Teresa McNamara – NZ Catholic Newspaper

Youth a focus for 2018 synod

Rowena Orejana — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 23:35:48 +0000

New Zealand Catholics have welcomed with joy and excitement the Vatican’s announcement that the 2018 synod of bishops will focus on young people. In a statement released on October 6, the Vatican said Pope Francis decided that the theme of 15th general assembly of the synod of bishops, which will be held in October, 2018, will be: “Young people, faith

The post Youth a focus for 2018 synod appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Young people go more deeply into the Mass

Rowena Orejana — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 20:30:05 +0000

by ROWENA OREJANA Around 260 mostly young people “walked through the Mass” with Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn at the Christ the King Church in Owairaka on March 6. Young adult and youth ministry coordinator Teresa McNamara said the event, called Walk Through the Mass, was held to explain to young people what the Mass is

The post Young people go more deeply into the Mass appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Social justice focus at WYD

Rowena Orejana — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 02:00:23 +0000

by ROWENA OREJANA
“Open your eyes and look around!”
With that, Bishop Patrick Dunn exhorted more than 1000 young people from Auckland and Hamilton
at a World Youth Day celebration to live Catholic social teachings in their lives.echo $variable;

The post Social justice focus at WYD appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

80 interesting letters

Rowena Orejana — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:00:50 +0000

by ROWENA OREJANA AUCKLAND — The more than 80 participants of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Conference last month will get a letter from themselves reminding them of the commitments they made at the conference. Organiser Teresa McNamara, Auckland’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry coordinator, said conference feedback was positive. “The contrasting speakers worked

The post 80 interesting letters appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

80 young people come for conference

Rowena Orejana — Thu, 22 May 2014 21:18:39 +0000

by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — More than 80 youth and young adult ministers are here in
Auckland from May 24-26 for a conference that will nourish their faith and give them new tools for ministry.

From left, Samm-Sara, Christine, ACYM volunteers, and Joey, ACYM team member.

The National Catholic Conference for Youth and Young Adult Ministers
took its theme “You are Sent” from Isaiah 6:8.
Conference organiser Teresa McNamara, from Auckland’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry, said it is about pushing the boundaries.
“It’s about not just doing what you are doing now but what’s the next step for you, how you can take your ministry further,” she explained.
The conference will start with an “amazing race” from St Columba Centre in Ponsonby to Pompallier Diocesan Centre and back — about 3km.
“We want them to find out about some of the faith history of this area and some of the work of Bishop Pompallier, and also to interact with Catholic groups and religious orders that are in this area,” Ms McNamara said.
Each day will have a different focus. The first day will be all about the founding documents Tu Kahikatea and Hikoi Tahi, which form the framework for youth ministry and its practical application, respectively. The second day focuses on practical ministry with
young people, while the third day will be devoted to how the ministry can be taken to the next level.
Sr Helen Bergin, OP, Dr Chris Duthie- Jung and Roby Curtis will be the keynote speakers.
Sr Helen will be talking about how they can tune in to the Holy Spirit for guidance in their ministry. Dr Duthie-on the Catholic identity of “Gen Y” New Zealanders, while Mr Curtis will share his passion for taking the faith to the streets.
“We are trying to have a mix of people, looking at a range of topics relevant to ministering to young people,” Ms McNamara said.
She added that she thought one of the most popular sessions would be connecting to young people on the fringe of the Church.
Ms McNamara said these young people are those who identify themselves as Catholics, but may not be practising the faith in the traditional sense like going to Sunday Mass.
“They are practising in their own way but not by our definition.
We thought it would be good to have a session where we look and see what they might need from us and how we might connect to those
people,” she said.
Director of the Marist Brothers Alternative Education Programme Shane Coleman, and Delphina Soti, who works for the Society of St Vincent de Paul, will run a workshop at the conference.
Both are working “hands on” with young people who are living out the
faith, said Ms McNamara.
Another highlight of the conference will be the catechesis session of Lasallian Youth Ministry director James Camden called the “Poverty of Hope”.
It will be held at St Patrick’s Cathedral on May 26 at 6pm. It will be free and open to all.

echo $variable;

The post 80 young people come for conference appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Helping youth to go even deeper into their faith

Michael Otto — Mon, 12 May 2014 02:00:56 +0000

YOUCAT STUDY GUIDE by Jack Kersting, Paul George, Mark Brumley,
Vivian W. Dudro (Ignatius Press 2013, supplied by Pleroma Christian Supplies); $19.99. Reviewed by TERESA McNAMARA.
Pilgrims who came home after World Youth Day Madrid in 2011
were excited about a new book they had received from Pope Benedict
XVI.echo $variable;

The post Helping youth to go even deeper into their faith appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.