Gulf Pine Catholic

10 Gulf Pine Catholic • March 6, 2020 Great things are happening in Diocese of Biloxi’s Office of Youth Ministry BY RAY LACY Director of Youth Ministry Great things are happening in Diocese of Biloxi’s Office of Youth Ministry. Here are some highlights. High School Youth Ministry DBYC -- March 20-22 -- Our annual high school conference geared toward providing encounter opportunities for our youth to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ, His Universal Church, and the Sacraments. Sunday afternoon we have a middle school rally to do the same for that age group. Spirit Movers -- Formed originally, to respond to a need to have more young people involved in DBYC plan- ning, this group has evolved into growing and empower- ing young people to be leaders in their own parishes. We have a retreat in July to form the high school youth and meet monthly up with them and young adult volunteer mentors until January and then every week to finalize preparations. SEARCH Retreat -- A SEARCH weekend is a Christian life experience. It is peer guided and peer given by a Diocesan youth and adult team. On a SEARCH weekend there is sharing by the community members, songs, prayer, small group discussions, Adoration, Eucharist, Reconciliation, quiet time and a great fellow- ship. Selection of the peer team is from attendees from the previous years that are now seniors in high school all over our diocese. Formation of the peer team occurs with a retreat weekend in August followed by weekly meetings through February. Adore -- The nights feature a keynote speaker with our theme for the year followed by Eucharistic Praise and Worship. Confession is available. Adore takes place four times a year at different churches within the Diocese. The invitation to Adore nights are open to all. There is no cost to attend. Notre Dame Vision -– Annual week long trip to Notre Dame for the high school program to foster community and encounter opportunities with Jesus Christ. Seventy of Notre Dame’s college students lead our youth in an explo- ration of God’s call and the ways in which they can respond to this call with their own gifts. Consistent small group throughout the week that focuses on how to pray and journey through faith. We traditionally attend during week 2 (which is the week before Fourth of July). Youth Ministry Spotlight Lacy Bishop Kihneman and group of 2020 SEARCH retreat. NCYC -– National Catholic Youth Convention. Biennial event that takes places in Indianapolis, IN, where we’re pleased to take our high school students to encoun- ter Christ alongside 25,000 of their peers. Powerful multi- day experience. The next event is slated for 2021. March for Life -- Our annual pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., which occurs the Friday closest to the anniversary of Roe. Vs. Wade. We register for the Life is Very Good Rally to ensure our youth have guaranteed Mass, confession, and adoration opportunities. We’re blessed to travel with some of our priests to provide Mass in our hotel as well as in a church that hosts us on the way home. We took seven charter buses and 340 youth and their adult chaperones in 2020. Rosary Rally / Walk for Life -- Annual event held at Nativity to be a local walk for life for those groups unable to attend the March for Life in Washington or to use it as a pre- or post-March gathering for their parish or school. All are welcome to attend and this is not limited to youth. Newman Connection -- We work with this team to ensure our graduating high school seniors from public and our Catholic schools are connected with the campus min- istries of their future colleges. Steubenville -- Over 50,000 Catholic teens across North America will attend one of 24 Steubenville Youth Conferences to encounter the God who calls us His sons and daughters. While our office does not directly take groups to Steubenville(s), we happily bridge youth and youth groups with other parishes that do attend these con- ferences. We usually have groups attend Atlanta, On the Bayou (Houma, LA), and South (Alexandria, LA). Mound Bayou Mission -- For the past four years, youth groups and parishioners in our diocese have helped to coordinate mission trips to Mound Bayou, MS, working with the St. Gabriel Mercy Center. We’ve assisted in reno- vating buildings, constructing new buildings, and helped the community as a whole in many different ways. We help coordinate up to four summer trips alongside communicating fundraising goals and targets for each group going to meet the needs of the mission. Middle School Ministry Holy Fire -- National Conference for Middle School Youth. The producers of the nation’s largest Catholic youth event, NCYC, invite young people in grades 6-8 to a one-day experi- ence of dynamic speakers, music, and the sacrament of the Eucharist like they have never before experi- enced. At Holy Fire, young people will be invited and challenged to embrace their baptismal call and embrace the relevant and powerful gospel of Jesus. October 2019 was the first time we sent a group from our diocese. DBYC -- March 20-22 -- Our annual high school con- ference geared toward providing encounter opportunities for our youth to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ, His Universal Church, and the Sacraments. Sunday after- noon we have a Middle School rally to do the same for that age group. The Challenge -- Oct. 12, 2019, was our first annual middle school conference hosted by St. Fabian. This con- ference arose from the need to create encounter opportuni- ties for our middle school youth. Our Spirit Mover youth and adult team worked with us to make it a success. Young Adult Bible Studies -- We help to coordinate and facilitate material for weekly Bible studies. We identify leaders and encourage them to facilitate a study at someone’s home. The ultimate goal is to keep Christ in the center, encour- age growth in faith with all attending, and help bridge the gap and connect them into a parish community where their gifts can be used. SEEK/SLS -- Annual conference through FOCUS where we connect interested college aged young adults to the groups attending. Miscellaneous Life Teen Area Contact -- Ray Lacy is the Life Teen area contact for Mississippi. To answer any questions or assist in the facilitation of all things Life Teen or Edge for youth ministers at the parish level. Ray Lacy is the Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Biloxi.