Catholic Youth Podcast (Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults)

And we’re back with the rest of our conversation with Jean-Marie Nguyen about Burnout and Resilience.

In episode 19, Burnout and Resilience (part 2), we hear from 2 special guests, Jean-Marie Nguyen former parish and school youth minister and current faith formator in Catholic schools and Julian Nguyen, COYYA Coordinator. They share practical steps on how we can build resilience to prevent and manage burnout. 

In episode number 7, part 1 of this 2 part special, we chat with Fr Josh Nash, Catholic Priest and Oblate Missionary, to chat about everything you need to know about getting married in the Catholic Church.

In part 1 you’ll learn all about:

-         What is the meaning behind getting married in the Catholic church.

-         Who can officiate a Catholic wedding

-         How do you find a priest or deacon to officiate your wedding

-         How far in advance do you need to plan a wedding in the Catholic church

-         What sort of documentation do you need to have ready

-         Do both the bride and groom need to be Catholic to get married in the church and what if you’re already living together and/or have kids

-         Pre-marital counselling, and

-         More tips and encouragement for planning a wedding in the Catholic church!

In episode number 1, Youth Ministry – what is it and why do we do it, we hear from Julian Nguyen, Coordinator of the Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults in the Archdiocese of Adelaide to find out all about youth ministry. You’ll learn about:  

• What is youth ministry,  
• Why does the Church have youth ministry,  
• Why work in youth ministry, and  
• What are the characteristics of a youth minister.  

Quotes: 

“Youth ministry is being able to open doors for young people and help them go through their spiritual and faith journey. It is the spiritual and faith journey for a person, including faith, community, and the whole person; their values and beliefs.”  

“Youth ministry is the start of that journey. Youth is just a period of time in your life but a lot of those things that you form during that time, will then continue on into other parts of life.”  

“Without youth ministry there isn’t anyone to guide the next generation forward.” 

“If I can play one small part in helping someone else on their faith journey then that is great, that’s life giving.” 

In episode number 11, we sit down with a returning favourite podcast guest, Julian Nguyen, Coordinator of the Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults to talk through some points on how to respond to those sticky faith questions that you may get. This topic has been our hands down most requested episode topic ever and as people working in youth ministry, responding to those tricky faith related questions is something we do on the regular. In this episode we will run you through some tried and tested steps that we hope you can take on board to handle any tricky faith conversation that comes your way.

Here are the five steps for handling tricky faith conversations:

1. Congratulations, you've been chosen!
2. Listen
3. Get curious
4. Take a pastoral approach
5. Know your limits

In episode 20, Journeying with young people, we hear from Peter Bierer. Peter is the Assistant Director of Pastoral Life and Mission at the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide. He is the previous Coordinator of the Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults and has over 20 years of experience in youth ministry across various roles in the United States of America and Australia. Peter talks about the importance of journeying with young people, sharing stories and experiences from accompanying young people, and top tips for how we can practically accompany young people in our parishes, schools and communities. 

It’s that time of the year, when we all start to feel a bit tired and worn out. Burnout is something that affects many of us who care for young people in a school, parish, community or youth ministry.

In episode 18 part 1, Burnout and Resilience, we hear from 2 special guests, Jean-Marie Nguyen former parish and school youth minister and current faith formator in Catholic schools and Julian Nguyen, COYYA Coordinator.

In part 1 of this 2 part special we talk about:

·        What is burnout and how does it occur

·        The symptoms and how to know whether you have burnout

·        Burnout experienced by those who are involved in youth ministry and

·        Plenty of stories and laughs along the way!

Episode number 13, Catholic + Youth + Festival is a fun one! We're sitting down with Maddy Forde, an experienced youth minister and current Senior Advisor for Ministry at Catholic Education SA. We chat all about Catholic Youth Festivals, what they are, why we have them and we share our own stories and experiences from different festivals that will have you pumped!

For more information and to register for the upcoming World Youth Day Adelaide Celebration head to: www.cathyouthadelaide.org.au/world-youth-day

In episode number 2, how to create a sacred space, we hear from Alison Gore, Senior Education Advisor, at Catholic Education SA to talk about sacred spaces. In this episode you’ll learn about:

What is a sacred space,

Why we often have sacred spaces when we gather,

How incorporating a sacred space can elevate our gatherings, and

How to create a sacred space by following a series of steps and practical tips.

Steps for creating a sacred space:

1.      Bring it to prayer.  Before you start creating your sacred space, take a moment to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Remember you’re creating a space of welcome, where people can connect and deepen their relationship with God.

2.      Think of the purpose. Along with the purpose of gathering a group and deepening their experience of God through prayer, think about the overarching purpose of gathering the group to draw inspiration for your sacred space. Is it for a retreat, school group or another special occasion? For example, for a school group you could use the school colours for your colour scheme. For the season of creation, you can draw inspiration from nature etc.   Consider what you can incorporate to help connect the group.

3.      The Church’s liturgical calendar is your friend! You can use the Church’s liturgical calendar for inspiration for your colour scheme, symbolism, imagery, and scripture when creating your sacred space.

