For those of you regular readers, you will note in my October 29 blog about NCYC, I had the most interesting fortune to have my rolling bag (with medications and personal clothes) not make it to Atlanta (from Pensacola), but rather have it re-routed (read: misplaced) to Johannesburg South Africa.

Now, I was a little steamed…and concerned. I mean my bag flew 17, 260 miles without me and I was only allowed a small daily clothing allowance for my inconvenience. I swore I would approach the airline and ask for the frequent flyer miles my bag accrued instead of the clothing allowance.

Well, two recent developments:

• First, while traveling to Ohio, I was in a club room for frequent flyers when I heard an announcement for an outgoing flight to…Johannesburg South Africa. I grinned to myself and then decided to go to the desk to ask the airline people what tips they could get me to get more than the simple clothing allowance for my “troubles.” I started talking with a person who said she was a supervisor and could give me 5000 frequent flyer miles on the spot! Made my day. My clothes went to the homeland of Nelson Mandela but I will get miles that will help me go to Hawaii!

• Still relishing that there was a silver lining to this story, I traveled onward to Kentucky, Ohio and Texas since then. Returning to Lafayette (a day late due to mechanical problems), I arrived and went to luggage claim…only to find that my rolling bag (YES, the SAME ONE!) was re-routed to Newark, New Jersey (one of only 2 states in the country where it is illegal to pump your own gas).

Now I have come to conclude a few things:
a) my bag ( a Wal-Mart special purchased last month) has mafia connections; Tony Soprano must have talked to Nelson Mandela about the special aura of my clothing
b) Some days you just gotta laugh (Youth ministry friend Will F. sent me this cartoon…)

c) I ought to enroll my bag in an airline’s frequent flyer program.

d) I am retiring that bag upon its return home (hopefully before Thanksgiving)

d) Always carry some extra clothes in case of emergency.

My youth ministry friends who know about the Johannesburg saga say every time I re-tell the story means another year I will use it “on the road”. To those good people I say, sit down and get comfortable. I just got a few more decades out of this one.

“Spirit of God: Source and Strength”

was the theme for this day for 300 high school students in San Angelo TX.

My hostesses for the weekend were two wonderfully vibrant Franciscan nuns, Sr. Adelina and Sr. Hilda. They were such a joy to be with, as we talked about church and ministry. They took me to supper at a famous San Angelo spot, Miss Hattie’s.

If you’re ever in San Angelo’s, you have to go there. I’d say more but I don’t want to get the dear sisters in trouble or scandalize the readers of this blog (all 5 of them!).

This group of teens was so friendly and open; it made my “soul smile.” They jumped into the songs and when it was time to “go deeper”, they were right there, hanging in all the way.

And it did my soul good (maybe not my heart) to see that they had Popeye’s chicken for supper. A little taste of New Orleans for yours truly.

It was so cool I spent an EXTRA day in San Angelo (it helps when your plane has mechanical failures and there aren’t any more connections into the city you need.) The airline put me up for an extra night in San Angelo.

I had my first experience with a catechetical experience called Generations of Faith in this wonderful parish. It is a multi-generational way for families to share faith together.

I also made 2 presentations for the parish mission.

The topic was servant leadership. I got to see what I was speaking about in practice. Fr. Terry Hazel is pastor, and Barb Spencer, Paula Ekis and Lori Pugh were the leaders who were of such support to me during my time there.

There was a special feel to the time in Canfield. The large numbers of people taking part was impressive. (I called it “Going the Extra Myle”—no it is not a typo!)

Canfield is a very neat town and it was so cool for me to see the leaves fall off the trees in a wind storm as well as to see a few snow flurries. (But no so many as to make my plane home delayed!)

I got to have lunch with Cindee Case, diocesan director for youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Youngstown, OH. It was good to see her, especially since she was under the weather.

I met Jim Merhaut —a key figure in the development of national resources for Generations of Faith—his family and his precious 7 year old daughter Elena. She drew a caricature figure of me I need to get scanned for the web site…it can go with the other one I use so often.

