By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 9/25/03)

"If I go to a Catholic school where I get straight A’s in religion and socialize with other Catholic students my age, why do I need to be involved with youth ministry?"

"Sure I go to a public school, but I attended religious education and was confirmed, I know about the faith, why do I need to go to ‘youth group’ on Sundays?"

"My child is a good student. He is very social, involved with sports at school and he goes to church with the family every week. Do I really need to drive him to another activity every week?"

Given the busy nature of the lives of teenagers today, the above statements have most likely been uttered by some member of the family at least once. Trying to coordinate soccer practices, dance classes, school carpools and family dinners is hard enough.

Kevin Bohli, director of the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry, said it is imperative that parents act as the primary catechists of their children, and he hopes to focus this year on the importance of Youth Ministry in lives of all youths of theChurch.

Recently he sent a copy of his vision for youth ministry in the diocese to the directors of religious education (DREs) and coordinators of youth ministry (CYMs).

"We need to break away from the old models of CCD, CYO and the idea that Catholic school students do not need to be involved in parish programs," Bohli said in his statement.

The Youth Office is working to implement ideas from "Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry," published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1997.

The vision encourages a paid CYM for each parish that organizes a comprehensive youth program including community life, leadership development and catechesis for high school aged students.

This vision includes ways that DREs and CYMs can work together to keep seventh- and eighth-grade students interested in youth ministry and involved in parish life after they are confirmed.

The CYM’s job is not simply to act as a social director for Catholic youths. They are responsible for catechizing the youths using the "Secondary Religion Guidelines of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington," drafted by the Office of Catholic Schools and the Office of Catechetics.

"Youth ministers should be making sure the youth are fully involved in every aspect of the parish, so that when they graduate from high school, their Church life doesn’t end," said Bohli. "The focus should not be on a ‘youth group,’ rather upon inclusion of young people into all groups and ministries within the parish."

In-service days or conferences for CYMs are offered every month during the school year. In October, the focus will be on Hispanic youth ministry, led by Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, the associate director of the secretariat for Hispanic Affairs of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops.

Bohli said youth leaders in parishes should be called coordinators of youth ministry instead of the traditional "youth minister," because, he said, every adult member of a parish should be a youth minister.

Most importantly, Bohli said, "We want the parents to be the primary catechists."

In order to assist parents, the youth office will offer a conference this fall for youths and their parents to discuss ways to foster a good relationship between family members during the tumultuous teen years.

The Parents and Their Teens Conference, taking place at Paul VI High School in Fairfax on Oct. 4, is not designed to help parents deal with "troubled teens," but was designed to "empower parents to take a greater role in the formation of their teens," said Bohli. The day will include talks and activities for parents and teens, separately and together, and a vigil Mass celebrated by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde.

Presenters at the daylong conference include Jim Green, a father and youth worker; Art Bennett, Catholic family counselor and director of the Alpha Omega Clinic; Mario Herrera, model, actor and student at the Franciscan University of Steubenville; and Dr. Eduardo Azcarate, clinical psychologist. Talks will be in English and Spanish.

Aside from simply educating the young Church, the Office of Youth Ministry is striving to educate parents, and the whole Church, as to what their role in the formation of youths should be. "Most importantly, we want parents to be encouraged [to be] the primary catechists of their youth," said Bohli.

For more information on Youth Office events, visit www.ArlingtonCatholicYouth.org or call the Office of Youth Ministry at 703/841-2559.