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The First 10: A Celebration of Growth in Young Adult Ministry
Ms. Kate DeVries
In 1988, I took a one year leave of absence
from my teaching career to work for the Church on a full time basis.
Aug. 1, 1998 marked my tenth anniversary as associate director of
the Young Adult Ministry Office. When I began this job, I never
imagined I would be here this long. But after my first year, I knew
I had to stay longer.
Fr. John Cusick put out a tempting challenge.
He said, "The first year of any job you learn the business.
The second year, you do it." The first time through any situation
is a learning experience. But after that, you know how it's done,
and you can move forward with style and grace. I accepted the challenge.
One of the joys of working in the Young
Adult Ministry Office is that there is room to dream. Fr. Cusick
and I always begin with the dream of what can be, then deal with
any obstacles that present themselves. What a wonderful way to live
and work! Many people do not have the freedom to shape their job
descriptions, but I do. As a result, this position and I have grown
together.
A great deal has changed in the Young Adult
Ministry Office over the last ten years. We've gone from Radio Shack
computers to Compaqs. Our mailing list has grown from 10,000 to
over 26,000 young adults. Our newsletter used to be produced camera
ready in-house, then handed over to a printer. When it was returned,
a crew of twenty-five volunteers spent an entire Saturday labeling,
sorting, stacking and hauling it to the Post Office. Now, that quarterly
newsletter is designed, printed and mailed compliments of The New
World (the Archdiocesan weekly newspaper). Our newsletter is often
tucked inside a complimentary issue of that paper for you!
Our office, which used to be located in
the basement of Old St. Patrick's convent, has moved and increased
in size more than tenfold. We now occupy a beautiful area of space
in Old St. Pat's new office building, which allows our many volunteers
to work on various projects simultaneously. Julie Stephens, our
former part-time secretary, began three years before I joined the
office. Julie herself gave ten years of dedicated service to the
ministry, and paved the way for Elizabeth Rivera. Elizabeth has
been our full time secretary for more than a year and a half. Our
Volunteers-in-Action program, directed by Michelle Doyle (a volunteer
herself), has grown from including five organizations to eighty-five.
Also, the number of volunteers working on such programs as Theology-on-Tap
and FOCUS, has grown from several hundred to more than 1000 annually.
In fact, the amount of volunteer hours worked for the Young Adult
Ministry Office averages out to more than forty per week, saving
us the expense of another full time employee. Thanks to you all!
Over the past ten years, our most prized
programs, Theology-on-Tap and FOCUS, have continued to grow in popularity
and size. Theology-on-Tap, which began at one parish in Arlington
Heights nineteen years ago, was hosted last summer in fifty parishes
in three dioceses (Chicago, Joliet and Rockford). Theology-on-Tap
has become nationally known as one of the most successful programs
for young adults. FOCUS, our annual young adult conference, will
celebrate its thirteenth anniversary on May 15, 1999, with more
than 1000 young adults in attendance. FOCUS has steadily grown to
be the largest one-day gathering of young adult Catholics in the
country!
So, over the last ten years, the Young Adult
Ministry Office and a number of its programs have grown by leaps
and bounds. But greater than the success of the programs we host
is the reason we host them. We are all searching. We search for
others our age who share our values, and we search for meaning.
We search for answers about our identity and seek out those who
have wisdom to share. We search for God, the source of all life,
and we strive to grow deeper spiritually.
Young Adult Ministry is and has always been
a place to get connected - to peers, to great speakers and topics,
to the things that matter most, to others in similar situations,
to our Catholic Church, and to God. Whether it's through the first
Sunday of the month Mass and continental breakfast, by volunteering,
or connecting at retreats, talks, a special interest group, the
FOCUS conference, or any other event offered throughout the year,
people are coming together to be in communion with one another and
with God. Once fed by the Bread of Life and the gifts we bring to
one another, we are inspired go out and make a difference in the
other situations of our everyday lives. My ten years in Young Adult
Ministry have been about searching and finding; growing deeper and
living fully; sharing gifts, and being fed. ItÕs happened by accepting
the challenge, entering into the dream of what can be, and spending
time with others who share my values. It's also happened by hard
work, by taking time to reflect on my relationship to my job, and
by trusting the Spirit to guide my way. Through it all, I've explored
relationships, spirituality and work issues, made friends for life,
and developed more gifts then I ever knew I had. What a blessing
to have been given this opportunity!
Ten years in any life-giving situation is
a reason to celebrate. For me, this celebration has revolved around
gratitude. I am so grateful for having been directed toward and
invited into Young Adult Ministry. IÕm grateful for all I've learned
from Fr. Cusick and so many of you. I'm grateful for every volunteer
who has come in and helped accomplish some absolutely amazing things.
I'm grateful to family and friends for their support over the years.
I'm grateful to the Archdiocese of Chicago, for having the vision
to offer such an outreach to young adults. Lastly, I'm grateful
to God for the many gifts I've received and the opportunity to share
them through this office and my ministry. Consider taking time to
reflect upon the work of your life - both within and outside of
your work place. What has led you where you are? What gifts do you
bring to those around you? What needs are being met through your
work? What have you helped to build? For what and to whom are you
grateful?
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