been given could be taken away, that we must … Continue reading
I was a member of a True Love Waits Club when I was in high school, as were many of my friends. Personally, its impact on my life was long-lasting. I honored my vow, wore my True Love Waits ring … Continue reading
This past week, I had the opportunity to spend a day at a retreat center in northern Maryland, where I was able to do a little resting and recharging, as well as a lot of reflecting (and about an hour … Continue reading
When I’m sitting in my office ticking off the tasks in my planner, I like to break the silence with Christian Contemporary music (interspersed with the occasional country hit). Recently, I was struck by a particular song, or more specifically, … Continue reading
It should come as no surprise that my faith is important to me. I write about my faith. I teach it to children and teens on a regular basis. I talk about it with both friends and strangers (at their … Continue reading
In the nearly three years that I have been employed at my parish, my job description has undergone some major changes. When I was originally hired, it was as the part-time DRE. My roles included coordinating the children’s faith formation … Continue reading
Before I became a youth minister myself, I had been warned of some of the most prevailing challenges of the position. Preventing burn-out. Establishing and maintaining the proper order of things. Overworking yourself. Letting your pastor or a parish counsel … Continue reading
This past weekend I had the chance to spend two days in prayer and reflection with several of my catechists and some members of our adult faith formation programs. It’s rare that I am given such an opportunity. Despite my … Continue reading
Holy Days of Obligation. It’s a phrase that many modern Catholics find repugnant. I know plenty of devout Catholics who attend Mass every Sunday, but rarely observe those Holy Days of Obligation (with the exception of Christmas). Many consider the … Continue reading
Last month, I went to my first Office of Youth Ministry meeting at our archdiocesan center. I would have started attending meetings earlier, but I didn’t start getting the invitations until about six months ago. There’s been quite a bit of … Continue reading
