youth

When 19-year-old Nicholas Peters of San Carlos understood that his life would not be a long one, he decided to spend the days that might be left to him ministering to the forgotten and the hopeless on the streets of San Francisco.

The pastoral care of Hispanic families and immigrants, accompaniment of youth and young adults, and leadership development were the top priorities that Hispanic ministry leaders of seven dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Washington, addressed Oct. 5 at The Catholic University of America.

With more than 20 years of professional ministry experience, Doug Tooke has traveled to over 100 dioceses — teaching, keynoting conventions and training youth ministers. The vice president of ministry advancement for ODB Films and an adjunct staff member with Life Teen International, he will present four October events for the St. Cloud Diocese.  

Keys to guiding the disaffiliated back to Church include prayer, patience and being a good example.

God made you and loves you, and he knows you better than anyone else. In prayer, you can tell him about your joys and struggles. You can seek his wisdom and ask for his help.

Seminarian Jason Paul Marshall from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe was one of two people killed in the tragic bus accident June 23 involving the University of New Mexico Aquinas Newman Center’s youth group and their chaperones.

“How many are leaving? The short answer is: a lot,” the bishop said, noting the sobering statistic he said many in the room probably were aware of — that 50% of Catholics 30 years old and younger have left the church.

At the Vatican and in many parts of the world, Palm Sunday also is marked as the local celebration of World Youth Day, and Pope Francis spoke specifically to young people in his homily.