ARTICLES

Youth Conference combines spirituality, faith and joy

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

”Anchored by Christ” was the theme of the diocese’s Youth Conference, an event which drew more than 650 teens and adult chaperones from 60 parishes.

“As you learn, pray and share in Catholic fellowship during this year’s DYC, may it challenge you to live as faithful young men and women of Christ, remaining always ‘anchored in Christ,’” wrote Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo in a letter to those at the conference held July 24–26 on the campus of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.

The event placed a renewed emphasis on developing a personal relationship with Jesus. The youths showed exuberant joy as well as respectful silence at appropriate times during the two liturgies on Saturday and Sunday mornings. There was time for the sacrament of reconciliation on Saturday as several priests, including Bishop DiLorenzo, were available to hear confessions.

For those who wanted to spend private time in prayer, there was adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Bishop DiLorenzo presided at Mass Saturday morning in a packed hall of the Sadler Center. He remained at the conference the whole day, speaking at two afternoon break-out sessions. One of them was an open forum in which he invited the youths to freely express their views about their parish.

Father Rob Cole, pastor of St. John the Apostle Parish in Virginia Beach, who preached the homily, challenged the youths to answer what they meant when they said “amen” as they received Communion.

“Your ‘amen’ speaks volumes,” Father Cole said. “Proudly proclaim your ‘amen.’”

But he asked some more questions: “How are you anchored by Christ? Are you anchored by the Eucharist which is the source and summit of our faith?”

There was a new element of vocations to the priesthood and religious life at the Conference. Most of the diocese’s 14 seminarians, dressed in clerical garb, were present throughout the conference.

At the invitation of Father Michael Renninger, director of the Office of Vocations, Sister Kathy Ullrich of the Trappistine Sisters living in Albemarle County, spoke of her own vocation to the entire assembly after Mass.

Describing her teen years as a “military brat” who went to three different high schools, Sister Kathy said she never contemplated a religious vocation at that time.

“When I was your age, I would have to say my relationship with God was mostly curiosity,” she said.

She later attended Texas A & M University and considered at one time a religious vocation with the Franciscans.

Instead, at the suggestion of her father, she enlisted in the Air Force. It seemed a good choice and she admitted that she loved the military life — to a point.

“As I progressed in my career, I felt something was missing in life,” Sister Kathy said. “I didn’t feel fulfillment.”

She was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Newport News. During her seven years — the first time she was ever in a non-military parish —she often wondered what she was going to do the rest of her life, but she found no answers.

In her search she found a priest who agreed to be her spiritual director.

“With a lot of help from my spiritual director and my friends, I visited a couple of religious orders, but nothing was clicking,” she said.

She went on a retreat held at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery of the Trappistine Sisters 15 miles west of Charlottesville. She at first thought “no way, this is not going to be it,” but she later returned to the cloistered monastery to spend an additional 30 days with the sisters.

“It was the cloistered life I was attracted to,” she said. “I just made solemn vows June 3.”

Sister Barbara Smickle, vocation director of the Trappistines, also spoke at a break-out session Saturday afternoon.

“They had a lot of good questions, but it told me that many of them had never met a nun in a habit or talked to a religious sister or brother before,” she said. “Many young people have no idea of the kind of life lived in religious communities.

“They were very attentive to what I had to say,” she added.

John David Ramsey, a transitional deacon now at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Yorktown, and seminarian Brian Capuano in a workshop titled “The Mass: Why bother?” answered questions which dealt with what happens at the Eucharistic celebration.

The major speaker at the conference was Cooper Ray, a full-time youth minister from Louisiana, who spoke at three separate sessions.

Mr. Ray related several stories about his personal life ranging from the time he was an avid altar server while a Catholic school student in Lexington, Ky., to the time he got involved in a serious romantic relationship before he met his wife. During this relationship he spoke of the struggles he had to remain chaste. He wanted to be able to resist temptation and called on his friend Paul to pray that he remain strong.

“I’ll pray for you to be weak,” his friend replied.

“Gee, thanks a lot, Paul,” Mr. Ray said in disbelief.

His friend explained to Cooper that by being weak, he would be forced to turn to Jesus “to get you through your struggles and your weakness.”

At times Mr. Ray would display comical facial gestures, but then he would then turn serious. The bottom line was that he asked each youth to “give your life completely over to Jesus.”

“It’s a huge sacrifice, the road to Jesus is not easy,” he asserted.

“He never said it would be easy. He said it would be worth it.”

To any youths in the congregation who felt they might not be worthy of Jesus’ love because of what they may have done in the past or are doing right now, Mr. Ray said they need not be fearful.

“Jesus says ‘I want you where you are right now,’” he told them.

For those who wanted a little more direction in getting to know God better, he urged the reading of Scripture.

“Through the Word, we get to know Jesus...We listen to the Word and ask ‘how does this apply to my life today?’”

Acknowledging again that one seeking to know Jesus better would often get sidetracked by the world, Mr. Ray said “God never ceases to call us.”

“We kind of wrestle with it because we’re afraid of what God might be calling us to,” he said.

He admitted that there would sometimes be pain in seeking to follow Jesus completely.

“But without pain, there is no gain,” he said.

An effort was made to present an inclusive atmosphere in the various workshops and at the two liturgies on Saturday and Sunday morning.

The Gospel Choir of Holy Rosary, Richmond, sang on the stage Saturday morning, both with the congregation and in concert after Communion.

A Hispanic woman introduced as Carmen sang in Spanish in a musical program before the liturgy Sunday morning. Music at the Mass was led by a group from St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville.

One of the workshops featured a group of three brothers who have autism from St. Timothy Parish in Tappahannock. The workshop, led by Nita Grignol, director of the diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities, focused on how one could get involved in a ministry that would make a difference in the lives of students with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Another workshop on the Urban Gospel focused on the history, characteristics and scriptural references of contemporary urban and R & B gospel artists.

There was little sleep for many of the teens during the weekend where they stayed overnight in college dormitories on the William and Mary campus. Likewise, many of the adult chaperones felt tired when the conference ended.

Javier Cruz, an engineering student at Virginia Commonwealth University who came to the conference this year as an adult adviser, had been to several previous diocesan youth conventions, including when he was chair of the Diocesan Youth Council. He said he saw a change in direction of this year’s Youth Conference.

“It was extremely different, but from all the feedback I heard from the youths, they enjoyed it,” he said. “That’s the important thing.”

Ed Hughes, who said he had been a chaperone at diocesan youth gatherings for about 30 years, also remarked on changes this year from the previous youth conventions.

“It’s been a total revamp, but it’s good,” Mr. Hughes, a member of Richmond’s St. Edward Parish, said.

“As with any change, it takes time to assimilate.”

Angela Cash, religion teacher at All Saints School in Richmond and adult chaperone from St. Paul parish, said she had come with seven youths from St. Paul’s.

“I’ve asked them ‘are you enjoying it?’ and they said it is great,” she told The Catholic Virginian.

“I got two hours of sleep last night, but I’ve been filled up by their committed faith.”

Tim Short, youth minister at Incarnation Parish in Charlottesville, said those teens he accompanied from the parish “had a really wonderful time this year.”

“The praise and worship was wonderful and the keynote speaker, Cooper Ray, did an excellent job bringing the Gospel message to life,” he said.

“We’re all excited about going back next year.”

read related article »

back to top »