When Bishop Patrick Neary was a priest in Portland, Oregon, he visited YoungLife’s Family Ranch in Washington in the fall of 2022 and experienced first-hand how the YoungLife organization fulfills its mission “to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.” The message the leaders shared with the campers spoke to his heart.
“During a series of powerful talks, young people were able to understand how Christ’s life, his message, his cross, death and resurrection had a direct connection to their own lives and personal faith journeys. It felt as if the Holy Spirit was speaking directly to each one of them,” Bishop Neary said. “I have rarely seen middle school children so excited about their faith.”
So, when he came to the Diocese of St. Cloud to serve as bishop in 2023, he met with Angie Polejewski, YoungLife’s regional director, to see if there were areas where the mission of the organization aligned with the mission of the diocese.
“YoungLife can awaken young people in our diocese to the person of Jesus Christ, to his infinite love of them, his relevance to their daily lives and how they can be in relationship with him, especially through prayer, the Mass and through regular contact with their friends when their WyldLife group meets,” Bishop Neary said.
Polejewski has worked with YoungLife for decades and regularly witnesses firsthand the impact the program has on teens.
“We live in such a broken and hurting world that, as believers, we need each other,” Polejewski said. “There are so many kids that are searching and YoungLife wants nothing more than to get kids involved in a church so that they have a place to land for generations.”
As a volunteer for the Alexandria Area YoungLife group for the last five years, Amanda Kietzmann, has built relationships with area churches to gain their support of YoungLife.
“I’ve been a part of the process of building positive connections with different area churches, because young life is not a substitute for church,” Kietzmann said. “[I share that YoungLife acts as] the kindling and the spark to getting kids plugged back into church. Then, the church is like the oak log. YoungLife [can be] where that foundation is laid.”
YoungLife has existed in the Diocese of St. Cloud for over 40 years in Otter Tail County.
The Alexandria Area YoungLife group started over five years ago. Cassie Klimek, youth minister at St. Mary Parish in Alexandria, looks forward to seeing additional growth in the relationship the youth have with St. Mary’s through YoungLife.
“[By attending school events and sports] we let the kids know that we’re interested in the things that they’re doing outside of church, which will provide additional connection [to the parish,]” Klimek said.
This year, a new group formed in the St. Cloud metro area called Granite City WyldLife.
All three groups in the diocese are operating as pilot sites for WyldLife, the middle school companion to YoungLife.
In January, the Granite City Area WyldLife group held their first gathering, referred to as “Club,” at the St. Cloud Area Family YMCA. Over 100 middle-schoolers, alongside dozens of adult volunteers, played games of all kinds, socialized and after a skit which included a visit from “Instagramma” and “Instagrampa,” all heard the message of the Gospel.
“We all remember what our middle school days were like,” said Jason Prigge, Granite City WyldLife interim director. “So, to have a space where kids are safe, can laugh, have fun, sing songs that they know and have relevant activities so that each middle school friend knows that they’re known, seen, heard, loved and cared for – that’s what we’re doing here.”
The middle school experience through WyldLife is intended to be a 90-minute experience that is led by adults and includes high-energy activities to start the night and then draws participants to Jesus through either song, a speaker or small-group conversations.
Sharing the Gospel is a key part of the experience, but Polejewski knows the volunteers who serve this group are also important.
“There are life-altering things going through kids’ heads, and we need more adults to be present to shed light into the darkness,” she said. “Sometimes the Gospel is best delivered when it is unspoken.”
Kietzmann, who holds a degree in elementary education and a middle school endorsement, left the classroom years ago to raise her family, and is grateful for the time this has afforded her to be involved in YoungLife and WyldLife.
“The whole idea is to build community and relationships between leaders and kids,” she said. “It’s just been fun to be a positive adult in these kids’ lives and to be Christ to them.”
Bishop Neary is pleased to see that these groups are developing as one means of introducing young people who may or may not have other opportunities to learn about Jesus and his immense love for them.
“They know that their YoungLife leaders love them, and they have new friends with whom they can share their Catholic faith,” he said. “It is the perfect antidote to loneliness that seems to be increasing among adolescents.”