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
Moderator of Youth and
Young Adult Ministry
Fr. Joseph Luzindana
573-635-7991
Alphonse J. Schwartze
Memorial Catholic Center
2207 West Main St
Jefferson City, MO 65109-0914
Mary Madelyn Mertes is now serving our office as Assistant Director of Catechetical Formation and Maddie Gramlich has joined our team as the Administrative Assistant.
With new changes throughout the Faith Formation Office, we are working this fall to divide roles and work to better serve our parishes. Stay tuned for more information as we work together to serve each of you!
Future with Franciscan at Home
Important Update! Please read!
At the end September we will be closing our diocesan account with Franciscan at Home and will no longer be offering a free account to all of our parishes. Over the years we have seen a decline in using these courses and have found that video resources are not as effective since the pandemic. We are working with the schools office to come up with short and long term solutions for Catechesis that will better serve our parishes and schools. Franciscan at Home was financially supported by the Knights of Columbus and this grant is not going away! This has given us an opportunity to look at what we are offering and what might be better suited for here and now.
We believe there are other ways we can serve our parishes and are excited for the numerous doors this is opening for us! Some of these opportunities are listed below:
YDisciple
YDisciple is a toolbox of training resources for adults and teaching resources for teens specifically designed with small groups in mind. This is not a program but instead a toolbox to equip the adult and teach the teen as we work to build up disciples! YDisciple is powered by NET Ministries and backed by their nearly 4 decades of ministry with young people.
In our first year partnering with YDisciple, we will be offering up to 26 parishes a free account and if we reach 15, we plan to provide in person training. This is a gift, not a requirement, so if you are interested please let me know!
There will be an information Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 7pm and this call will be recorded.
Catechist Workshops
When discussing the best ways to continue providing ongoing catechetical formation in lieu of Franciscan at Home, we want to provide in-person opportunities to gather. We are planning 4 workshops with visiting speakers in the upcoming year. 2 will be on weekdays and 2 will be on weekends. Dates and speakers TBA, if there's a topic you would love to have us cover, let us know!
Catechesis of Good Shepherd
This last year we provided Come & See gatherings for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and received a lot of positive feedback and increased interest in this program. We plan to have more Come & See Gatherings throughout this year, with September 28 being our next one. In Summer 2025 We will be providing the Level 1 course. Later this fall we will release the dates and cost (which will be significantly discounted due to the Knights of Columbus Grant)
Protect Young Eyes is Returning this Fall for Parents and Staff!
We will be providing 2 parent presentations September 29 & 30 and a workshop for those working with youth in our parishes on September 30. Everyone who attended last year said this was worth the time and we are excited to have them back, with our hope being they return every year! His presentation has been updated for the changes in technology over the last year.
CONFIRMATION
Final Call for Confirmation Forms
If you are planning on having Confirmation this year and have not submitted your form yet, please do so ASAP. You can find the form at https://diojeffcity.org/confirmation/
We have limited dates available in the spring and need to know if any more parishes are requesting a spring date.
Confirmation Retreats are scheduled for 4 dates and registration will open the week of September 9.
We are building a team to put on Confirmation Retreats for 2024-25. If you have someone that may be interested in helping at the retreats, please send them my direction! NET is only able to provide 2 retreats in our diocese this year. If you are interested in being on their waitlist, let me know.
Fall 2024 Calendar
September 10
YDisciple Informational Zoom Meeting
September 29
Protect Young Eyes Parent Presentation in Salisbury
September 30
Protect Young Eyes: The Digital Culture of Kids Workshop
Protect Young Eyes Parent Presentation in Jefferson City
November 1
Totus Tuus Registration Opens & Summer Applications Available
November 3
Diocesan Youth Rally
November 9
Confirmation Retreat (Monroe City)
November 19
Fall DREYM Workshop
November 23
Confirmation Retreat (Wardsville)
2025 Calendar
January 31
Camp Dates and Registration Published
February 25
Spring DREYM Workshop
March 1
Confirmation Retreat (TBA)
March 15
Confirmation Retreat (TBA)
April 28-May 2
End-of-year Deanery Gatherings
NCYC 2025 Registration
deadlines and cost will be posted later this fall!
Registration will open before the end of 2024.
Opportunities for Youth
Youth Rally 2024
The Youth Rally is geared toward 7th-12th grade this year but all ages, youth groups and families, are welcome! It should be a great day with inspiring (and funny) talks from Fr. Leo plus great music from the Vigil Project! I highly suggest following the Vigil Project on spotify.
Cost for Youth is $10, no cost for adults. Youth should not be dropped off for the day, but instead come with a parish group or family.
Redemption Inside the Walls: Matt Maher
The diocese is not a sponsor for this event but because Matt Maher is a well known Catholic artist we want to make sure our parishes know this is happening! Matt is a familiar artist to many. You may know some of his music, such as: Lord I Need You, Because He Lives, Your Grace is Enough, or All the People Said Amen. This will be an euchumenical event, welcome to all Christians, and could be a great opportunity for our youth to praise the Lord in unity with other Christians.
Heart of the Beloved
Join us at Camp Tolton Lodge in Shelbina MO for a 2 day (not quite 24 hour) retreat for 7-12th grade women. This retreat is for young women who are open to deepening their faith and becoming the woman God designed you to be. Share this with young women you think may be looking for something like this!
This event is being sponsored by North Central Missour Catholic Parishes.
Ongoing Formation
Protect Young Eyes is Returning!
We brought in Protect Young Eyes last year and were so impressed with what we received that we are bringing them back and plan to for the near future. We will be providing 2 parent presentations on September 29-30 (see flyer above) BUT for you all we are providing training on September 30 from 9am-12noon at the Chancery Offices! Chris with Protect Young Eyes understands the ins and outs of technology and wants so much to help equip both the parents and us (those ministering to the youth) so we can help our kids! He shares the (manytimes scary) truth but he also gives hope and equips us to move forward in this ever changing world! Lunch will be provided at the conclusion of the training!
DRE & YM Workshops
Fall Workshop is Tuesday, November 19 at the Chancery in Jefferson City.
TOPICS will include:
- Present the New Guidelines for Pastoral Ministries with Youth and Young Adults
- Share how OCIA process is a guide for all ministry
- and more is in the works! Full Agenda will be in the October Newsletter
Mark your calendars...Spring Workshop is Tuesday, February 25 at the Chancery in Jefferson City.
DREYM Team Chat
(NEW TIME FOR FALL 2024)
- Mark your Calendars for Upcoming Dates: 2nd Tuesday each month at 12noon
- Tuesday, September 10 at 12noon (Topic: Fall Offerings)
- Tuesday, October 8 at 12noon (Topic: Celebrating All Saints & All Souls)
- Tuesday, November 12 at 12noon (Topic: Advent & Christmas)
- Tuesday, December 10 at 12noon
- Tuesday, January 14 at 12noon
- Tuesday, February 11 at 12noon
- Tuesday, March 11 at 12noon
- Tuesday, April 8 at 12noon
- Tuesday, May 13 at 12noon
These DREYM Team Chats are a way for us to check in with one another on a regular basis. Time will include diocesan opportunties and updates, special topic presentation (new this semester), followed by time to share successes and challenges in parish ministry. This is a great place to bring questions, concerns and get updates.
Make sure to click the link above to add these meetings to your calendar! No calendar invite will be sent out this year.