Anytime I get a call to work in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, I am ready to jump at the chance. I have such great respect for the Office of Youth Ministry staff there. I get to see Mark Pacione, Scott Miller, Chris Ashby, and Kristen Witte. I greatly respect these people, admire their work and their vision, and flat out enjoy being with them. I am also impressed how they care for one another, and really desire to make one another better.

I was invited up to be a part of a Respect Life Symposium on Friday. It was a wonderful model, I think, for how to heighten awareness, give information and understanding, and foster action and commitment on the “gospel of life” with young people. The underlying theme/approach was about respecting life in a consistent ethic of life. The issues of abortion and euthanasia were discussed as well as stem cell research, war, racism, poverty, and capital punishment were brought into focus as part of a true Catholic understanding of respecting life. You need to contact Scott Miller for more on the dynamics and specifics of the day.

Saturday, I was privileged to speak to 700 catechists and youth ministers on the theme “Life is Christ.” The Division of Evangelization and Catechesis co-sponsored this event. Again, such professional people. I was flattered to be asked to address this group. It “felt” good to relax and laugh while reminding and challenging us all about where (and if) we truly find life. Sometimes we get so lost in the ACTIONS of ministry, we forget to find, share, and show LIFE and JOY in the ministry. And that is a shame, since, it is supposed to be Good News.

Though it was brief, I got a nice little visit with Cardinal Keeler of the Archdiocese, who just celebrated 50 years of priesthood. I never got to see Pope John Paul II really up close but there was a feeling that I experienced with the Cardinal that I was with someone very similar in his love for people and his concern to shepherd well.

An added benefit to the trip was the chance to visit with ministry friends…I was able to have supper with Kristen Witte, Gene Monterestelli (Apex) and Alexis Yankowski (who interned for a while in the youth ministry office—hey Shrug!) . I got to see faces from the ministry journey: Tony Tamburino, Michaela R., and Dee H.

I also got to spend sometime with Sr. Eileen McCann, a workshop presenter that day, who works for the Catholic Bishops Conference. We went to ESPN Zone to watch some football (I don’t get to watch too much college football because I am working most fall weekends, so that was a treat.) Some of us were picking on Eileen earlier at lunch about “her” Syracuse Orange football team’s loss to Connecticut. The topic of college nicknames came up. I suggested they change the name to the “seedless gourds”; needless to say, she did not warm to my suggestion. Not all of my ideas can be winners.

I leave Baltimore with more fond memories.