In a new decree issued June 12,
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has declared a Year of Youth in the Diocese of Trenton, beginning July 1, 2018 and closing on the Feast of St. Aloysius, patron saint for Catholic Youth, June 21, 2019. The Year of Youth encompasses multiple events over the next year aimed at inspiring young Catholics in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties to own their faith and act upon it.
“I’m inviting us all to celebrate the young people of our Diocese in a special way,” Bishop O’Connell says in announcing the Year of Youth in a new video which will be distributed throughout parishes and schools.
The official decree determines the goals for the Year of Youth to be: increasing active engagement of young Catholics and helping them grow as missionary disciples; celebrating their gifts and encouraging their participation in parish life; cultivating a positive attitude among young Catholics about serving and witnessing their faith to others; and inspiring parishes throughout the Diocese to welcome young people and help them feel at home in their parishes.
“It will be a time for entire parish families to come together to pray with and embrace our young Church,” Bishop O’Connell says in the video, which features eight students from Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, speaking alongside the Bishop as well as footage from parish and diocesan events. “What can happen when we hold up our young people as the great gift they are to our Church?”
Chad Nelson, a junior, lent his voice to the video, saying, “This year can be our opportunity to celebrate and empower our gifts to impact our parishes and make a difference in our communities.”
Ahead of the first Year of Youth event –
Mission: Jersey a service project for high school students set for July – the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries will be issuing a resource guide for parish leaders, with anticipated publication by the end of June.
Keeping both parish and school youth in mind, the resource guide designed for pastors, principals, directors of religious education, and youth and young adult ministers will include suggestions on how to take part in the Year of Youth – how to prepare and engage young people in the life of their own parish, and how to take part in diocesan and parish-inspired events.
The Year of Youth will launch officially
Oct. 14 with the
Year of Youth Fest– a day of fun and faith that will include Mass, a festival bringing together the Diocese’s parish and school communities and a Young Catholics Got Talent event.
Anticipated diocesan events for the Year of Youth also include:
NJ Catholic Youth Rally – May 19, 2019: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson; includes Mass with Bishop O’Connell
Closing Event: Feast of St. Aloysius, patron saint of Catholic youth – June 21, 2019: St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson
In addition, parishes and schools are encouraged to implement youth and young adult events on the local levels. The resource guide suggests the following ideas:
Works: Yearlong service projects; Martin Luther King National Day of Service; “Souper Bowl” of Caring, mission trips
Formation: Facilitate participation in liturgical ministries; inspiring speakers
Community Building: Teen Spotlights in parish bulletins and websites
Prayer: Retreats and lock-ins; children’s and teens’ Stations of the Cross
An online version of the guide will also be made available online at
DOTYouth.org.
For more information on the Year of Youth, stay connected with
DioceseofTrenton.org/YearofYouth and
TrentonMonitor.com. More details and in-depth interviews will also be printed in the June 28 print edition.