Youth Speak News

A statue of St. John Henry Newman stands on the campus of Newman University in Wichita, Kan., just one of many colleges across North America that has incorporated his name and work into their institutions.

In praise of Newman and a liberal arts education

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Rev. Dr. Peter Gittens, a Toronto School of Theology lecturer, sees first hand the lack of appreciation for the liberal arts which has grown over the past two centuries. He noticed it years ago when teaching at a Catholic school where he saw a lack of focus on theology courses.

The annual murder mystery party organized by Faith Connections and Newman Young Adult Ministry in Toronto is not being cancelled due to COVID-19, but instead reimagined on Oct. 30 as virtual theatre.

Faith Connections offers ministry with virtual twist

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

In a world free from a pandemic’s grasp, the young adult ministry Faith Connections would have a vibrant suite of in-person fellowship and faith formation events slated for the next three to six months.

Monica Palacios, left, Pia Ocenar and Theresa Henry were among the 46 young Catholics who spent five weeks at the Sanctum Retreat Centre learning how to become NET Canada missionaries. Health and safety protocols did not dim the orientation experience.

NET ministry resumes in COVID landscape

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

Young adult missionaries with the National Evangelization Teams (NET) Canada are facing a new pandemic-induced reality this year.

Young people lead praise and worship at Westminster Abbey for Catholic Street Missionaries’ annual Fast and Pray event.

Street mission fast goes on despite pandemic

By Canadian Catholic News

Vancouver - If this had been a typical year, dozens of young adults from St. Mary’s Parish in Vancouver would have attended Mass on a Friday evening, stayed for adoration, slept overnight at the church, then driven to Mission, B.C., for a talk, prayers and reflection at Westminster Abbey before returning to the parish for Mass and a shared meal.

Mikayla Portelli of Brampton, Ont., donated over $16,000 of health and beauty products to girls in impoverished countries around the world via the Canadian Food for Children warehouse in Mississauga. Portelli, assisted by high school teacher Dennis Buonafede, was spurred into action by the life story of Fides, a young girl from Zambia.

Brampton teen empowers the princess inside girls

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

When 17-year-old Mikayla Portelli visited the Canadian Food for Children (CFFC) warehouse in Mississauga, Ont., with schoolmates in February, two framed pictures of a young girl from Zambia drew her gaze.

Gone — for now — are the days when the Daughters of St. Paul would host Come and See weekends in person, like this one. In a time of COVID, the discernment retreats have gone online.

Religious order takes discernment online

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COVID-19 has put significant roadblocks in the path of many religious communities and apostolates striving to help young Catholics discover their vocation.

Pilgrims pray before the Fatima Shrine in Fatima, Portugal. The World Rosary Campaign is collecting prayers for world peace to promote the Fatima message on a global scale.

Rosary campaign offers hope for troubled times

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More than a century since the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Portugal in 1917, the message and secrets of the Fatima apparitions have spread throughout the globe conveying a need for devotion to God and to pray the rosary.

National Campus Life Network’s pro-life activism will be moving onto high school campuses this school year.

Pro-life network aims for high school foothold

By Quinton Amundson, The Catholic Register

The National Campus Life Network (NCLN) is expanding its pro-life activism into 15 Catholic or Christian high schools across Canada this school year.

Toronto teacher Rachel Thomas holds a bin full of Love Masks, masks that will be provided to students who need them when they return to school this month.

Masked by love

By Wendy-Ann Clarke, The Catholic Register

Back to school shopping looks a bit different this year and a Toronto high school teacher wants to make sure every student in the GTA has what they need to stay safe in a time of pandemic.

The Anchor Camp in Port Burwell, Ont. generally offers girls a number of nature-based activities and other opportunties like learning archery, but this year, in a time of pandemic, has gone virtual. It may not have been the same experience, but campers and staff maintained their excitement for the program nonetheless.

Camp anchors online

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The sun glistens across the calming blue water of Lake Erie. A bronze Mass bell rings loudly. Dozens of young girls soar out of cabins to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast before engaging in hiking, drama, sports, crafts and, at the end of the day, a roaring campfire.

A screen shot from 90 n’ 9’s new music video, Let Me Trust, features Katie Heximer, who said her personal prayer time with God informed the lyrical and musical direction of the song.

Music as a prayer

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Katie Heximer knows the majestic sound of a symphony or the melodic mixture of chords can quickly captivate an audience. But the co-singer and songwriter for the Christian band 90 n’ 9 finds greater power in writing or singing lyrics that reflect life’s journey and can be offered to God as a prayer. 

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