Office of Youth Ministry

Sat, April 21, 2012 from 10am-4pm – location TBA (likely Regina or Saskatoon). The theme will be “Developing a Youth Friendly Parish.”  A practical day dedicated to helping parishes, Priests, parish councils, and leaders of parish organizations (CWL, Knights, ministries) discover real ways and form a plan to reach the youth in your parish – and those who are absent. Please contact the OYM if you are interested: youth@padiocese.ca or 306-922-4747×235. Carpooling available. Registration will be $25, including lunch. Forms will be coming in the near future.

All Youth (14+) and Young Adults are invited to join Bishop Albert for an intimate evening dinner and celebration of the Jewish Seder (Passover) Meal at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Palm Sunday – April 1^st – from 4-8pm.  Registration information will be available from your parish.  Plan to bring a carload from your parish!

For more info contact Warren: youth@padiocese.ca

If you are interested in participating in a Mission Trip to Africa in summer of 2014, please contact the OYM: youth@padiocese.ca  There will be informational meetings scheduled in the near future for those wanting to join in the adventure!  We would love to see a group represent our diocese in this great project.

Check out their webpage for some testimonials and more info on the location: http://cpps.ca/

 If you are interested to be part of the next team deciding the itinerary and details for next pilgrimage to Rio, Brazil, contact the OYM: youth@padiocese.ca.  The first Leadership Team meeting is Feb 1^st from 5:30-8:30pm.  Please RSVP by email

The National Evangelization Team (NET) will be in our Diocese from Jan 24-Feb 19, 2012.  Here are a listing of dates and places where they will be offering retreats to youth and families:

• Jan 26 – Prince Albert – St. Michael School (9:30am-2:30pm)
• Jan 27 – Arborfield – St. Lucy Parish (7:00-9:00pm)
• Jan 28 – North Battleford – St. Joseph Calasanctius Parish (3:00-10:00pm)
• Jan 29 – Spiritwood – Sacred Heart Parish (5:00-9:00pm)
• Jan 30 – Prince Albert – St. Mark Parish (5:45-9:00pm)
• Jan 31 – Shellbrook – St. Agatha Parish (5:30-9:30pm)
• Feb 1 – Tisdale – Immaculate Conception Parish (5:30-9:30pm)
• Feb 4 – Prince Albert – Diocesan Annual Charismatic Conference (8:30am-6:30pm)
• Feb 6 – Hafford – Ste. Solange Parish (5:30pm-9:30pm)
• Feb 7 – Wilkie – St. George School (9:30am-2:30pm)
• Feb 8 – North Battleford – JPII Collegiate (9:00am-3:30pm)
• Feb 9 – North Battleford – St. Mary School (9:15am-3:00pm)
• Feb 11 – Goodsoil – St. Boniface Parish (1:00-9:30pm)
• Feb 12 – Meadow Lake – Our Lady of Peace Parish (10am-5pm)
• Feb 13 – North Battleford – EMBM School (9:00am-3:15pm)
• Feb 14 – Spiritwood – Rivier School (9:00am-3:00pm)
• Feb 15 – Zenon Park – Notre Dame School and Parish (9:00-11:15am 7:00-10:00pm)
• Feb 18 – St. Brieux – St. Brieux Parish (10:00am-5:00pm)

There are some opportunities to billet the team if you would like to offer hospitality.  If you would like to know more about the group, check out their website (http://www.netcanada.ca/), or contact Warren Dungen in the office of Youth Ministry 306.922.4747 ext. 235 or email youth@padiocese.ca

I will be away from Dec 8 to Jan 9 for vacation and time off. However, I will be checking my email and answering my cell phone. Should you have any concerns, you may reach me using those methods.

May God bless you as we prepare for and celebrate the Feast of the Nativity!

Your brother in Christ,

Warren Dungen
youth@padiocese.ca
306-960-7789 cell

Here is a quick run through for those of you needing a quick reminder of what “ADVENT” is and is not.  Check it out!

The annual Xt3 Advent Calendar is an online Catholic resource for youth groups, parishes, schools, and for your own personal Advent journey.

This year’s calendar is packed with more multimedia resources and reflections than ever before, and will include features such as an Advent Feast Day podcast series, information on WYD13, and an exclusive Xt3-produced video on Humanae Vitae.

Don’t miss out – visit www.xt3.com/advent on 27 November to view the first feature.

And that’s not all… Xt3′s popular Advent Calendar is now available as an App for your iPhone and Android mobile phones!

Simply search for “Xt3 Advent” in your App store, and prepare your heart to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with Xt3.

As mentioned below, here is the link to the live streaming of the HUGE youth ministry conference with 25,000 youth in Indianapolis, IN:

http://www.mycatholicvoice.com/NCYCLive

As the delegation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops was concluding its annual visit to the Holy See this week in Rome, Archbishop Smith took time to speak with Christopher Wells of Vatican Radio about the challenges facing the Church in Canada.

“The Church in Canada is a part of western society,” said Archbishop Smith, “and faces a lot of the same challenges that the church in other parts of western society would face — particularly the growing secularization, the lack of due respect for the dignity of the human person, the threats against human life and so on. And at that national level the Bishops are certainly preoccupied with those issues, and find ourselves in Canada ripe for the New Evangelisation.”

But, he said, there are reasons for hope: “At the same time, though, where people are participating in the life of the Church . . . they’re very engaged, and really open to learn more about the faith, to grow in their encounter with the Lord, to be re-evangelised, as it were — and that’s truly the essence of the New Evangelisation — so that together we can find ways to bring this Gospel, its beauty and its hope, to the context in which we find ourselves.”

During the course of their meetings the heads of the various Congregations and Offices of the Vatican, the delegation also had a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI. “What I took away, what we took away, and what I take away from any meeting with him,” said Archbishop Smith, “is his witness to joy . . . you see that in him, the beauty, and the joy, and the hope of the Gospel, of our communion with the Lord. It’s something to which he gives such a beautiful and effective personal witness.”

Visit Vatican Radio to hear the whole interview:  http://212.77.9.15/audiomp3/00289331.MP3 

The Canadian delegation is composed of Archbishop Smith as President of the CCCB, Vice President Archbishop-elect Paul-André Durocher of Gatineau, and General Secretary Msgr. Patrick Powers.