(photos to follow soon)

Bon Jovi has a country song out now, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”…part of the lyrics are:

It still humbles me to be invited to “go home”, to do things for my “old” diocese, the Archdiocese of New Orleans. After serving parishes there for 13 years, and especially after Hurricane Katrina, this “event” had a special plkace in my heart.

First, I got to work with some superior folks…some are old friends, some are people who have come up through the youth programs while I was there, and some recent CLI graduates. Their dedication and energy amazed me.

The 69 teens who came to be with us really got into the event. What was especially neat was to see teens who, on Monday, were so unsure and sitting along the back of the wall. By Friday, they were at the front of the room and in the heart of things.

I watched our team bond and share the joys and struggles of ministry and leadership training. Watching that was such a privilege to me.

There was humor and laughter…from Napoleon Dynamite dancing to square dancing to skits. There was learning–from communication to group dynamics to dealing with different people. There was prayer, mass and a chat with Archbishop Hughes.

It was good to “go back home” for me and to see that young people are still open to seeing their own gifts and using them to help lead others in the name of Jesus.

I am so blessed in my “work.” I get to see places I never would have seen if it were not for sharing Jesus’ gospel. I got to see Alaska and this time with Megan, my daughter!

We had a long flight up there—Meg watched movies and counted how many times my head bobbed from falling asleep on a one hour connecting flight (27 in an hour…don’t laugh—I was tired!).

We were housed at the home of the Wells family in Anchorage Alaska. Penny and her family treated us like royalty. Laughter, good meals, sharing, and hospitality were in abundance.

I got to meet in a more personal way two of the wonderful young women sharing the gospel through music—and they are both named Sarah: Sarah Bauer and Sarah Hart. Megan connected with Sarah Bauer quickly. I connected with Sarah Hart’s 2 children (THEY came don to my level so well!) I loved watching the Sarahs perform and minister; they are talented and convicted about using their gifts to help teens connect with God through faith.

I got to reconnect with Bob Bartlett. I’ve met Bob a few times on the road, and enjoyed his presence. He is a fantastic presenter for teens and I finally got to hear him talk. I like Bob because we have similar senses of humor (BE VERY AFRAID!) and because of his way of connecting with people. I can see why he is a very popular speaker at this event.

I was most impressed with the service work done by the teens on one afternoon of the conference. I worked with 15 people at a school, helping them move supplies and furniture from room to room. The task may have seemed simple but these teens’ ability to anticipate what needed to be done and to move to get it done without complaining or without being asked twice was really something, in my eyes!

The organizers were so kind—they even provided for Megan and me to get a private flight , allowing us to see the area up close. Meg got a little queasy but she even “drove” the plane solo for a few minutes—I was SO proud of her.

The young people who cam—about 200 or so—were powerful witnesses to their faith. They prayed, played, mingled and served, all in the name of Jesus. They had a cool them, playing off the iPod craze…iGod.

Special thanks to Matthew, Bob and Theresa for making this invitation to me and to Megan.

Okay, I have some moments of insecurity and nerves when I am a presenter. Some of that is completely natural, I think.

Well, I had a nice big heapin’ helping of them when I presented to the priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago for their annual day of reflection and priestly solidarity.

I was initially asked to be one of 2 presenters that day to talk with priests about staying healthy and taking care of one another. I was already a little intimidated because the other presenter would be a priest, meaning I might be the only lay person there.

Then I found out I would be the only presenter! The priest who recommended me, Fr. Larry Sullivan, said that it would be a pity to give me only one hour, so I would now have both sessions.

I was also a little intimidated by the fact that Cardinal Francis George would be sitting “front and center.” It’s not often that my audience includes cardinals…well, actually, next to never.

The talks went well. The message was mixed with humor as well as some statistical findings on priestly ministry from CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) and a book by Fr. Stephen Rosetti, The Joy of Priesthood. Cardinal George was complimentary as well as many of the priests. I was relieved…to be done, but also to have hopefully given some priests words of hope, affirmation, challenge and encouragement.

Two things made a big impression on that day:

1) being with priests when they pray as a group. It is so POWERFUL to be present and included when that happens.

2) Cardinal George.

No, this is not “sucking up.” The Cardinal spoke for 30 minutes after I did, giving the priests some updates and offering his own reflections to them about the challenges the local church is facing. Then he fielded questions in an “open mike” forum. Some of these questions were difficult (and that’s putting it mildly). He didn’t dodge questions; he caught all of the major points being mentioned. I was impressed by his conviction and integrity in this conversation and setting. It was a powerful witness to me.