The goal of Life Teen
"is to completely transform the idea of what youth ministry is in our
church and what it can be," said the director of events for the
Mesa-based organization. "It needs to be more dynamic. It's not meant to
be boring, but to be an experience on Sunday night and not just a
class," said Stephen Lenahan. "Everything in our church is so grand, why
not for our youth on a Sunday night by showing them the beauty of our
church?" Lenahan, who works in Life Teen's Atlanta office, made the
comments to The Catholic Sun, newspaper of the Phoenix Diocese, during
the organization's mid-June conference in in Scottsdale. The annual
Catholic Youth Ministry Training Convention, sponsored by Mesa-based
Life Teen Inc., was an opportunity for new and seasoned leaders to be
renewed and affirmed in their ministry. The conference had as its
"Inspire," and it didn't disappoint the 700 attendees with its 60
breakout sessions lead by well-known youth leaders offering practical
and comprehensive training. Topics ranged from how to balance a budget
and lead a youth group meeting to relational ministry and dynamic
environments.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
