February 2025
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
NCYC Registration Information
The NCYC Informational Meeting was yesterday! Don't fret if you weren't able to join us! The recording and the powerpoint are both shared below along with other links pertaining to NCYC. Deadline to register is in April so we still have time!
In the meantime checkout the promo video for NCYC 2025!
To access Zoom video above use the following Passcode: %Qr9@y5e
Also, our very own, Fr. Paul Clark can be spotted in the highlight video from 2023. Check it out below!
These videos are great to share with youth when recruiting, if they are trying to understand what to expect at NCYC.
Summer 2025 Camps
Mark your calendars, registration for Summer Camps will opened up on January 31st! Changes for this summer:
- We have new sites for camps and are excited about some of the activities these sites will provide! Lolek will be at a different facility than our high school camps.
- Camp Lolek will be housed by deanery and each deanery is being asked to send 2 chaperones who will be housed with the youth and get the opportunity to accompany the young people. There is no charge for the chaperones.
- Camp Lolek will be larger this summer, allowing up to 72 campers each week.
- Camp Maccabee and Camp Siena will both be offered twice, one in the North Deanery (Shelbina) and one in the Southwest Deanery (Camdenton). These camps will need adult volunteers to help with meals and behind the scene roles.
Summer Volunteer and Job Opportunities
Volunteers are an essential part of camp and help bring the impact of camp home to our deaneries and parishes!
Camp Lolek Adult Chaperone Volunteers
We need 2 Chaperone volunteers from each deanery to accompany the youth throughout the week. These adults will help be the eyes and ears in keeping kids safe but even more so they walk with the junior high students throughout the week and then return with them back to their deaneries. Ideal candidates are youth leaders, parents, and those working with youth in the parishes and schools.
Camp Lolek High School Volunteers
High School Volunteers assist with numerous elements of camp, incuding helping with activities, taking care of behind the scene details, acting as junior counselors who are mentored by our program staff and learning to disciple the junior high students. Ideal candidates will be entering sophomore through senior in high school fall 2025 or just graduated. They should desire to be a leader and be okay taking on extra responsibilities. This role will experience first hand the reality "for it is in giving that we receive". High school volunteers can receive at least 60 hours of service or a scholarship to the high school camp.
Camp Maccabee and Siena Volunteers
This year our high school camps are blessed to happen on two properties owned by families within our diocese. Both of these families firmly believe in the impact these camps make on young people's lives. Our summer staff will be split up with both the girls and boys camp happening at the same time. To make this possible, we need adults willing to step up as volunteers to help with meals, setup, takedown, driving, etc. Camps Siena and Maccabee are the bread and butter of our summer programming. We have experienced first hand that adult volunteers are inspired by the witness of the young people and our diocese is positively impacted by the intergenerational relationships that come from these camps.
We need your help in recruiting for Summer Missionaries!
If you know of any young adults that love their Catholic faith and love to share it with others, desire to live in a faith community, and want to have fun ALL while getting paid, please share the link and videos below!
Spring 2025 Calendar
January 31
Camp Registration Opened
February 11
DREYM Team Chat
access recording on Catechesis of Good Shepherd from February chat, passcode z9#36OE5
February 19 @ 4pm
NCYC Info Meeting via Zoom
access recording of NCYC Info Meeting, passcode %Qr9@y5e
February 25
Spring Workshop
March 1
Confirmation Retreat @ Tipton (retreat is FULL)
March 11 @ Noon
DREYM Team Chat, topic Church teaching on Immigration
We will have a guest share with us how to be equiiped in navigating questions we may get with our families and youth.
