Youth

Youth initiatives of the Secretariat for Parish Life and Lay Leadership: 

National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) 2019

Thank you to all who participated and supported our Diocesan Delegation to NCYC 2017! We were blessed to be numbered among the 25,000 who attended. If you and your parish would like to attend in 2019, please start promoting and fundraising now. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. George Dragan at gdragan@diokzoo.org.

Scheduled for November 21th - 23th, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana, this biennial conference is for youth in high school and is truly an amazing encounter with the universal Church. Made up of 23,000 - 25,000 youth from around the nation, NCYC offers 3 days to experience the faith at the spiritual, human, intellectual, and pastoral levels through keynote addresses, breakout sessions, Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation, service projects, contemporary Christian music artists, and so much more! Stay tuned for more information and start fundraising now! Cost for each participant (youth and chaperone) is $550 per person. God bless you!

NCYC General Release Form - Youth Form
NCYC General Release Form Spanish - Youth Form
NCYC Medical Treatment Form - Youth Form
NCYC Medical Treatment Form Spanish - Youth Form

NCYC General Release Form - Adult Form
NCYC General Release Form Spanish - Adult Form
NCYC Medical Treatment Form - Adult Form
NCYC Medical Treatment Form Spanish - Adult Form

NCYC Youth Code of Conduct Form
NCYC Adult Code of Conduct Form

Antioch Retreat

The Antioch Retreat begin offered for teens at St. Mary's Visitation the weekend of
November 9-11, 2018. 
 If you are not familiar with the Antioch format, it is an encounter weekend run by teens for teens. The talks are given by teens. The discussions are facilitated by teens. The fun and games are led by teens. The highlight of the retreat is Saturday night when there is the opportunity to encounter Jesus one on one in a really powerful way. 

 Some quotes from teens who have attended Antioch: 

"There was some good food, great times, and even more amazing people. I haven't been this happy in a long time and it is all thanks to making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. And God. Thank God for this amazing weekend." 
"I have been Catholic all my life and have had a Bible since First Communion but it just collected dust. Now I actually open it and read it!"  
 "The Antioch Retreat is a place where everyone can feel comfortable with sharing anything. It's a place where you disconnect and get closer to God, on his time. Antioch is an incredible experience that everyone should have."
 
We would appreciate any help in getting the word out to others. 
For more information, please contact 
Sheryl O'Connor  


THE PRESENCE 2019!!!

February 22-24, 2019:  The Presence is an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist specifically for 9th – 12th grade high school youth that brings them to the merciful, and loving real presence of Christ. Cost for this year's retreat is $90 per student. This year's event will take place at the Sherman Lake YMCA. Participants must attend as part of a group.

The Presence Retreat will again count as an option to complete a Confirmation retreat for those of high school age preparing to receive that sacrament. Confirmation candidates should coordinate their attendance at The Presence with their parish Director of Religious Education.

All adult participants must be properly background-checked and Virtus complete. No exceptions. For information on background-checks and Virtus certification, contact your parish or collaborative Safety Environment Coordinator. For more information about The Presence,, including how to register, please visit The Presence website. or contact George Dragan at gdragan@diokzoo.org or by phone at 269-903-0141.  

NEWMAN CONNECTION

Serving as a bridge between high school and campus ministers, Newman Connection contacts every CYM, DRE, and High School in the Diocese to collect names and contact information for graduating seniors. One piece of information collected is where these seniors are going to college, allowing Newman Connection to provide the senior's contact information to the appropriate college campus minister. These campus ministers are encouraged to reach out to the young adults who will be coming to their college in order to maintain a Catholic connection from the get-go of their college careers. For more information on how to implement this process, please follow the link above or contact Cassie Campton at ccampton@newmanconnection.com.