Gaylord Diocesan Youth Council

On the first weekend in August twenty-one young people from across the Diocese gathered at St. Ann in Frankfort for a spiritual retreat. The retreat marked the first gathering of the Gaylord Diocesan Youth Council (GDYC). Br. Michael Whitman led the youth and thirteen adults including diocesan leadership, parish youth ministers and mentors on a weekend of prayer, reflection and community building.

The GDYC found it genesis in a gathering of youth last March. The event, Congress: 2010, challenged the 140 participants to surface a new diocesan direction for youth ministry. Through a series of small group discussions the youth outlined present strengths and weaknesses as well as and future needs for the continued faith development of youth in our diocese. The youth gathered at the Congress were given the opportunity to discern interest in serving on the newly forming Gaylord Diocesan Youth Council. Twenty-one ( 21 )youth expressed a desire to serve on the GDYC and were subsequently accepted onto the council.

The GDYC retreat found its center, as with all things, around prayer. The youth and adults gathered morning, mid-day and evening around the Christ Candle and the waters of the baptismal font. Voices were raised in song, in scripture and in story; all three centering on the call to discipleship, to a life in service to God and others. I felt it was a privileged moment to share in the deep reflections of the young people, said Dannie Brzezinski- Director of Faith Development for the Diocese. They showed a level of maturity in their willingness to share their faith that I hadn’t expected in a group just getting to know one another. I am excited to be a part of this council with them, said Brzezinski.

One of the highlights of the retreat was a process called True Colors. True Colors is a personality inventory designed to help participants understand the dynamics of different personality types. The exercise will help the members of the GDYC better understand their strengths and what they uniquely bring to the dynamics of forming a cohesive working council. Catholic Human Services provided the materials necessary for the inventory.

They youth also participated in learning exercises designed around communication, leadership styles and the eight components of youth ministry. Bishop Hebda celebrated Mass with parishioners of St. Ann and the GDYC on Saturday. He joined the youth for a picnic supper at a park on Crystal Lake.

The following youth form the Gaylord Diocesan Youth Council: Kevin Bey, Amanda Bigalke, Zach Boensch, Morgan Dantzer, Amanda Derengowski, Sarah Hilliard, Trevor Howell, Scott Kelly, Alex Kowalkowski, Jacob Loew, Stephanie Mandeville, Laura Martz, Elliot Meiser, William Miller, Christian Morrison, Robb Nemecek, Nicole Noble, Tony Norton-Hernandez, Claire O’Brien, Eric Patrick and Olivia Wurm. Congratulation to these young people as together they represent all youth of our Diocese. The GDYC will next meet in Gaylord on Saturday, September 18^th to continue their work.