By Michele Chartrand and Tamra Murphy
Contributing Writers

Ottawa, ONT. - “Be Still and Know that I am God” Psalm 46:10, was the theme for the Canadian Catholic Youth Ministry Network Conference held March 9-11.

Deacon Brian Dwyer, director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Ogdensburg, led a group of parish youth ministries from the Diocese of Ogdensburg including, Monique Dwyer (Chateauguay), Michelle Chartrand (Massena), Kathy Burns (Potsdam) Tamra Murphy (Malone), to the conference in Ottawa. 

Although our contingent was the only group from the United States among the over 400 youth ministers in attendance, we were warmly welcomed and were free to exchange in conversation and ideas.  We found the diversity of age, gender and rites of the Church represented at the conference fascinating.  The age of those in attendance ranged from college students to retirees and the diversity of life experiences was a rich learning experience.  Also the number of men involved in youth ministry in Canada was very impressive.  Approximately half of the participants were male.

After an opening prayer, we  walked five blocks to St. Patrick’s Basilica and had the privilege of hearing Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. of Ottawa address the theme  “Be Still and Know that I am God.” The archbishop spoke about how youth ministers need to be still and know who is in charge of their ministries.  Their own relationship with God needs to be focused on him , he said, noting that if youth ministers are not in right relationship with God they cannot guide others to God so that others can have a personal relationship with God. In the busy schedules that youth ministers all keep they need to make and take the time to spend time with God on a quiet level so that they can hear His voice in the noise of the world, he said.

After Archbishop Prendergast opening keynote we had a chance to experience that stillness with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confession. After this “Still Time with our Lord,” it was back to the hotel and a “Wii love Jesus” social.  Here we had free time to get to know the other conference attendees in a relaxed atmosphere with card, board and video games, conversation and snack foods. 

Saturday’s program
Saturday’s schedule started with the Eastern Byzantine Rite of Prayer of the Third Hour.  After morning prayer, Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton talked about “The New Evangelization.” The ardor or ‘burning within’ that each Catholic Christian must have to be able to evangelize shows that “We are not an accidental happening,” Archbishop Smith said. “We are a product of a thought of God,” he said. “We were created by God because God wants us.  We were not a fluke or a whim of God. We were willed into being by God.  We are loved by God. We are wanted by God.”

Does not your heart burn with joy reading these words?  God is not calling us to be perfect, but to use the gifts and talents he has given us for the body of the Church, to ever improve and enrich the lives we encounter, by bringing God to them through our words, actions and deeds of compassion. God wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us. And our jobs as youth ministers is to let young people know that they are willed, loved, and necessary.  These personal relationships come from encounters with God.  We as ministers need to allow Jesus to show us where to open doors and be willing to walk through those doors even when we are not comfortable to do so.  Three major doors to walk through will be invitation, crisis, and social media. 

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent in workshops of various topics of balancing ministry, youth culture, giving gospel presentations, keeping your ministry grounded, praying with youth, social networking, stewardship and more. The day’s program ended as Archbishop Prendergast celebrated an  Anticipated Mass at St. Patrick’s Basilica.

On Sunday
Sunday started with Taize prayer followed by a keynote from Archbishop Paul-Andre’ Durocher of Gatineau and the Church Document Verbum Domini, “Living the Word of God”.   The archbishop spoke about how truth, creation, scripture, Jesus, Eucharist, the Holy Spirit, and Living traditions of the church are all the Word of God.  True interpretation to the Word of God is not just intellectual but it is felt and reasoned, he said.  

Again the theme of “Be Still and Know that I am God” was reiterated in Archbishop’s talk that Scripture can only be digested in silence  He then went on to say that Catechesis must be impregnated with all the different aspects of the “Word of God”. 

Following the Archbishop’s talk we had the closing ceremonies with more worship music and skits and finally closing prayer.  It was a great opportunity to gather information, meet other parish and Diocesan  leading experts and experience great spiritual prayer and  liturgies.

The pleasure to meet,  listen and learn from not one but three archbishops was a great honor.  With much new information we return to the Diocese of Ogdensburg and our local parishes with new ideas, strengths, and personal spiritual riches to continue evangelizing the youth of our area.

Ted Hurley, front left, youth director of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, is shown with youth ministers from the Diocese of Ogdensburg who took part in  Canadian Catholic Youth Ministry Network Conference held in Ottawa March 9-11. In front are Monique Dwyer,  Catholic Community of Burke and Chateaugay, holding her son Matthew;  and Michele Chartrand, Massena; back, Kathy Burns, St. Mary's ,Potsdam and St. Patrick’s, Colton; Deacon Brian Dwyer, diocesan director of youth ministry; and Tamara Murphy, Malone Catholic parishes.