It was good to share faith among families…all sitting at the same table, hearing the same stories and sharing their insights. I liked my first experience of Generations of Faith and look forward to many more down the road.

I had the chance to “do lunch” and spend much of the day with John Smestad, (pictured below with Shannon at the recent NCYC)

Cecilia Matherne,
Garrett and Shannon

in their temporary home of the youth office of the diocese of Baton Rouge. (Many thanks to Cooper Ray, Peggy LeBlanc and Charles Jumonville for housing my evacuee ministry friends!)

It was good to see their camaraderie and humor as they piece back resources (basically everything was lost; their office got 11 feet of water!) and strategies to continue to creatively serve the parishes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The laughter did my soul good. I have worried about John and the staff. Even though I live less then 5 miles from the beginning of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I still “cannot wrap my mind” around it all. When I spoke with John in the days and weeks following the storm, I heard a little of the pain, the grief, the wondering and it became, by association, very real for me.

It was a good thing for us to talk, laugh, enjoy a meal. Somehow, the experience reminds me of the song we often sing at mass: “We Remember, We Celebrate, We Believe!” There was time for memories and some celebrating of that past and the present (they/we are still able to be, and work, and get, together). Most of all, as I watched them decipher waterlogged and mold affected copies of documents, and I was watched them get addresses so they could write grant proposals to rebuild their resource library, I got the sense of “We Believe.”

My friends gave me living examples of “the mystery of faith.”

There is sunshine after the rain.

Fr. Matt Lorrain, an old seminary friend,

now serves as vocation director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He had me come and speak to interested persons/students at LSU’s Catholic Center in Baton Rouge as part of a series “Discerning Your Life’s Call.” My task was to talk about professional ministry, marriage, seminary (from my past) and how and where God has moved.

Fr. Matt is a good guy; a real person first and a priest second. I enjoy his slightly warped sense of humor (perhaps this is why we get along). It was good to visit with him for a little while.

Also in attendance was Fr. John Carville, vicar general of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. I have always been impressed with how he handles a sometimes dirty job of dealing with problems that come up in the diocese. He’s twice had to “run” the diocese when the church was without a bishop.

It was a reassuring thing to have these two solid priests there, not only for their support but for the witness of their being present for the young adults.

It was great to be among the dozen or so young adults…their questions were sincere, their interest genuine.

I have been doing many presentations on ”vocations” and God’s call among high school students for awhile. I do it at Notre Dame each summer and in other dioceses. Frederich Beuchner, protestant theologian, said vocation is where your deep joy meets the world’s great need. That was the gist of my comments to the group gathered there that night.

It is always a cool thing to do some reflecting on the journey I’ve been on, and to get glimpses of where God has been nudging, smiling at , laughing at (and laughing with), and even wondering about, me.

I got to see former New Orleans leadership teens (now college “women”) Julie G. and Kim M. I smile as I see their faith and energy alive and at work.

And I got to see the lovely chapel on LSU’s campus (I hadn’t been there since it was renovated).

Danny Broussard is the head boys basketball coach at STM. I had the privilege to work with Danny at STM in 1989-90 and be a part of the special environment and program he has built at the school. In his 25 years there, his teams have made the playoffs 22 times. Not a bad average.

I admire Danny because he gets the most, year in and year out, from his athletes. (as a matter of fact, I’d say that about the STM coaching staff in general.)

And Danny is passionate. He gets excited about young people, affirming them when they do things well, whether in the classroom (he teaches math), or if he hears they did well in speech, campus ministry, etc. It was a joy to work with him and (now) athletic director Kim Broussard.

Danny asked me to come to do a short session with his 20 or so players on teamwork. There was some of the usual fun and games, but also some direct and blunt challenges from me to this group of young men. They face a challenge in honoring a tradition of excellence while finding out just how good they can be (on and off the court) as well as how good they can make the people around them.

We watched scenes from the movies “Drumline” (“one band, one sound”) and from “Miracle”.

