Synod = A council or an assembly.

This was a unique event for me. I was invited to be among 250 teens and adults gathering to discuss the future of their diocese.

Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando has called the people of the diocese to a synod…a gathering…to look forward and to give input into planning for the diocese.

Tony Maione and Ray Maleve and a whole host of other people on the youth commission put together a great day—a day of speaking and listening about hopes and challenges. Music ministry was provided by SmallFish (Evan LeFloch) and the bishop’s presence was such a good thing for the teens.

I was so gladdened that young people were ACTIVELY sought out to get their input. I was so impressed by the energy of the teens who gave up a Saturday to answer 4 great questions:

1. What are the greatest challenges you face as a young Catholic?
2. How is the Church addressing these challenges? What can the Church do to address them?
3. What Spirit-gifts do youth bring to the Church? How are youth allowed to share them? What can the Church do better to allow youth to share them?
4. If you were Bishop of Orlando, what 3 concrete things would you do to ensure the goals of youth ministry were being met?

The teens were SO articulate, asking for more skills (understanding and explaining their faith) and opportunities to share their passion, energy, enthusiasm, compassion and hope. They impressed many adults present and they impressed me.

Pope John Paul II in

Novo Millennio Ineunte

I was completing a parish mission in December in Baton Rouge when I got a phone call from Fr. Fred Youngs, inviting me to do a parish mission this spring in his parish of St. Isidore’s in Baker (or north Baton Rouge).

When I was at the diocesan youth conference in Baton Rouge earlier this month, St. Isidore’s youth minister, Brigitte Burke, told me that Fr. Fred and the mission committee had different parishioners dressing up “in costume” to promote the themes of the different nights of the mission. That let me know that this parish was going to be something special.

And indeed, it was.

Over 300 people came out EACH night of the 3 night mission on “Reality Living.” That was amazing to me…and they came in all ages, from 6 to 86.

I enjoyed meeting the RCIA candidates. I am impressed by the people wanting to learn more about their faith…and the people who give of themselves to journey with these inquirers. I loved sharing a meal with, and meeting, teens after Sunday evening’s mass (did you ever read the book of Ex-o-dius?).

Speaking with the school children was a real treat…they made me feel very welcomed. (Thanks, Ms. Leader, for recommending me and for your staff’s working with me to allow so many school children to attend the mission!)

I also had a “relative” there—my father-in-law’s first cousin is secretary there!

There is a mutual appreciation going on between parishioners and their pastor, Fr. Fred. I heard a good number of stories of people whose lives have been shaped by his care. And it was heart warming to hear his love for the people he serves.

The week was one of laughter and thinking…of faith sharing and challenges to discipleship.

Thanks to Phil and Trudy, mission chairpersons; Brigitte and Dino Burke, my friends and mission contacts; Barbara M. (for working miracles with my copies) and Fr. Fred for hospitality.

Often, in my road trips, I get questions from friends and ministry colleagues about how the hurricane has affected life for people in Louisiana.

The Diocese of Lake Charles has always had a special place in my heart. I’ve had a good number of chances to minister among the adults and youth of their diocese.

Well, Hurricane Rita has affected life and ministry in that corner of Louisiana. After things settled down, I contacted the good folks there to see if there was still going to be a conference. The answer I got was, “It will be much simpler because we can’t ask our people to pay for a weekend away, so we will do a one day event. There may not be as many people, but we will gather and remember and celebrate our faith.” I should have expected nothing less.

Over 100 teens from the diocese gathered at St. Louis High School in Lake Charles to have a day on the theme “Share the Faith…Pass it on.”

The energy of the teens was awesome. The youth leaders greeted my wife and me at the door as if we were celebrities. We had a good time talking about how faith can make a difference as the LENS through which we look at the damage of a natural disaster and the recovery which is slow and tiring.

I was blown away by learning how these teens responded to helping communities in their own area—how they went and cleaned yards for youth ministers who could no go back and face the destruction of their memories. I saw a determination in their eyes of how they would continue to be people who share and pass on faith.

