The Office of Youth, Campus, and Young
Adult Ministries chose “Rejoice” as its theme of the year. The busy office has
much to be excited about. In addition to classic youth events such as RALLY and
Life is VERY good, they’re working on new programs and getting ready for the
upcoming World Youth Day in Panama City.
In parish youth ministry, Kevin Bohli,
executive director, is encouraging adult leaders to go beyond catchall
gatherings and create smaller, specialized groups. “For example, St. Veronica
has a new ministry called Cooking with Purpose. It’s moms and kids coming
together and the idea is that the leaders are catechizing and modeling the
faith in the midst of what they’re doing,” he said. “St. Mary in Fredericksburg
has a run club. We’re just encouraging the directors of youth ministry to be a
lot more creative in finding ways to get young people active in the life of
their parish.”
Many years ago, the office created a high
school youth ministry curriculum, Journey to Emmaus, that they continue to
update, said Bohli. It’s used in Arlington as well as 10 other dioceses and 20 individual
parishes.
In the spring, the office is hosting its
first Catholic Scouting Family Campout weekend in Haymarket. Religious emblems will
be awarded to the Scouts there and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge will celebrate
Mass.
Next year’s WorkCamp will be held in
King George, about a half-hour east of last year’s location, said Bohli. “It
allows us to continue to do work in many of the same communities. (There’s)
more rural poverty,” he said.
As high schoolers head off to college,
the office is working with an organization called the Newman Project to connect
the young Catholics with their college campus ministry. “For example, O’Connell
could submit a list of all their graduating students and where they’re going,
and the Newman Connection plugs them in with the campus ministries at those colleges,”
Bohli said. Campus ministries can then log on to the site and directly contact
the students about Mass times and upcoming activities. “College students need
to be connected within the first week of school, otherwise it’s very difficult
to ever get them connected,” said Bohli.
The bigger colleges in the diocese such
as the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg and George Mason University
in Fairfax already have large, well-established campus ministries. But Bohli also
hopes to foster fledging Catholic clubs at community colleges. Bishop Burbidge
is scheduled to have lunch with students at the Northern Virginia Community
College’s Annandale campus Sept. 28. Bohli hopes to establish a weekly Sunday
Mass at Shenandoah University in Winchester.
More young adult groups are forming in
parishes, as well as organizing a growing number of Theology of Tap talks, most
recently in Manassas and Sterling. Soon there may be one in Front Royal, said
Bohli. He also hopes to launch a monthslong missionary discipleship program for
interested young adults.
Forty-five youths, young adults and
adults will travel to Panama for World Youth Day in late January.
Usually, the number of participants from the
diocese is in the hundreds, but the time of year makes it difficult for
students to get away, said Christine Najarian, assistant director. She thinks their
group is one of the largest groups from the U.S., with participants from all
over the diocese, including from St. Joseph Church in Alexandria and Fort
Belvoir.
As with all World Youth Days, the pilgrimage
contingent met ahead of time to discuss logistics as well as to prepare spiritually.
Many participated in carrying the World Youth Day Cross this August in
Washington. The cross has traveled around the U.S., the Caribbean and Central
America ahead of World Youth Day.
Once they touch down, Arlingtonians will
spend the first few days touring — seeing the rain forest, visiting Monkey
Island and riding on an aerial tram, said Najarian. Once the event begins,
they’ll attend catechetical sessions, concerts, adoration and festivals before the
papal Mass on the final day.
“The focus is the cross. You leave home
and you come back a different person,” said Bohli. “It’s the whole process of
going and coming back — you grow in faith. It’s not just a vacation to go see
the pope. The whole experience is meant to be a pilgrimage of faith.”