(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.