Region 1 News
New England and Region 1 have undergone tremendous visible and invisible change over the last few years as we continue to navigate the changing face of ministry to the young church. We have welcomed new bishops in Hartford, Portland, Springfield, and Worcester and their last names all begin with “M”: Mansell, Malone, McDonnell, and McManus!
We hosted an energetic group of adult youth ministry leaders at our
5th New England Adult Gathering Climbing the Mountain Seeking the Face
of Christ in Mansfield, Massachusetts. We were inspired by the wisdom
of Bob McCarty and Carole Goodwin on the intersections of youth ministry
and adolescent catechesis. This summer, CLI, other youth leadership training,
and summer work camps are alive and well in New England.
As a region we met in June at the Mercy Center in Madison with the New England Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education. Together we benefited from an in-service by Sr. Amy Hoey (project coordinator Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women, and Youth, USCCB) on the lay ecclesial documents and we laid the groundwork for future collaborations between the youth ministry and religious education offices.
Sr. Betty Paul continues to heal from corrective surgeries from a life-threatening illness and should be back “full tilt” in the fall assisted by Deacon Ed Meilus. Pat Gabree has kept youth ministry on the radar screen in Manchester and helped to shepherd them through a re-structuring process. Sr. Bernadette Turgeon serves the region on our conference committees and is gearing up for our New England Youth Gathering Our Faith: Believe It . . . Live It . . . Share It . . . in March with Jesse Manibusan.
Rob Szipala, Fr. George Harrison, and Ollie Green are holding down the fort in Burlington, Fall River, and Norwich. Don Boucher is undertaking a long-range plan for youth ministry in Springfield; John Campbell is collaborating on a standard catechetical process in Bridgeport; Jeanne Bigelow is a fierce advocate for radical inclusion of youth in Portland; and Louise “Duce” Dussault auctions off everything including the kitchen sink to keep youth ministry going in Providence. Fr. Tom Dunne was discerned chair of the NFCYM board and Shawnee Baldwin was discerned secretary of the newly formed National Center for Catholic Youth Sports.
We are few but very busy, and grateful for the support, ideas, collaborations, and mentoring we receive at our three regional meetings each year with each other, youth ministers, and a youth council.
Email Connections at connections@nfcymoffice.org