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Eager to hear the call to serve

Meeting outlines ways for Serra to work with youth ministry

At the January 2003 Super Weekend meeting in Chicago, the USAC Vocations Committee arranged for a dynamic series of presentations by seven experts in the field of Catholic youth ministry. Each speaker presented a brief summary of his or her organization, with emphasis on how Serra might coordinate its vocation activities to complement those ministries. Presented below are remarks by Bishop Britt, who attended the meeting, and summaries of the individual reports.

A note from Bishop Kevin Britt, USAC Episcopal Adviser

There are tremendous opportunities and challenges in the Church today to reach out and invite Catholic youth and young adults to accept a call to serve the Church in priestly ministry.

At the January 2003 Super Weekend meeting in Chicago, we heard seven presenters point out the various ways in which young people are invited into the life of the Church and hopefully hear the call to serve as a priest or religious.

Each presenter mentioned ways in which they thought Serra could be involved in their programs that would be beneficial to help promote vocations among each constituency. I encourage Serrans around the country to read what these people have said and to find ways in which they can participate in these already existing programs that promote vocations.

We, as Serrans, have to look for new ways to promote our message. We must be willing to take risks and walk down new roads in order to be the instruments that God calls us to be. It is important that we listen to those whose life and vocation is to work with youth, respect their expertise, and work with them to create new programs to accomplish our goals.

There’s a whole raft of young people eager to hear a call to serve God in the Church. Our presenters made that eminently clear and emphasized that we can and must play an integral role in inviting and leading those interested people to a place where they will be able to respond to God’s call.
Hopefully, every Serra club will take it upon themselves to formulate a plan to respond in some way to the presentations made by these leaders that will result in more young people responding to a call to a vocation as a priest or religious.

Fellowship of Catholic University Students

Rev. Robert Matya, Chaplain, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln Newman Center

FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, was founded by Curtis Martin in 1997. In beginning this ministry, it was Curtis’s intent to reach out to college students, inviting them to a deeper conversion to Jesus in the Catholic Church. This is now the fourth year of partnership with FOCUS at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the results have been more than encouraging.

By leading small group bible studies and inviting students into one-on-one discipleship relationships, UNL FOCUS missionaries have impacted the lives of hundreds of students on campus. Many students who have wandered away from the practice of the Catholic faith have now returned. Of interest to Serrans is the impact this ministry has had in fostering vocations. Diocesan seminarian Mark Bartek says, “Without FOCUS, there is no way that I would be in the seminary right now.” To learn more about this exciting new ministry, visit us at www.focusonline.org.

LIFE TEEN

Randy Raus, National Director

LIFE TEEN is a nonprofit international Catholic youth ministry program operating in 900 parishes worldwide. The mission of LIFE TEEN is to serve the Church and lead teens to Christ by providing resources and training that encourage vibrant celebrations of the Eucharist and opportunities for teens to grow in their faith. Serra can work with us in several ways:

Promote the Legacy Vocations Series, a LIFE TEEN video and written resource for youth ministers, priests, and vocation directors to aid efforts in bringing forth new vocations

Collaborate with us in establishing local groups of Young Serrans

Co-host a summer vocations camp at our Camp Covecrest in Georgia

Assist in volunteering to help the youth ministry in Serran parishes

Invite youth leaders to speak at Serra meetings

Ministry Potential Discerner (MPD)

Pat Egan, Wichita, Kan., Downtown Serra Club

MPD, also known as “Project Discover,” “Self-Assessment Survey,” or “Test Your Call,” is a series of 39 self-assessment questions developed by Fargo, N.D. priest Fr. James Lauerman to gauge the “spirituality quotient” and aptitude of an individual for the priesthood or religious life. Categories of topics contain statements to which the respondent indicates the degree of agreement or disagreement. Based on the results, vocation directors may identify those respondents whose answers indicate a potential for a vocation. MPD is one of several vocations resource tools specifically mentioned in the NCCB document A Future Full of Hope, and has been used in many dioceses throughout the country and at National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry conventions.

National Catholic Young Adult Ministry

Michelle Miller, Executive Director

The National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA) is an organization supporting those who minister to and with singles and married couples in their late teens, 20s and 30s. NCYAMA publishes a quarterly newsletter, maintains an active website (www.ncyama.org), convenes Young Adult Ministry, diocesan and parish leaders, religious orders and other organizations, and provides training and workshops around the country. Serra could assist NCYAMA in the following ways:

Financial contributions in any amount to help secure a $25,000.00 matching grant

Assist with the “Bridges/Connections Project,” which will strive to find, inform, and support young Catholics considering a vocation to priesthood, religious life or ecclesial lay ministry

Advocate for young adults and their full participation in the life of the Catholic Church

National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry

Robert J. McCarty, D.Min., Executive Director

The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fostering the development of youth ministry within the Catholic Church in the United States. Membership is composed of 170 affiliated Catholic dioceses, the National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire, and 49 collaborating organizations serving young people across the country.

The mission of the NFCYM is to serve those who serve the young Catholic Church. At the heart of this mission is the challenge to foster the Church’s ministry with young people in all settings and to develop leadership for ministry at local, diocesan, and national levels. The NFCYM works through conferences, training, and resource development to enable youth to respond to their baptismal call to ministry, the fundamental vocation, which may lead to ordained, vowed, and lay ministry careers. Three challenges touch NFCYM and Serra:

Develop ministry career paths, enabling youth to move from high school through college and into seminary and other ministry careers

Foster youth ministry on our military bases worldwide, on which the NFCYM and the Archdiocese of Military Services are collaborating

Develop specific resources fostering vocations, such as the Serran booth at the National Catholic Youth Conferences

Scouting in the Catholic Church

Homer Radford, Serra Club of Southeast Kansas City, Mo.

Boy Scouts of America is the largest youth organization in the world. Founded in 1908, it focuses on character building, moral values, service, and patriotic values for youths. Scouting in the Catholic Church is organized under the USCCB by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS).

The NCCS is responsible for developing faith development programs for youth and adults in scouting by augmenting the religious instruction received in school or CCD. These programs combine family and parish community support, and provide the skills and confidence to achieve a high level in personal and professional life – the same qualities needed for those who will serve the Church as ordained or lay leaders. Individual Serrans and clubs can assist Catholic Scouting in the following ways:

Invite the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting’s (DCCS) chaplain and vocations committee chairman to be speakers

Become trained Religious Emblems Counselors and work with the R. E. Committee

Assist in organizing an annual Scout Retreat, including a vocations awareness component

Become active on the DCCS and serve on the Vocations Committee

Invite Scouts and DCCS members to become Serrans

Offer a scholarship to attend St. George Trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch

University Ministry

Dr. Michael Gilligan-Stierle, Dept. of Education USCCB

Over 20 million students are enrolled in U.S. universities. Catholics are the largest religious denomination attending college, with 6 million enrolled in state schools and 1 million in Catholic colleges. Of the 4,000 campuses nationwide, 1,000 have some type of Catholic ministry presence – from multimillion dollar centers to a volunteer lay minister with no facilities. Serra could help university ministry in five ways:

Where there is no Catholic ministry on a campus, start one.

Support campus minister and vocation director meetings.

Get involved in the University Vocation Congress in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 4-5, 2004.

Help with the “connections project,” assisting youth, university students, and young adults to connect with undergraduate and graduate pastoral ministry opportunities.

Volunteer for the USCCB Office of University Ministry, enabling the four above items to become a reality.

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