Several years ago, a friend of mine invited me and my husband to have dinner with her and her new boyfriend. The reason? She wanted to prove to him that it is possible to avoid sex before marriage—and we are … Continue reading
Category Archives: Youth Ministry
5 Teen Problems They Tell Us but Are Afraid to Tell You
I’ve worked in youth ministry for more than a decade now. I’ve come to know countless teenage hearts, but their depth still amazes me. Their burdens are overwhelming. Teen problems are real and painful. But teens are often too afraid … Continue reading
A Final Farewell: My Last Steubenville Conference as a Youth Minister
Two Fridays ago, I crept out of a still silent apartment at 6:45am while everyone else inside continued to sleep. I loaded up my suitcase, backpack, and pillow in my car, and then drove over to the local parish where … Continue reading
Going Back to the Place Where It All Began
Eleven years ago, I got on an airplane for the first time that I can remember and flew to Atlanta, Georgia. I was accompanied by three of my classmates from high school and a nun, and we were headed to … Continue reading
Wife and Mother First, Youth Minister Second: The Ups and Down of Life as a Married Youth Minister with Children
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
A Note for the Future
Dear faithful readers, As you might imagine, the life of a full-time wife, full-time mother, full-time DRE/youth minister, and part-time writer can be extremely hectic at times. In order to increase the amount of time dedicated to my full-time “professions,” … Continue reading
To the Mother Who Is Also a Youth Minister: You’re Officially My Hero
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
Discovering the Humanity of Your Teacher
When I was in high school, I stumbled across my chemistry teacher at the supermarket in town. It was completely unexpected, and I could barely process his presence before the moment was over and we returned to our respective shopping missions. I … Continue reading
A Return to Steubenville: My Ten Year Anniversary
This past weekend, I had the honor of bringing ten incredible teens to one of this summer’s Steubenville Youth Conferences. We had been planning and preparing for months as we prayed and took part in countless fundraisers at the parish. … Continue reading
Standing Up for Life
My Youth Group has been talking about the March for Life for months. When we first started our little group, only a handful of students had ever attended the March before, and even for them, it had been quite a … Continue reading