4.      Play with levels. Levels give depth and add to the sacred space. Use boxes, a chair or something else and drape fabric over them to create levels.

5.      Less is more. Having too many things to look at can be a distraction so simplify the process and use less items in your sacred space. Use the design principle of having odd numbers to create a beautiful and memorable space.

Other Practical tips and tricks:

·      Get creative. You can get creative when creating your sacred space by using artwork or images that are evocative, incorporating nature, indigenous religious symbolism, making the space interactive or by adding different quotes from scripture or other relevant texts.

·      Use what’s around you. Get creative and use what’s around you to incorporate into your sacred space, that could be a spare box or chair to create levels, flowers or leaves from the garden or those fairy lights that otherwise only come out for Christmas.

·      The image or object representing God should be at the highest point of the sacred space. If you’re using an image or object to represent God, it should be at the highest point of your space. This could be a cross, crucifix or even a bible or lit candle.

·      Odd numbers. Things arranged in odd numbers are more appealing, memorable, and effective than even-numbered groupings.

·      Make sure there’s something to look at from all angles of the sacred space, especially if you’re positioning the group in a circular shape around the space.

·      Have an appreciation of beauty and aesthetics but don’t shy away from the element of truth in regards to your theme.

·      Borrow, buy second-hand or on sale. It shouldn’t cost the world to set up a sacred space. See if you can borrow the items from someone or buy them for a bargain at an op-shop or on sale at stores such as spotlight or kmart.

·      Fabric. When using fabrics, make sure that they’re clean and ironed. If the fabric is crinkled you could also try to make that a feature. Fabric of choice: Panne Velvet. The fabric Alison recommends that has great texture, doesn’t need to be ironed and doesn’t cost a lot.

·      How to get rid of candle wax stains. Put the stained fabric in the freezer for a few hours which will let you easily chip off any wax stains. You can then cover the area with paper towel and gently iron over the stained area to remove any remaining marks.

In episode number 14, part 1 of a 2 part special, we chat with Sebastian Duhau, associate director of Young Lasallians for the De La Salle Brothers Congregation about running retreats.

In this 2 part episode we talk about:

• why we have retreats,
• how to plan for a retreat and organise the programme,
• key elements of a retreat,
• how to be inclusive of participants diverse backgrounds on retreats,
• how to respond to challenges,
• best practices for follow up after a retreat, and
• plenty of stories and laughs along the way!

In episode number 8 part 2 of this 2-part special, we sit down with Fr Josh Nash, Catholic Priest and Oblate Missionary, to chat about everything you need to know about getting married in the Catholic Church.

In part 2 you’ll learn all about:

-         The cost of getting married in the Catholic church.

-         The key parts of a Catholic wedding ceremony

-         Vows and saying I do

-         Ideas to personalise and make your ceremony memorable

-         Does a Catholic wedding have to be a Mass and does it have to be inside a church

-         More tips and encouragement for planning a wedding in the Catholic church!

In episode number 3 we hear from Amanda Razon, former Family Faith Formation Advisor for Catholic Education and current Assistant Principal in Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM) at St John the Baptist Catholic School to talk about spiritual practices in schools. In this episode you’ll learn about:

What are the main spiritual practices generally found in Catholic schools including,

-         Prayer

-         Liturgy

-         Mass

Why they are considered important and are practiced in schools,

How to practice them in meaningful ways, and

Top practical tips to keep in mind when leading or taking part in these spiritual practices.

Quotes:

What makes this school different from other schools. A Catholic School is centred in God and God has provided us with all of these things and we want to enrich the students with their learning but also, we want them to be enriched and know that they are loved by God and flourish because they are known and loved by God.

Prayer is intentionally inviting God into that space and being with God.

How do you develop any relationship with anyone unless you spend time with them? So that is why prayer is important. I can’t be your friend if I just simply know you and that is it, but I have to know more about you by spending time with you. Prayer is that avenue to know God better.

Check in with yourself and know what is in your heart at that time, that can lead to a more genuine prayer.

At the heart of it, you want prayer to be genuine and intentional and heartfelt, not just actions or words for the sake of doing it.

Liturgy is an extended, more formal way of praying. A public form of worship.

Know that each person is on their own journey, that you are so welcome to add your flavour and there is no hard and fast rule of doing things but remember the heart of it.

In episode number 4 we sit down with Micah Thorbjornsen to talk about his experience about how men form friendships and connect with each other and their spirituality.

In episode number 10, Family Grown Faith, Juliana sits down with her very own big sister Daniella to explore their experiences of how the family unit can impact a young person’s faith journey.

Growing up in the same family as siblings, Daniella and Juliana had a lot of similar faith-based experiences, but also explored different paths in life, in their interests, studies, relationships and careers. In this episode, the sisters reflect and share some of the top moments that shaped their faith as young people.

Whether you’re a parent who is curious to know how you can help cultivate the faith of your young ones or maybe you are the young one wanting to connect with your siblings about faith we hope that you find this conversation insightful. 