I watched much of these movies in getting ready to cue them up for the talk and got all motivated again. (they “jack” me up!) A favorite line….”I’m not worried about getting the BEST players, I am worried about getting the RIGHT ones.” I know that Danny (and assistants Eric Mouton and Jacque Fisher) will give them every chance they need to become THE RIGHT men….a group of UNCOMMON MEN. I hope the young men of STM will understand the difference between introducing themselves “I play basketball at STM” and “I’m on the STM basketball TEAM.”

GO Cougars!

I had the treat to be with about 100 or so school administrators, DREs and youth ministers from across 6 dioceses at a lovely state park conference center in Kentucky. I won’t like and say I didn’t get a bit concerned as the road to the park curved in the hills of Kentucky…it is tucked away but what a great facility.

And the chance to be among clergy, religious and lay people who are making differences in schools, parishes and dioceses across five dioceses. I had a good time with them, sharing the humor and drama present in the work of being, building, and becoming church theses days.

It’s always a joy when you reconnect with ministry friends from the road. Dr. Therese Williams, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Nashville, was my angel of mercy in terms of “guiding me in” via cell phone. (I can be “directionally challenged, even with one of the GPS devices. (GPS…does that mean “getting places safely”?)

And I got introduced to the group by colleague and friend Catherine Mensi, director of youth ministry in the Diocese of Memphis. As she told remembrances and stories of how our journey intersected over the last 15 or so years, I was humbled just to realize how many neat people I’ve met like Catherine.

I also got to see Melinda Prunty, Catherine’s counterpart in the Diocese of Owensboro KY. Melinda is one of those people who is just a joy to be around and it was good to see her at Lake Barksley, because I know, like many of us, she’s busier than a one-armed paper hanger.

John Angotti, pastoral musician, was there to lead the group in prayerful song. I enjoy his music and the group did as well.

There were some “high octane” presenters there. I only regret my schedule called for me to leave right away following my talks. The drive was nice (even found some new Cubs clothing on the trip!) and I got to be among people who shape and influence the church. Good stuff!

It is always exciting to be a part of “big church” especially when it is Catholic teens from across the US. This was my 9th NCYC (and 8th as a presenter)

Atlanta GA was the site for 16,500 teens and adults. We celebrated the theme “Winds of Change.” It was so awesome to see teens from all over trading pins, hats (Rochester dragon tails and Baltimore crab hats were hot), mooses that poop, beads and more. There were clickers and whistles and duck calls‘; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>duck calls and who knows what else. There were prayer areas, game areas, reconciliation, service projects, vocation areas, college areas; you could even pay to ride an ostrich! (Special thanks to my buddy, Marlene Stammerman and all her committee for making Peachtree Corners a really awesome place for teens.)

And the talent…there were awesome speakers throughout the program! Steve Angrisano was the emcee for the whole conference and brought his joy and energy to the main stage. Tammy Everard gave a keynote and there were awesome workshop speakers.

Musical talent was abounding…hip hop, praise and worship, contemporary Christian, liturgical, Celtic…it was all there.

There was a comedy club featuring some of “my” fellow presenter friends Apex (Gene and Brad), Over the Top Ministries (Justin and Anne Marie), Oddwalk (Shannon and Orin), Bob Perron and more. Teens came back raving about it.

A personal highlight for me was getting to see the heart, the hope, the passion, and the million dollar smile of keynoter and all around good guy‘; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>good guy (the Catholic “Elvis”), Jesse Manibusan. He continues to be so good to me, supporting me in my work as a presenter. The best compliment came from a New Orleans teen a few years back, “When he talks with you, it is like you are the only person in the world!” Yep, the real deal, calling the real young church to BE real. Sweet.

I had a booth and sold tee shirts. That was a lot of work but I was blessed by getting help from a ton of people…namely some friends from Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville IL. To Donna, Fr. Raul and Gina…as well as East Coast vocation director from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Dwight—thank you all for the work at the booth. You made it awesome. And thanks to John and Katrina Rae, my “booth neighbors” who taught me much and shared so well.

Anna Scally and I did a concurrent session on “Tuned in Teens” on Friday afternoon.

It was a new presentation and a lot to cover but Anna made the whole thing go smoothly. It was a treat to present with one of the best presenters in youth work I know. Thank you, Dame Scally.

