Diocese hires new director of youth ministry

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
July 28, 2005

The Diocese of Sioux City has hired a new person to facilitate youth ministry throughout the diocese.

Jessica LaFleur, a 1996 graduate of Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, will be the director of youth and young adult ministry for the diocese.

She attended Loras College in Dubuque and graduated with a bachelor's degree in religious studies.

"I really felt a call to ministry, so I decided to go into youth ministry," said LaFleur.

LaFleur comes to Sioux City from St. Matthew Parish in Cedar Rapids where she was a youth minister for five years. This was her first position out of college.

"From my previous position and experiences in youth ministry, I have learned to put faith in not only God, but youth and parents," said LaFleur. "They all have many different gifts to share with our community, and it is important to help them discover those gifts and how they can use them to glorify God."

She is currently completing her master's in theology through Loras.

"I think that has been helpful too," said LaFleur. "On the master's level, it's more than doing things here and now - you have to think bigger. I think that is what helped me decide that diocesan work is what I wanted to do because I had to think bigger."

LaFleur commented that she loved her job on the parish level and was doing good things, but she wanted to see what she could do on the diocesan level.

"Youth are the church - here and now," said LaFleur. "Every one of them. I recognize that youth ministry isn't for everyone, but there are elements of youth ministry that are."

According to LaFleur, there are many ways for youth to be connected to the church through youth ministry including retreats, rallies, parish Bible studies, faith sharing groups, CLI and NCYC.

"There is something for every teenager," said LaFleur. "I really want to energize youth and the parishes in our diocese - to really get them pumped up. Youth ministry is more than ski trips, it is more than social. It is not just for the public school kids. It is not just Search and Discover. Parish life and our faith are the key elements of youth ministry."

LaFleur also stated that she does not want 20 kids doing everything. It is okay to have students who only do Search or only do the service part because that is what speaks to them.

"We have to meet them where they are at," said LaFleur.

She wants to be able to provide training for youth ministers, those that coordinate youth ministry or volunteers.

"I would like to see more youth ministry positions, but somehow I need to figure out how that fits into the needs of the Sioux City Diocese," said LaFleur. "I am still figuring things out."

She explained that since she is from the diocese it was like coming home. Another positive is that she is close to a lot of her family.

"That was an added bonus," said LaFleur. "It's fun to be back in this area after such a long time away. This is where I started and this is where I want to go."

When she was in high school, she was involved in Search, Discover, the youth rally and Camp CAYOCA, so she is coming back to familiar things.

"I am very excited about being accepted to the position," said LaFleur. "The diocese has a lot of potential for growth. They have some really great things going. I am looking forward to that and getting to know different people in the diocese."