Just wanted to let you kow of an opportunity to participate in the biggest gathering of Catholic Youth in North America - NCYC happening in Indianapolis this weekend!
NCYC happens every second year and is put on by the NFCYM, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry in the United States. It brings the best speakers, musicians, movements, and ministries in North America to empower our young people. The theme this year is "Called to Glory".
Below is a link to watch the main sessions online and get a glimpse into the awesome experience. There's special sessions designed just for parents, so grab a coffee tonight and tomorrow and enjoy!
Just a follow up to those looking for some resources to learn more and share about the lifes of the saints. Lifeteen has a great new blog post summarizing a lot of their recent work and resources about the saints. Check it out!
Translation can be a messy and sometimes imperfect science. You might say it is a tricky treat! (lame, I know).
A good example is our recent pilgrimage to Spain for World Youth Day. As some people may know, there was a huge storm that broke the evening of the Saturday Vigil with the Pope out at Quatro Vientros airfield with close to 2 million young people. Due to the severe weather some of the planned activities changed, along with closing of some side chapels and eventually availability to receive communion for every person at the Sunday closing mass (luckily we did after the closing mass due to the heroic work of our Bishop and Fr. Matthew Ramsey). This all lead to some very interesting announcements as we awoke in our sleeping bags the Sunday morning.
The MC's would make announcements in Spanish and English, then followed translated into many different languages. We first we're told that the missing kids from the night before we're found, but then they lost 22 others! Then we were informed in english that "due to the hurricane last night, the chapels we're damaged and we cannot give out communion to everyone." This had us frustrated, confused but ultimately laughing. It was quite funny to think the thunderstorm and wind we endured in this desert like climate was the equivalent to an hurricane. Obviously the MC's have never been through a hurricane, or something was lost in translation... a theme that would continue. Finally, Fr. Matthew turns to me getting word that how this all eventually translated into the German announcement was summarized quiet simply and directly. It was something to the effect of, "There will be no communion; the church is broken".
Obviously, there was a little more to the story then that, and it wasn't quite a "hurricane" either. The point of this story being, it is easy to miss the point and loose something in translation. This Advent, there will be changes coming to a mass near you as we implement the new General Instruction for the Roman Missal (GIRM, an unfortunate acronym) and the revised translation we have for many parts and responses during mass.
This has lead some people to be really up in knots over the changes, even predicting people will leave the church over it. Some say no big deal, some say the sky is falling. The sky isn't falling. This is a change, but it isn't the vastness of Vatican II. The church is just revising the language we use during mass, by translating in a different way then we used before. They are using formal equivalence over dynamic... a buch of mumbo jumbo that essential means we're using words closer to the latin text we're translating from.
Mark Hart, aka the Bible Geek and Vice-President of Lifeteen (a great Catholic Youth Ministry) explains it easy enough in the linked video. Pass it around to those asking questions or worried the church will be broken come November 27th. Perhaps even sit down with your family for 4-5 minutes and watch it together.
Let us see this not as a burden or something to cope with - but an opportunity, a movement of the Holy Spirit. Let's do as Mark suggests, as has our Bishop and many church leaders in our own Diocese. Let us be patient, be loving, be obedient and see this as an opportunity to learn and renew our love and understanding of Sacred Scripture!
SaskCath Youth Ministry Training Workshop: Youth Night 101 - "How to Develop & Lead a Youth Night"
November 20th, 9:30 - 4 PM @ St. Anne's Parish - Cost $10
SaskCath YMT is a new initiative of the youth ministry offices of the province. We will be hosting semi annual training days on various Youth Ministry Topics to equip youth coordinators, volunteers, parents, priests, anyone involved or interested in youth ministry in a parish, school, diocese, or movement. If you have a desire to get involved in Youth Ministry, or are struggling or need a refresher, these are for you! This is a natural follow up to all parents and volunteers who attended our Steps in Faith Town Halls - so take the next step!
Youth Night 101 - "How to Develop/Lead a Youth Night" will explore how to create, implement and facilitate a comprehensive youth night that can be adapted for use with the specific needs of your community. For more info or to register, contact
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