I was touched deeply when I got to go to night prayer with the teens from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Their warm welcome floored me. Their faith in these hard times makes me proud that I was able to be serving among them for close to 13 years. Some tears were shed but also some smiles and tons of beads (Cory Howat and his buddies, along with the unflappable Chris Gross and New Orleans teens, raised over $5000 by getting donations for beads).

The biggest treat was visiting with friends met on the journey…from teens in Rochester, Davenport and Bethesda, MD to Austin, Alaska and Alabama. I re-connected with adults who are walking in faith along teens as young disciples.

And what would a trip be without a little drama. I few into Atlanta for the conference from Pensacola—a 42 minute flight. Yet when I arrived in Atlanta, “the Winds of Change” had claimed my luggage. It was found 2 days later…in

Johannesburg South Africa! Not a joke. My personal items (translation: underwear) went across the Atlantic without me. Just not fair. Thank God for Wal-mart! I did get my luggage back on Saturday morning, just in time to wear my Notre Dame jersey even though the Irish didn’t play.
My luggage went 17, 260 miles (round trip) without me. I am working to see if I can get those frequent flyer miles.

Speaking of thanks, thanks to
• The staff of NFCYM—Bob McCarty, Kathy, Mike, Maureen, Mark, Ruby, Andrea, and Katie. I have NO IDEA all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes to make this work. You do it well and call little attention to yourselves. Thanks for serving us so well.
• The Catholic Youth Foundation—for providing monies for teens on the Gulf Coast to attend this conference. It wouldn’t have been the same without these people at NCYC.
• Barb Garvin and all the Atlanta organizers—bravo for taking this on! And it was a great experience.
• Mark Butler and the Columbus staff—I look forward to Columbus hosting us in 2006.
• Declan Weir and his technical people who make the lights and sound on this huge conference work.
• God…I get to do this and meet some super people and you give us a chance to come together to celebrate our faith in you.

I had a wonderful time with the faculty and students of this BLUE RIBBON school.

I did a day for the faculty on Monday; it’s always so neat to watch a faculty’s body language as I come to give a day of in-service or a day of reflection. It is almost like they are asking, “Who is this goomer and what does he THINK he is going to tell us? I’d rather be cleaning my room or grading papers!” I usually get told about how many people approached the principal asking to do something else…actually, anything else, rather than being “on retreat.”

But the faculty and I had a good day. One teacher even told me “I wasn’t THAT bad.” (remind me to put that in the next brochure!).

I could tell from this group of women (and Stephen) that there was some tangible chemistry. There is something about how they pull together and achieve excellence. There is a joie de vivre and an espirit de corps that you can feel among them.

Monday evening was a supper sponsored by Msgr. Mike Cherup, the pastor, at a very nice restaurant. I was impressed by the support of neighboring pastors who offer presence and financial support.

I spent Tuesday speaking to the students as part of their fun day celebrating the blue ribbon accomplishment. The day began with Bishop John Ricard presiding at Eucharist. They had a day of inflatables—those “space walk” things etc. Funniest thing was seeing faculty members challenge each other and cheat on the obstacle course. I spoke to all the students in 2 age groups. Great energy! Polite, well mannered young people. From the witness of the staff and students, I could see that Mrs. Regina Nadicksbernd, the principal, does a great job.

While I was there, I got to see a neat thing. One of New Orleans most prominent families was enrolling their grandson that day. When they heard I was from New Orleans, they introduced themselves and I was in awe. Not because of their”aire” but because of their humility. I alerted the principal of the school about the great family they were getting. I can also say now, that as hard as relocating is, I am sure this family will realize how blessed they are to have found St. Mary’s School.

It was great to visit with my colleague, Msgr. Mike Cherup. He takes great pride in his people, his parish and the school. I’ve known him for close to 15 years and he has always been about excellence. He just completed 20 or so years as diocesan director of youth ministry. He is a man of detail and compassion. I respect him greatly and it was a kick to share a slice of life with him. I look forward to being back in the diocese for the youth conference in the spring.
Good times.