I got to see a student from my very first year of teaching…who was there with her son who’s a junior in high school…it’s neat to be working with a second generation (I think!).

It is always a treat to work with Sandy Gay, Caroline Dupre and the cast of young adults working with them: Milissa T., Dana D. and Lauren F. It always does my heart good to be with them. They do many things “ahead of the curve”…meaning they are innovative. I used to laugh that they have their own youth conference in another diocese and state (Beaumont TX).

And of course, they kept me well fed. Caroline is a wonderful hostess…she made sure I had plenty of crackers to eat. I just hope she knows that she may see those crackers somewhere down the road!

Most flights I make are uneventful. Tonight I had one which wasn’t, but then again it was.

I noticed but didn’t notice fully an Army sergeant one row ahead of me, dressed in his dress uniform.

Later in the flight the pilot came on and asked if all passengers would be so kind and respectful to allow this solider to leave the plane first as he was escorting the remains of a solider killed in Iraq back to his final resting place.

You could hear and feel the busy-ness of the plane stop.

My dad was in the Army for 25 years before he retired and started his (second) family (namely my brother and me). I thought of him…and what his reaction would have been if he were sitting next to me on that plane.

I have this big thing about the media FORGETTING the hurricane victims of the Gulf Coast. I was brought face-to-face with my own forgetting about the casualties of human life.

Two of my wife Marlene’s cousins serve(d) in Iraq: Randy S. and Marcus O. Marcus is there now (that’s ice in the photo on the heater below)

and Randy has returned.

I invite you to join me in continuing to pray for peace and for the men and women who serve in the armed forces, as well as their families. I also ask you to pray for the grace to REMEMBER.

This high school rally was put on by Rich Curran who works with youth ministry for the diocese of Green Bay.

I was excited because I did a workshop for teens on athletics and Christianity. And there have been so many good athletes who have emboied excellence in athletics and are Christian..There was the late great Reggie White, the “minister of defense.” And I also respect Southern boy, quarterback, Brett Favre.

Sharing with teens about the challenges and blessings of being a CHRISTIAN athlete (or a member of Team Jesus as I call it) was a great remedy for me because I am missing my (volunteer) assistant coaching role with the Loyola University (Wolfpack) Women’s basketball team (caoches pictured below in Hawaii in December 2005)

Notice the shorts (not the legs)…you can wear shorts in Hawaii in December. I wouldnt try that in Green Bay, even though they tell me the 20-something degree weather was MILD. I had to borrow some gloves! I am so not built for the cold!!

The day ended with prayerful adoration time. I was so impressed with how the teens entered into the spirit of that time.

Christina Theriot, diocesan director, rarely misses a chance to tell anyone (!!) that she was 17 years old when I led her Christian Leadership Institute (CLI) –that was in the Diocese of Houma Thibodaux some years back.

She was so kind as to invite me to be with a group of 6th through 8th graders who, in my mind, were pretty cool. The theme for their rally day was “Classic Catholic…Are you thirsty?” The tee shirt was awesome…even my wife Marlene liked it!

The house band did a super version of a spiritual hymn, “I saw the Light”…which is good icebreaker material (I gotta learn that one!). The emcees were two energetic young women, Ragan and Rachel.

We talked about being open to God and about imitating Jesus (those themes came from the Sunday readings.)

Thanks to all who came and made my day by sharing faith and share being Catholic. Stay strong in the faith we share…”Be Real, Be Catholic”

There’s a country song out–by a group called Little Big Town…and it kinda describes what I feel when I get to work in Louisiana. The name of the song is “Boondocks.”

I feel no shame
I’m proud of where I came from
I was born and raised in the boondocks
One thing I know
No matter where I go
I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

I had the chance to be with teachers, DREs and catechists from across the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, both in the morning and in the evening. We talked a little about the challenges of the work and the whole need for remembering what drives us.

It’s like visiting with the neighbors or family after you have been on the road for awhile. Very comfortable, very humbling…reminding me of where I started. I did CLI (Christian Leadership Institute) in this diocese over 20 years ago! And I was just starting then.

I saw old acquaintances Ray P., Rodney D., Margie D., Madeline C., and of course the office director for youth Ministry, Mike DiSalvo.

