Chris Padgett and Jesse Manibusan dance off

This video comes from the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry, held in Las Vegas, Nevada November 30-December 3rd of this year. Chris Padgett and Jesse Manibusan are both Spirit and Song artists, have keynoted many youth rallies and conferences, and are among the most popular Catholic performers in the country. The singer is Joia Farmer, performing "Live 4 You" from her latest CD, Before and Afterlife. Enjoy!

The Loss of a Friend

When I was in high school, the youth ministry programming for the Belleville Diocese (where I lived) was organized asthe Catholic Youth Organization or C.Y.O. Our diocese did a great job of offering faith-building opportunities for high school students.

One of the things that made our diocese great was that each deanery had it's own youth ministry organizational structure as well. It's like a state and it's counties. These deaneries provided additional youth ministry events to help us get closer to God and connect with the life of the Church.

The lay person in charge of our diocese was Mary Hirl. Mary was a lively woman who cared deeply for the teens and their faith. She worked very hard and is partly responsible for my entry into the world of youth ministry.

Mary Hirl passed away today. I don't have more details than that, but the news makes me very sad. Please keep Mary and her family in your prayers this week.

-Shannon