Youth Ministry
A ministry for junior high and high school students!It is an exciting time to do Youth Ministry in this 'moment of grace,' especially with the election of Pope Francis. His humility, simplicity and example is prompting the world, especially among young people, to give the Church a 'second look'.
Msgr. Gerald T. Ritchie - Pastor
The Catholic bishops of the United States defined Catholic youth ministry in the 1997 document Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry (RTV).
This document, printed in both English and Spanish, provides a structure for the ministry as well as a language, theology, and pastoral approach for responding to the personal and spiritual needs of today’s adolescents.
The church must become the traveling companion of young people—and that is what we mean by youth ministry. If, indeed, “it takes an entire village to raise a child,” then it certainly takes an entire church to journey with young people as they grapple with the Good News and respond in discipleship.
Youth Ministry is an integral part of Catholic worship and liturgy.
We understand the challenges in youth ministry today and want to overcome them together. As a membership organization, we gather (in person and virtually) to discuss, learn, and collaborate on improving the way we accompany young people. No more going it alone, we’re here to support each other.
The goal of Our Lady of Mercy Youth Ministry is to provide a place for teens to identify their place in the Church, grow in their faith, and grow together in fellowship. This ministry is intended to help our junior and high school aged youth become more actively involved in parish life, social events, and service projects. Through participation in this ministry our youth will be encouraged and challenged to grow in their relationship with God and God’s people
Our youth ministry program at Our Lady of Mercy Parish offers various opportunities for teens to grow in their knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith as well as in their relationship to Christ and His Church. We encourage teens to take advantage of the various groups and activities