April 8 @ Noon
DREYM Team Chat, topic TBA
April 28- May 2
DRE & YM Deanery Meetings
(final dates and locations will be announced at the Spring Workshop)
May 7
6th Grade Vocations Day
May 13 @ Noon
DREYM Team Chat, topic TBA
Summer 2025 Calendar
May 27-June 6
Summer Staff Training (we will be looking for volunteers)
June 8-14
Totus Tuus: Camdenton, Hannibal, Glasgow
June 8-12
Camp Lolek: Boys
June 9-12
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 Training Part 1
June 15-20
Totus Tuus: Sedalia
2 parish spots available, to register click here
June 15-19
Camp Lolek: Girls
June 22-27
Totus Tuus: Columbia, Wein, Wardsville
July 6-11
Totus Tuus: Rolla, Tipton
1 parish spot available, to register click here
July 13-18
Camp Maccabee in Southwest Deanery (camdenton)
Camp Siena in North Deanery (shelbina)
July 13-18
Totus Tuus: St. Elizabeth, Mary's Home, Palmyra
July 14-19
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 Training Part 2
July 20-25
Totus Tuus: St. Martin, Boonville, Fulton
July 20-25
Camp Maccabee in North Deanery (shelbina)
Camp Siena in Southwest Deanery (camdenton)
The Diocesan Youth Council had their yearly retreat this past weekend at the Camp Tolton Lodge and Retreat Center in Shelbina. The retreat was a huge success.
In this picture, the council is working to untie a human knot but some of them are blindfolded. Lots of laughs were had during this activity. The weekend was filled with community, prayer, and solid conversations.
We have one spot still to fill for the Southeast Deanery to complete the Council!
Ongoing Formation
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)
Level 1 Training
We are excited to be offering an opportunity for Level 1 CGS training this summer! Hopefully many of you have had a chance to learn about CGS at our Come and See events or workshops the past 2 years. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori style religious education program that nurtures a child's faith by giving them space to encounter the Lord in a unique way. Level 1 training prepares teachers to work with ages 3-6 and is a 2 part training. The first part will be offered over 2 weeks this summer and the second part will be offered summer 2026. You do not have to have a plan to start CGS in your parish to do the training.
Location: St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish, Columbia, MO
Dates: June 9-12 & July 14-17, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm with an hour lunch break, including the option for Mass
Cost: Cost for people from the Diocese of Jefferson City is $200 per person, per summer. To complete the training over 2 summers, the total cost will be $400.
Check out the DREYM Team Chat from February to Learn more from Emily Shull, our diocesan expert and planner on this topic 🙂 linked below!
This cost is significantly reduced thanks to the Knights of Columbus RIB Grant.
Passcode for Zoom recording on Catechesis of Good Shepherd: z9#36OE5
DRE & YM Workshops
Spring Workshop is Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Columbia. The workshop will take place in Flanagan Hall.
Our Main focus of the day will be on the Pastoral Approach to LGBTQ+ individuals. TOPICS will include:
- Foundational teachings of the Church we should all be integrating in our programs on Human Identity and Human Dignity
- Virtual Speaker will be Dr. Julia Sadusky a Catholic psychologist who is working with people around sexuality and gender.
- Virtual Testimony will be Manny Gonzalez who experiences same-sex attraction and is a dynamic CAtholic evangelist.
- Opportunity to meet our new director of Safe Environment, Regina Quinn (no we are not related, but excited to have another Quinn in the building)
- General updates from the office and opportunity to grow in community
We are offering the option to join us via zoom for those who are unable to make the journey to Columbia.
Dr. Julia Sadusky
Manny Gonzalez
DREYM Team Chat
Starting in 2025, we plan to have a guest speaker at the beginning of each DREYM Team chat.
All Chats will be recorded and posted on the website.
- Mark your Calendars for Upcoming Dates: 2nd Tuesday each month at noon
- Tuesday, March 11 at noon (Church Teaching on Immigration: we will have a guest share with us how to be equipped in navigating questions we may get with our families and youth)
- Tuesday, April 8 at noon (Guest Speaker & Topic: TBA)
- Tuesday, May 13 at noon (Guest Speaker & Topic: TBA)
- Tuesday, June 10 at noon (Guest Speaker & Topic: TBA)
These DREYM Team Chats are a way for us to check in with one another on a regular basis. Time will include diocesan opportunities and updates, special topic presentations with guest speaker, followed by time to share successes and challenges in parish ministry. This is a great place to bring questions, concerns and get updates.
Passcode for Zoom recording on Catechesis of Good Shepherd: z9#36OE5