Busy year on tap for youths, young adults
Monday, January 19, 2015
*Rosemarie Banich
Young adults from Immaculate Conception Church in Hialeah get a briefing on what they will be doing when they take part in the March for Life this week in Washington, D.C. The young people are going along with 25 other young adults from the archdiocese, as part of the first such pilgrimage organized by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
Father Manny Alvarez, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Hialeah, gives a blessing to March for Life pilgrims as Rosemarie Banich, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adults, stands by. Father Alvarez will serve as chaplain to the group of about 30 young adults who are part of the first pilgrimage organized by Banich's office.
Father Manny Alvarez, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Hialeah, shows off the scarf, pen and backpack given to the 30 young adults who will take part in the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry's pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Father Alvarez will travel with them and serve as the group's chaplain.
A young adult from Immaculate Conception Church in Hialeah picks up the backpack announcing that she is part of this year's archdiocesan contingent at the March for Life in Wahsington, D.C. Similar backpacks will be carried by about 120 high school students and their chaperones who are traveling as part of the annual pilgrimage organized by the Respect Life office. The group organized by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry numbers about 30. Another group of seminarians and college students also will be taking part in the march.
Photography: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry has been re-opened for just over three months, and what a busy 90 days it has been. I have enjoyed visiting parishes and other ministerial groups, and appreciate the many invitations — keep them coming!
In December, we held our first official event — an Advent Evening of Recollection — at which we were blessed by a moving reflection from Msgr. Michael Carruthers, pastor of St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center.
We also got not one, but two, pilgrimages kicked-off: the 2015 March for Life in Washington, D.C. and World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. Look for daily updates on the March for Life as part of this Let’s Talk blog, Jan. 21-23. The deadline for signing up for World Youth Day is Jan. 31.
But we can’t rest. We have much to do in 2015. Our Archdiocese of Miami's Strategic Pastoral Plan, "Disciples in Faith, Missionaries of Hope," declared as one of three archdiocesan strategic priorities the need to "expand our missionary outreach to youth and young adults." Specifically, the Archdiocese is called to: "Invest the human, financial and spiritual resources necessary to help both youth and young adults cultivate a personal and life-long relationship with Christ and to ensure that the Archdiocese of Miami becomes a model church in outreach to the Church of today and tomorrow."
This is a tall order, but one that I know we can fill, given the great faith and equal level of talent of our people here in South Florida, from Key West to North Broward. The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is here to support all of you in your ministry. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions.
I will be trying to keep in touch with all the youth and young adult groups via an email blast every other week. If you have an event you would like me to help you promote with other parishes and groups, please send me the information by the Friday before.
Also, please like us on Facebook, where I will be posting additional links and information. I want to feature a different parish or group each week, so if you would like your youth group featured on our Facebook page, please send me a photo ([email protected]). Let’s keep in touch!
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