The diocesan Office of Youth, Campus and Young Adult Ministries is whisking up new opportunities for families and parish youth ministries throughout the Arlington diocese.
Last month, the OYCYAM office launched “Baking with the Saints,” a monthly activity for mothers and their daughters to gather at the parish, learn about the faith life of a particular saint, learn how to bake a dish based on that saint, and then spend some time answering a few questions about how their family can apply what they have learned moving forward. The goal of monthly activities like this is to provide parish youth ministers with regular opportunities to connect parents and children.
The event was first piloted at St. Mark Church May 5 and run by diocesan staff and Jamie Cross, the parish youth minister. The 90-minute event was well attended by nearly 40 mothers and their daughters who learned about St. John Paul II and baked his favorite dessert, Kremówka Papieska (Papal Cream Pastries). The mothers received instruction in advance to bring a few standard baking dishes and utensils. When they arrived, the mothers and daughters were all given matching pink aprons and baking ingredients. They were taught a few baking skills by Chef Christine Gloninger before being working on the Kremówka Papieska together.
Gerarda Culipher, who attended that first event, said she enjoyed ’Baking with the Saints” “because the event leaders had us right next to our girls, on assignment, measuring cups in hand and working together with their friends from the parish.”
After placing their pastry dough in the oven and the homemade cream filling in the refrigerator, the mothers and daughters listened to a brief presentation by Cross on the life of St. John Paul II and reflected on a few discussion questions. Afterward, they finished assembling the dessert, enjoyed sampling some with their friends, and then took the rest of their creation home.
The second baking event June 6 filled up quickly and was focused on Our Lady of Guadalupe and the rosary. Event leaders provided instructions on baking chocolate-chip scones, served in the shape of a rosary ring, to be served on the morning of a Marian feast day.
With limited oven space for most parishes, the goal is for parish directors of youth ministry to organize future events for smaller groups that the mothers and daughters will run themselves. To support mother-daughter leadership, the diocese will provide recipes, videos and saint-themed discussion questions about specific saints.
Catherine Wykoff attended both events with her sixth grade daughters and credited the gatherings with helping spark their interest in their faith.
“The conversation we had in the car heading home afterward has been incredibly valuable and has helped us to bond,” she said. “We look forward to subsequent events and are incredibly thankful for this opportunity.”
Lucia Miller, a rising ninth grader and St. Mark parishioner, enjoyed the “bun.”
“I love baking, but to be honest, I wasn’t expecting to love these evenings as such as I do. I hope my mom and I can make it to every session. I love our talks about the saints and learning about them. Not only do I get to bake something yummy, but I also get to hang out with my mom, and I think that’s really special.”
Parish-based events like “Baking with the Saints” stem directly from the Diocesan Strategic Plan, which includes an initiative intended to help parishes reshape youth ministries around various interests, smaller gatherings and mentorship. St. Mark plans to continue offering these monthly events, and the diocese will help other parish youth ministries start similar events.
For families, events act as a leaven for parent-child relationships.
“Young people are often more interested in attending church events and activities that are built around activities that they already enjoy doing, rather than a one-size-fits-all traditional ‘youth group’ model,” said Kevin Bohli, executive director of the OYCYAM.
“Plus, research consistently shows that parents still have the greatest impact on the faith lives of their children,” he said. “When parents openly discuss and witness a life of faith with their children, that makes it far more likely that their children will remain in that faith for the rest of their lives. Youth ministries have a vital opportunity to participate in that mission by creating enjoyable and appealing events where parents may teach and witness the Catholic faith to their children.”
Fathers and sons will have an opportunity to dish in on the fun. The next resource being developed, “Bacon with the Saints,” will be held monthly for small groups of fathers and sons within parishes to learn about saints while eating bacon and doing activities traditionally enjoyed by men and their boys.
Find out more
To start one of these ministries in your parish or for more information, contact your parish director of youth ministry or email [email protected].