We talked about the subtle and not-so-subtle things which can burn us out in this work.

There were some added bonuses…a great lunch with Wille, Mike and office secretary, Michelle, at the local country club. (There was a bridge tournament going on so our laughter got a few looks. I felt like Bill Murray in Caddyshack!)

After lunch, I also got to visit for a few minutes with Bishop Sam Jacobs

who was so gracious to give a few minutes to a drop-in guest like me. I heard some of the exciting things happening in the diocese, which is always good to hear from a bishop.

It was a great way to spend a day with friends who work in the same wonderful vineyard, called southern Louisiana. Down in the boondocks. Which is fine by me…cause I don’t take boondocks to be a bad thing at all.

It’s where I learned about Jesus
And knowing where I stand
You can take it or leave it, this is me
This is who I am

When I get to work for friends and people I respect, it is a boost and a bonus. I had such a chance in Baton Rouge.

Cooper Ray (newlywed)

and Peggy LeBlanc have been colleagues in youth ministry for awhile. I respect them a lot for the work they do in their diocese. Baton Rouge has long been one of my favorite places to “work” for a few reasons:

+ Charles Jumonville and Cooper had me there about 5 or 6 times in the 90s which was amazing to me.

+ Those conferences do a good job about being explicit about FAITH in Jesus; they don’t shy away from making sure the “connections” are made.

+ With the help of “media director” (my title for him) Fr. Trey Nelson, they have come up with some of the most creative openings and ways of introducing me I’ve ever seen (Rocky Balboa; a Mardi Gras King; an astronaut in a space ship; the Tom Cruise character in Mission Impossible; and my—and Megan’s favorite—a super hero named Screen Saver.

So the deck was stacked already for me to have a good time.

Though when Megan beat me at inflatable jousting, I was crushed!

Add to that I got to see Steve Angrisano again.

He is so good at what he does and makes such a good “heart connection” with the teens.

The other thing I enjoyed about this weekend was the FAMILY environment. My family came with me which is a RARE Thing but a real joy and blessing. We got to visit with our dear friends, the Jumonvilles (who have their own Katrina story to tell!). I got to see Cooper and Peggy’s family working on the conference. I got to see familiar faces of people like Missy and Bill, Harold M., Ronnie LaGrange, Dino and Brigitte B., Mickey and Mary G. (and the list could go on)…

Plus the Spirit seemed to be at work. I am always taken aback when I see young people eager to receive the challenges of Jesus’ gospel and living as disciples today. I enjoy sharing the humorous pieces of the message I am asked to convey. I always wonder what will happen when I begin to make the challenges. Their reaction was very good and I pray that the teens in Baton Rouge will “let Him in” AND “let him out”.

I was tired when it was over, but very grateful for this chance to witness to, and receive witness from, so many in the diocese of Baton Rouge.

I once heard someone say to me, “I know why you like working with young teenagers so much; they COME DOWN to your level so well.” That’s kind of a left handed compliment, but one I will take.

I had a great time at the Teresian Provincial House in working with (all boys one day and all girls the next day) over 90 7th graders from St. Peter’s School in Covington. There was a great amount of good energy in these young teens.

Our theme for the day was Jesus as Our Friend and Companion in Life. I loved hearing their answers on their important qualities of friendship and the things which, at their young age, make friendship hard.

It is always a blessing for me to re-tell my stories of friendship: remembering Ronald B. from the 4th grade and being told we shouldn’t be friends because we were different colors. Or to remember the story of Kevin E., a good man and a good friend I’ve been blessed to keep over 25 years (since college!). I also talk about the friendship I’ve received from my wife Marlene over the years.

And of course, I do make applications and connections to my faithful friend, Jesus…who I really give the “short end of the stick” to in terms of time and effort and just hanging out.

The teens were great at cooperating and participating (they really got into Scriptionary!) and in thinking about their own friendships and their relationship with Jesus.

Special thanks to religion teacher JoAnn W. for giving me this chance to share faith and to remember what friendships are made of and which ones need some tending from me.