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Diocesan youth rally set
for Oct. 27 in Carroll
I'm a Believer is the theme of this year's diocesan youth rally to be held Oct. 27 at Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll. "The rally is a great way for Catholic youth to make friends with other Catholic youth. Experiences are very important to this age group - they look back on their experiences. With that in mind my goal is to make this an experience for them as part of their growth as a Christian. I would like for them to remember what they learned and did at the rally and recall how inspiring it was," said Dr. Stephan Davis, director of youth and intergenerational ministry. He pointed out that every year, the rally is attended by about 1,500 students. The rally is intended and designed for students in ninth through twelfth grades. As in past years, the rally will kickoff with presentation of the Bishop Lawrence D. Soens Youth Ministry Awards. This year's keynote speaker is Jesse Manibusan of Grapevine, Texas. He is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller. He uses these talents to deliver inspirational, humorous presentations. Manibusan is a familiar presence at diocesan conferences throughout the country and Canada as well as larger scale events such as the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and World Youth Day. "He is a very dynamic speaker," noted Davis. "Many young people know him from the National Catholic Youth Conference. He is known to be a powerful presenter." In addition to the keynote presentation, Manibusan will present a workshop titled As I Forgive You. He will explore with the high school students whether holding a grudge or getting even actually works and why forgiveness is a key to one's own peace of mind. Davis pointed out that following the keynote address, the high school students are divided into two groups. One group goes to Mass while the other attends two, 45-minute workshops. Then they switch. About 20 workshops will be featured. Themes of the workshops range from chastity and reconciliation to friendship and stress. One workshop will look at the prayerful aspect of contemporary music and another will address how the messages in movies can influence teen attitudes and beliefs. Some may opt to attend a Christian rock concert by Todd and Paul Kreier of the Sioux Falls Diocese. "This is a special Mass that is planned by youth for youth," said Davis. Students interested in attending the rally should contact their youth minister, parish religious education director or spiritual life director at Catholic high schools. They must sign up for the rally in a group from parishes or schools. Deadline to pre-register is Oct. 12. The day of the rally, registration begins at 10:45 a.m. at Holy Spirit School, which is adjacent to Kuemper. The Carroll County Cattlemen are providing the lunch. A dance will close out the day from 5 to 8 p.m. "Because it is geared for young people and is expressed as much as possible in the language and the culture they normally take part in, it is a different and exciting way for them to encounter Christian traditions," said Davis. The Diocesan Core Group, made up of youth and adult youth ministry leaders, selected the workshop themes, the keynote speaker and planned all aspects of the rally. Involvement by youth in planning the day was important for two reasons, explained Davis. First, it allowed them to have an active leadership role in their own faith. Second, they have a better idea as to the interests of other teens. Informational packets about the rally have been sent to all parishes and Catholic schools. |
