Youth Speaker Series a success in its first year

Intermountain Catholic

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Participants enjoy an ice-breaker game during the June 12 Summer Youth Speaker Series. IC photos/Marie Mischel

WEST HAVEN — Faith, fun and music proved a winning combination for the first Summer Youth Speaker Series, a two-session event that culminated June 12 at Saint Mary Parish in West Haven.

The first event was held June 5 in Parley’s Canyon.

"It’s just a lot of fun," said Katie Bailey, a member of Holy Family Parish, who attended the West Haven event. "I love going to these things, learning about God and how to stay connected with him."

Both events featured live music and speakers on different topics relevant to the youth who attended. The speakers for the first event were pro-lifer Brooke Burns and Zach Hunter, an abolitionist. For the June 12 event, the speaker was environmentalist Emma Sleeth.

The presenters were young adults and teenagers who are living out their faith and making a difference in the world in their own way, said Matthew Boerke, director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. He chose the speakers intentionally for their youth as well as their topics, so that those attending could better relate to the presenters.

Each event attracted about 80 participants.

"I think the kids that have been here and the adults that I’ve talked to enjoyed both events," Boerke said. "I can always hope for more participants, but those who come enjoy it. I would definitely try the concept again, in terms of summer speaker series with some bands and some talks, trying to capitalize on the flavor of summer."

Next time the events may be a little later in the year, he said; some of the students were still in school at the time of the first one this year. He also hopes that, if the event is held next year, youth from more parishes will come as a group, he said. "In general big numbers come when the big parishes buy into it, so somehow tapping into that is always the key."

At the June 12 event, Vanessa Tovar, a young woman who is forsaking a teaching career to enter the Carmelite Monastery in Holladay, spoke to the youth about how God’s call has drawn her away from her plan to be a teacher and a wife and into a contemplative life. She will enter the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary next month.

"It kind of opened my eyes a little to see how you can go from being a teacher to a nun," Bailey said. "It’s opened my eyes – that could happen."

Tovar’s presentation also touched Kayden Martinez, a St. Mary parishioner, who said her story was "very powerful. It made me think a lot."

Martinez, who was a lector for the Mass celebrated at the end of the event by Saint Mary Pastor Father Gustavo Vidal, said he attended because "this is my church and I’m part of this community."

In addition to Tovar’s presentation, Martinez learned from Sleeth’s go-green effort. "It never came to my mind to take out the phone charger" from the wall to save energy, he said.

The social aspect of the event also was fun, allowing him to meet youth from other parishes throughout the diocese, he added. "I’ve gotten to talk to a few people, gotten to know them better. Getting together as a big church in this state is great."

He plans to continue to meet Catholics his age by attending the annual Steubenville Catholic Youth Conference in San Diego, which this year will be July 29-31, "to take advantage of opportunity to meet people from all around the United States to see how life is different and similar in their churches," he said.

The number of youth from the Diocese of Salt Lake City who are going to the youth conference this year is the largest ever, Boerke said. Among those who will attend are youth from the parishes of Christ the King, Holy Family, Saint Elizabeth, Saint George, Saint Mary and Saint Therese of the Child.