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Franciscan Volunteer House Update
Twenty-two
new volunteers will begin a year of service with Catholic Volunteers
in Florida this summer.� The new volunteers are assigned to various
service sites throughout the State of Florida.� Our Province is the
proud sponsor of the Orlando House.� Three young women have been
assigned to the Franciscan House in Orlando for 2005/2006.� Please
help to promote this program in your place of ministry.� It is not
too soon to begin to recruit volunteers, especially men, for next
year.� While the rate of volunteerism continues to rise in the
United States, typically young men are drawn to the adventure of
overseas� opportunities.
The program
is open to all college graduates (or young adults with comparable
experience.)� CVIF provides housing, health insurance, a monthly
stipend, and an Americorps Award.� Participation in the one-year
commitment offers deferral for most student loans.� More information
may be obtained by visiting the CVIF Website (www.cvif.org).
For promotional materials please contact David at the Province
Vocation Office.
Update on a New Vocation Initiative
On June 17, eight
members of the Youth in Theology and Ministry (YTM) Program at Saint
John�s University visited Saint Bridget Friary in Minneapolis.� Our
Province, through the Vocation Office, helps to sponsor this
exceptional theological and ministerial formation program for high
school youth.� This year the YTM program sent groups of high school
students, along with their parish mentors and YTM camp counselors,
to seven different religious communities in Minnesota.� Saint
Bridget Friary was selected as one host site.
After arrival and
introductions, two student groups gave Power Point presentations to
the friars about the service project they did in their local
parish.� Designing, implementing, and presenting a service project
is a requirement after completing the first year of the two-year YTM
Program.� The friars engaged the students in conversation about
their projects and provided feedback on the presentation.� Following
this dialogue, the students and adult mentors were given a tour of
the friary and Saint Bridget Church.� This was followed by a
presentation on Franciscan spirituality and a conversation about
Franciscan religious life.
One of the advantages
of being a sponsoring organization of the YTM Program at Saint
John�s University is the opportunity to participate in any, or all,
of the YTM activities.� YTM is committed to engaging young adults in
thoughtful conversation about religious vocations.� One way the
program does this is the annual Vocations Banquet.� Research from
the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) indicates
that 30 percent of high school youth have considered becoming a
priest, sister, or brother.� Intake research for the YTM program
over the last six years indicates that 58� percent of the young
people entering the YTM program have considered a religious
vocation. (That is 28 percent higher than the national average.)
Based on second-year exit interviews with YTM students, this number
rises to 78 percent!
This year
David Liedl
attended the YTM Vocations Banquet as well as the Closing
Presentation and Eucharist. This is the second year of our
Province�s participation in this program.� Sponsorship of this
program is worth it if for no other reason than the excellence of
the program and the impact it has on the participants.� Jeff Kastner,
the Director of the YTM Program, wisely said:� �These high school
students and theology majors/camp counselors are not the
future church.�
They are
today�s young
church.���
These high school students have already established themselves as
leaders in their local parish.� Through YTM they learn skills for
theological reflection, critical thinking, and the necessity of
linking theological study to active service.� It appears that our
sponsorship of the program has also reflected favorably back upon
us.� This year, four high school students and one YTM Counselor
requested more information about our Province and asked to visit
Saint Bridget�s.
Let us pray that the
good seed sown in these young people�s lives has fallen upon good
soil, and that it will yield for God�s kingdom on earth a harvest of
thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.�
Please consider identifying one student from your parish or
apostolate that would benefit from this program.� The Vocation
Office will sponsor any (male) high school student you choose to
recommend. For
more information or promotional materials, contact David L.�
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