April 11, 2009
Gifts, spirit of young people evident at convention in Palo Cedro
By Herald staff
Young people enjoy inflatable games outdoors at the Bishop Quinn Catholic Center, including this game of Twister. Photo courtesy of Merlynne Lucero
More than 700 Catholics representing 50 different parish ministries and
movements turned out for the Diocese of Sacramento’s 56th annual Diocesan
Youth Convention March 28 at the Bishop Francis Quinn Catholic Center in
Palo Cedro.
It was the first time in its 56-year history that the event has been held in the northern part of the diocese.
The purpose of youth convention is “to empower young people to live more consciously and deliberately as disciples of Christ, to strengthen and enhance youth ministries, and to promote collaboration between youth groups and movements,” according to Kevin Staszkow, director of youth and young adult ministry for the diocese.
Highlights of the day included presentations from APeX Ministries, a candid interview with Bishop Jaime Soto, comic book images of the saints drawn by Rob Sheridan and a variety of music styles for young people to enjoy, Staszkow said.
The theme for the day was “Heroes: Many Gifts, One Spirit.” The day “challenged participants to look closely at how God has endowed them with special abilities and called them to use those gifts to change the world. The day used the lives of the saints as models for young people on how to both identify their charisms and to dedicate their lives to the mission of Christ,” Staszkow said.
The morning featured 15 different catechetical workshops on the saints. The afternoon workshops featured youth and young adults sharing their faith and their experiences as ministers from many parishes, including St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, Holy Trinity in El Dorado Hills, St. Basil in Vallejo, Shasta Deanery Young Adults, Our Lady of Mercy in Redding, Good Shepherd in Elk Grove and Sacred Heart in Red Bluff, as well as movements from throughout the diocese, including SEARCH, Recollection in Christianity, Disciples of Jesus and Mary, and the charismatic movement.
The youth convention was enhanced by the performances of six youth bands: Fuel’d from Redding, St. John Parish from Chico, Holy Rosary Parish from Woodland, Jesus 24 Siete from Stockton, Lino’s Band from St. Rose Parish in Sacramento, and St. Dominic youth group from Benicia.
Rap performances were presented by seminarians from the Diocese of Sacramento, Recollection in Christianity from St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Sacramento. Dance music was provided by disc jockeys from YES from Good Shepherd Parish in Elk Grove.
Sheridan created 17 original images of the saints for the convention, which were processed in as large banners for the Mass celebrated by Bishop Soto and distributed to the young people as a set of trading cards with the images on the front and information on the saints’ lives on the back.
APeX Ministries “tied the day together, using an excellent mix of humor, wisdom and juggling, challenging the young people to release their inner superhero just as the saints do,” Staszkow said.
The final session by APeX included a candid interview with Bishop Soto and an affirmation by Brad Farmer and Gene Monterastelli from APeX Ministries of the bishop’s “deep love and concern for youth on the local and national level,” Staszkow said.
Lunch and dinner for those attending the convention were provided by the Knights of Columbus chapters in Redding, Red Bluff and Anderson, and a snack bar was hosted by the mission trip of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Redding. Father Uriel Ojeda, parochial vicar of Holy Rosary Parish in Woodland, served as master of ceremonies for the event.