Thanks for listening to season 1 of the Catholic Youth Podcast. We'd love to hear from you! Please consider filling out this quick anonymous survey  that will help us make sure the podcast meets your needs and areas of interest! 😊

You can find the survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/SY6ZBXU0xv 

In episode number 15, part 2 of a 2 part special, we chat with Sebastian Duhau, associate director of Young Lasallians for the De La Salle Brothers Congregation about running retreats.

In this 2 part episode we talk about:

• why we have retreats,
• how to plan for a retreat and organise the programme,
• key elements of a retreat,
• how to be inclusive of participants diverse backgrounds on retreats,
• how to respond to challenges,
• best practices for follow up after a retreat, and
• plenty of stories and laughs along the way!

In episode number 12, a guide to the Voice to Parliament, we’ve teamed up with James Meston from the Arch D Show to sit down with a very special guest, Fr Frank Brennan.

Fr Frank is a Jesuit priest, lawyer and academic who has been a long-time advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People rights. He is an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to Aboriginal Australians, particularly as an advocate in the areas of law, social justice and reconciliation. The National Trust has classified him as a Living National Treasure. In 2009, he chaired the Australian National Human Rights Consultation Committee. Fr Frank sits down with us to talk about the upcoming referendum on the voice to parliament sharing plenty of wisdom, insights and stories along the way.

Resources:

Article “Fr Frank Brennan SJ: How to vote on the Voice”: https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/fr-frank-brennan-sj-how-to-vote-on-the-voice/

Book “An Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Considering a constitutional bridge”: https://www.garrattpublishing.com.au/product/9781922484659/

Catholic Resource and Information Service (CRIS) website: https://adelaide.catholic.org.au/our-faith/catholic-resource-and-information-service

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC): https://www.natsicc.org.au/index.html

Reconciliation Australia: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation/support-a-voice-to-parliament/

Uluru statement from the heart: https://ulurustatement.org/

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Statement Regarding an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament 

In episode number 5 we hear from Cara McGlaughlin, former school youth minister and team member of Marist Youth Ministry Australia to learn from her extensive experience working in school youth ministry. Whether you’re just starting out in youth ministry or you’re a veteran youth minister, this conversation will give you plenty of inspiration heading into the new school year.

Cara’s top tips for school youth ministry:  

-         Find what works for you!

-         Relationships first and foremost – people over programs.

-         Talk to people and build connections!

-         Transparency is key to building trust and relationships.

-         Expect the interruptions and see them as an invitation to connect with others.

-         You’ve been called to youth ministry for a reason and have something special to the table. Have the desire and motivation to find out what you have to bring to the table and offer that.

-         Trust in yourself and your ability because you are in the role for a reason.  

-         Rely on those around you and ask for help when you need it.

-         Whenever you need a boost of motivation remind yourself why you started youth ministry.

-         Have fun!

What is it like for a young Aboriginal woman to live her culture, grow in her faith and support other young people along the way?

Sabrina Stevens is living all of this out and more. She is the National Youth Coordinator of Caritas Australia and Youth Councillor with National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Commission (NATSICC).

In this episode, Sabrina shares with us about her inspiring faith journey, NATSICC, indigenous gifts within the Church and gives practical tips about how we can incorporate stories and aspects of Indigenous spirituality from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic peoples in the Church and its ministries. 

In episode number 9 we sit down with Sally Wellington, Child Protection Unit Manager for the Archdiocese of Adelaide to talk about the Child Protection Unit which has been active since 2004, and to run through what checks and training's are currently required for working with children in youth ministry. In this episode you’ll learn all about:  

• What is the role of the Child Protection Unit,  
• What are some key points about child safety that people should know when it comes to working with children in youth ministry, 
• What requirements do those working or volunteering with children in youth ministry in the Archdiocese of Adelaide need to meet, 
• Working With Children Check (WWCC), 
• Safe Environments for Children and Young People Training, 
• important documents, guidelines and protocols, and 
• Where to go for further information and advice.  

Website and contact information for the Child Protection Unit: https://adelaide.catholic.org.au/our-people/child-protection/contact-us  

Questions about the Working with Children Check (WWCC)? Here is the website and contact information for the Screening and Verification Authority: https://adelaide.catholic.org.au/our-people/police-check-unit/contact-us

In episode number 6 we chat with Belinda Fusco, Events Manager for the Archdiocese of Adelaide and former COYYA Youth Ministry Support Officer to talk about how to plan and run events. In this episode you’ll learn all about:

-         Where to begin with event planning,

-         How to set an event timeline,

-         How to work out priorities and plan an event,  

-         Tips on how to invite and market your event,

-         How to incorporate hospitality,

-         What to do when things don’t go to plan, and

-         Belinda’s top tips and resources for event planning.

In episode 17, Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care, We hear from Pauline Connell. Pauline is the Coordinator, Hospital and Prison Chaplains in the Archdiocese of Adelaide. In this conversation Pauline will talk us through what is chaplaincy and where you would find a chaplain, stories from her own chaplaincy journey and tops tips on how to give spiritual care.