Bosco Briefing

For starters, working with the Catechetics deparment from the University is a joy and a delight. Love 'em all.

The honored guests were three visitors from Maryvale Institute in England. Ok, you think catechesis is bad here? They have a greater task, if you ask me. Fr Paul Watson, Dr. Petroc Willey and Stephen Yates are at Maryvale and have made significant contributions to the catechetical world. And great fun, all of them. Maryvale has had a magazine called the Sower which is now available in the US for the first time (yeah!) GET IT.

Since this is the first time in history that the Bosco conference has run smoothly (thanks to the great work of Scott Sollom, Ron Bolster and company) I was able to sit in on some of the workshops.

I opted to go to the Advanced Youth Ministry courses, naturally. (For more information about the various tracks go to the conference website: www.franciscanconferences.com and then to the Bosco Conference.)

Before I get in depth into the content-which appears might have to be another post-I want you to get to know some names. These people are the movers and shakers of Catholic Youth Ministry. If you don't know them, you should:
Bill Marcotte-director of Youth and Young Adults for the Diocese of Phoenix. Also the creator of Youth Arise North America (I call it the Catholic version of the Jesuit Volunteer Corp). He has beein in youth minister since 1984 and a pioneer in evangelization and youth catechesis. I got to sit and talk with him-what a joy and a servant. And his daughter will be here at the University in the fall! Yeah! (PS there is a TON of great information on the Diocese of Phoenix youth ministry website)

Eric Westby is Bill's boss...pray for Bill...Eric is the Director of the Office of Family Catechesis. Eric and I went to school together, but he has done great work in Catechetical work and in youth ministry.

Gina Bauer has been in youth ministry for 18 years-and still acts like a teenager! She has a unique take on the whole Chastity issues with girls "It needs to stop being about what they are wearing and about WHO THEY ARE! They are Daughters of the King!". Love her. I just love her.

Jim Beckman has been a youth minister for over 20 years. He also got his degree from Franciscan and had been on the speaking and hosting circuit for the youth conferences. He has also had a thriving ministry at St Francis Cabrini in Denver, CO as well as serving as the Director of Catechsis for Life Teen. You gotta have heard of him. Check out his new venture: The Impact Center.

Bob Rice. Bob Rice is my friend. It says so on his promotional sticker that I got from him. He is a friend and a dear one at that. He is my hero because he is heading up the Youth Ministry coursework under the Catechetics Department here at the University.

Well, if all those links don't keep you busy, I don't know what to tell you. Have fun getting to know these folks and their good work. And pray for them. Youth Ministry on the national front is due for a makeover-and these good and holy people are just the ones to do it.