Perhaps one of the most persistent complaints of young people is the feeling of being misunderstood by adults. The problem is most apparent in the home where young people find themselves “estranged” or unable to relate to their parents, and this feeling trickles over into society with young adults finding themselves at loggerheads with authority figures in the community.

This “generation gap” as it is more commonly termed often leaves our young people feeling isolated, lost and overlooked at a crucial time in their lives when they are trying to find their way in the world; and while there is no easy solution to solving this issue of the generational divide, it remains the responsibility of adults to seek ways and means of reaching out to our young people.

The Catholic Youth Secretariat (CYS) was set up for the very purpose of empowering our youth, through the establishment of vibrant parish youth ministry.  Under the direction of Sr Kathleen Joseph, OP, the Secretariat reaches out to young people everywhere with the message that they are “valued and valuable”.

There still exists, however a great deal of misunderstanding about what exactly comprises youth ministry and consequently in many of our parishes, ministry to young people is not given the priority that it should have. The most clearly identified aspect of youth ministry is of course the youth group.

Unfortunately, the popular belief is that youth ministry and youth group are interchangeable terms hence; if a parish possesses a functioning youth group then its youth ministry is vibrant and healthy.

The truth is though, that there is a great deal more to youth ministry than just the youth group – and our Church communities must use every available avenue to ensure our young people are engaged at all levels of the life of the parish community.

The Secretariat, in seeking to establish a clearer understanding of, and a more comprehensive and active ministry to young people, seeks to partner with and support pastoral outreach to youth in all parishes of the diocese. It is not the role of the Secretariat to act as an interloper, but as a guide to point the way forward. 

Indeed the ultimate vision of the CYS is the establishment in every parish of Trinidad and Tobago of vibrant, fully functional and self-sustaining youth ministries. 

In keeping with this vision, the Secretariat has developed a variety of programmes designed to encourage young people to draw closer to Christ, foster their personal and spiritual growth and further their participation in the work and mission of the Catholic faith community. 

Archdiocesan Youth Assembly

Today’s young adults will be tomorrow’s leaders, and the CYS is committed to moulding today’s young adults to take their place as tomorrow’s Church community leaders.  The Archdiocesan Youth Assembly 2007, with its theme “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,’’ is a two-day conference for our future leaders. 

The event will be held July 28 and 29 at the El Dorado Senior Comprehensive School, and is designed to help young people to “Follow the Way; Speak the Truth; Live the Life”.

Registration forms are now available on a first come first serve basis, so young people are encouraged to register as soon as possible to secure their place at this dynamic event. This conference is a preparation for World Youth Day, which is scheduled for 2008 in Australia.

Without the participation and cooperation of the entire Church community and religious and lay leaders - the Secretariat could not do this vital job of moulding and empowering the next generation of Christian leaders successfully. We encourage all Catholic Christian adults to come forward and play their part. 

We are always looking for volunteers to help in this all-important service to youth – both at the Secretariat itself and within parish communities.  Please call the Secretariat at 624-0454, for more information and to learn how you can help. You can also visit our website at www.cathyouthsecretariat.com for more information about our work.

Finally, we encourage you to continue to pray for our young people and the work of the Secretariat as we continue to point the way forward.