The Youth Apostles Institute has accepted an invitation from
Richmond Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo to lead the Catholic
campus ministry at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg,
effective June 1.
Youth Apostle Father David M. Sharland, who has served as
chaplain and director of campus ministry at Marymount
University in Arlington since July 2007, has been named the
new director of campus ministry for Virginia Tech’s Newman
Community.
Chris Hitzelberger, a full member in Youth Apostles who has
coordinated parish youth ministry programs at Blessed
Sacrament Church in Alexandria since June 2004, will join
Father Sharland as assistant director of campus ministry. “It
is with great joy and gratitude to God that we announce this
appointment,” said Youth Apostle Father John P. Peterson,
general director of the Youth Apostles Institute. “We are
honored by the invitation to take on this important ministry
that serves the large Catholic student population of such an
outstanding university and we look forward to the opportunity
to assist the church in bringing Christ to the students,
faculty and staff at Virginia Tech.
“We are also most grateful to Father John Grace for the years
of generous and dedicated service to the Catholic community
at Virginia Tech,” Father Peterson said.
The McLean-based Youth Apostles Institute is a mixed
association of the Christian faithful whose 80 full members
and candidates, according to its mission statement, are
“committed to evangelize, teach, advise, challenge, console
and love young people with the ultimate purpose of inspiring
them to live Christ-like lives centered on prayer and the
sacraments of the church.”
Youth Apostles full members lead the diocesan youth ministry
offices in Virginia’s two Catholic dioceses. Others are
responsible for youth ministry programs at six parishes in
Virginia and the campus ministry programs at Marymount,
George Mason University in Fairfax, Old Dominion University
in Norfolk and Christopher Newport University in Newport
News.
