News
Salt and Light Newsletter January 2026
A message from Maureen Quinn...
We wish you all a very happy new year and hope you all had a peaceful and joyful Christmas season! As we approach this new year, renewed by the Incarnation, consider carrying the words spoken by Pope Leo just this past Sunday. "Indeed, Christian hope is not based on optimistic forecasts or human calculations, but on God’s decision to share our journey, so that we may never be alone as we travel through life. This is God’s work: in Jesus, he became one of us, chose to remain with us, and willed to be forever God-with-us."
The birth of Christ does not make life any easier but it does mean we don't walk alone through the many trials and tribulations. January can be challenging for many, with the dark and cold weeks ahead but we have many things going so we can accompany one another and journey together.
Note the DREYM Team Winter Workshops that are happening next week. This is our major gathering for DREs and Youth Ministers. We are offering this both on weekday and weekend to better support our diverse group of leaders. Join us for this yearly gathering by clicking here to RSVP!
Upcoming Events
DREYM Team Winter Workshop
This years gathering will include:
- Power of Human Connect: how can we be more intentional with providing authentic human connection in a digital age
- OCIA as a model for all Catechesis
- Meeting with the director of Safe Environement, Regina Quinn
- Diocesan Updates & Opportunities
- Review of Parish Plans
- Opportunities for Fellowship & Prayer
Join us in person or via zoom. This gathering has no cost and lunch is provided, but RSVP is encouraged so we can properly prepare.
Missouri Catholic Summit
The Missouri Catholic Summit (MCS) is a large gathering of Catholic young adults, age 18-25, from across the state of Missouri. The summit is a day of celebration of the Christian life and fellowship amongst faithful young adults. Young adults grow together through a warm and vibrant atmosphere, talks from esteemed speakers, reflection, and prayer.
We are offering a breakout for adults who are wanting to get something started or growing for young adults in the parish community. Especially those communities with a small college, tech school, community college, etc that doesn't have a Newman Center.
Lenten Leader Retreat
This retreat is for any parish leader (volunteer, paid, works with youth or adults) that is needing their own cup filled. The day will provide rest, prayer, reflection and fellowship. This day is not focused on Catechetical formation but instead on Human and Spiritual Formation.
There is no cost for this retreat.
Summer 2026 News and Updates
FOUR Totus Tuus Spots Remaining
We have some Totus Tuus Spots remaining! If your parish is interested please let us know! The parish Manual is posted and we are encouraging groups to begin advertising as families are planning their summer now.
Weeks available for 2026 are June 28-July 3 AND July 19-24. Two spots are available on each week!
Scholarships are available to those parishes seeking financial support for this endeavor.
Steubenville Conference Signup
The diocecese does not take a group to the Stuebenville Conference but we 100% support our parishes in going and want to help equip our parish leaders so it can be as successful as possible. Below are some resources that may be helpful to groups. If you are coordinating a group, please let us know! This helps us keep you all informed of your neighbors who are going. Afterall we are always better together!
Camp Registration Opens Jan 31
Camp Registration will Open on January 31. Dates are now posted and resources for advertising are available. We will have posters, handouts, postcards and small cards at our gathering next week. These can be used in a variety of ways to help get these dates out.
WE ARE NOW HIRING FOR SUMMER 2026
We are beginning to receive applications and will start hiring missionaries for both Totus Tuus and Summer Camps. Consider inviting a young person you know to apply. They will experience a faith community that will transform their lives for the better, all while working a paid summer job. Here are just a few quotes from staff at the end of last summer:
Spring 2026 Calendar
January 15
Winter DREYM Workshop (being offered twice-Thursday option)
January 17
Winter DREYM Workshop (being offered twice-Saturday option)
January 31
Summer Camp Registration opens
February TBA
OCIA Regional Gatherings (dates and more info to come)
February 28
Missouri Catholic Summit Conference (for College-age Young Adults), Jefferson City
March 28
Lenten Faith Leader Retreat, Mokane, MO
April 22-30
End-of-year Deanery Gatherings
May 1
Midwest March for Life in Jefferson City
May 6
6th Grade Vocations Day
Summer 2026 Calendar
June 6
Diocesan Ordination
June 7-11
Camp Lolek Week 1
June 14-18
Camp Lolek Week 2
June 21-26
Camp Maccabee North
June 28-July 3
Camp Siena North
July 12-17
Camp Maccabee South
July 19-24
Camp Siena South
August 2026
NEW DREYM Meeting & Retreat for Parish Leaders
FREE Formation Opportunities and Resources
Checkout The Youth Ministry Mindset Podcast Season 2
4 years ago, when I started with the diocese, season 1 of this podcast was released and was everything that I believed, knew and experienced when it came to youth ministry and really ALL ministry.
Now years later, they have released a Season 2 about the Sacrament of Confirmation. More specifically how we shift from transactional model to truly transformational. Really all of ministry needs to shift from transacactional to transformational! These guys are the real deal, they are practical, and challenge our thought process.
If you want to start with episode 1, I think this is a great place to start!
YDisciple is available to ANY of our Parishes
YDisciple is an online resources which includes small group discipleship resources, training videos, tools and content to help adults launch small groups and make young disciples. These resources can be used for middle and high school age youth. Though they are not intended for this age level, many of the resources could also be adapted for adults of all ages.
Any parish that is hoping to use YDisciple, we can set you up with an acocunt free to our parishes, thanks to the generousity of the RIB Grant through the Knights of Columbus.
If your parish is interested let Abby or Maureen know and we will get you setup!
Revive Parishes is a GREAT Training Tool
Revive parishes has a long list of courses, where you will learn from an expert who understand the challenges facing parishes and who has dedicated his or her life to renewing the Church.
This is free of charge and they continue to add courses that are practical to ministry. Any course I have taken I have found to be beneficial! A few topics worth mentioning are Small Groups and Mental Health...topics we get asked about all the time. You can do a course on your own or better yet, gather a small group from your parish to do together!
BONUS RESOURCE: Post Live Digital Encounter Resources
After Pope Leo XIV's Live Digital Encounter with US Youth, NFCYM (the hosts of NCYC) helped provide meaningful resources that could be used in parish youth ministry, schools and families. If you have not yet, I highly encourage watching this histroic dialogue with young people and allow this to be starting point for discussions and conversations.
Stay in Touch:
Youth Office Contact
Director of Youth Ministry
Maureen Quinn
573-635-9127, ext. 233
Assistant Director of Catechetical Formation
Mary Madelyn Mertes
573-635-9127, ext. 228
Administrative Assistant
Abby Thompson
573-635-9127, ext. 237
Moderator of Youth and
Young Adult Ministry
Fr. Joseph Luzindana
660-665-2466
Alphonse J. Schwartze
Memorial Catholic Center
2207 West Main St
Jefferson City, MO 65109-0914
Join the Dio Jeff City DREYM Team on GroupMe
This is a new(er) resource for our office that we are going to start using more with DREYM Team. This is a way for us to share resources, get quick feedback from others, share successes, add calendar invites, send out reminders. It functions much like text messages but is its own app (which can be accessed on your phone or a desktop computer) with more features such as events, polls or document sharing.
Event Calendar: We will be using the calendar feature which allows people to easily get the info, reminders, express interest and add things to your personal calendar.
Polls: We will use polls especially when needing quick feedback from people.
Topics: If this grows into something that is used often, then we will add topics that individuals can choose to join. For example there could be a topic on Jubilee year where people could share ideas they are doing in their individual parishes or there could be one for an event we are hosting that those who are going could join and share info throughout the event.