I returned from World Youth Day with one prevailing thought; it is an exciting time to be Catholic!  Two generations of young people have experienced World Youth Day, and the seeds sown by Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1985 at the first WYD have flowered and are producing great fruit.

Inside the Vincentian family, a deeper commitment is being made to our brothers and sisters in need.  Young Vincentians are not satisfied by only handing out bread or filling soup bowls.  We want to know why a person lives in poverty and what we can do to help them escape.  During our Vincentian gathering, we met with Dr. Michael Thio, the International President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  He told us about projects from around the world that are empowering people in poverty to improve the quality of their lives, such as a school in the Holy Land for young Catholics, rice farms in Central and South America, and home building projects in Africa.  Twice during the gathering, I was able to meet one-on-one with Michael.  Over and over he told me to share my talents.  He said the problems our world is facing will be answered through great imagination, cooperation, and passion, attributes he feels young people in the Church have in abundance.

After the Vincentian Family gathering, our group joined the World Youth Day celebration.  This was not a youth pep rally; this was a pilgrimage!  We spent hours waiting in the hot sun to catch a quick glimpse of the Holy Father, to celebrate Mass with him (along with a million other people!) and hear the message he had prepared for us.  When we weren’t outside with the Pope, we were at a large sports arena listening to cardinals, archbishops, priests, sisters, and lay people address serious subjects like human sexuality, marriage and family, abortion, charity and justice.  The speakers presented the Church’s teaching through their own humble experiences and a mix of sound reasoning and humor. 

The talents and deep faith of the presenters were a loud and clear witness to the wonderful works God is accomplishing through the lives of many young people who are making serious commitments to evangelize the faith.  We saw hundreds of young men and women who have entered religious life, many sacrificing careers in medicine, law, and business to serve the Church. 

It’s an exciting time to be a Catholic and a Vincentian!  Our culture has created many challenges for our church, but it has also motivated many young people to take a stand and get serious about their faith.  In the United States, the Society is recommitting itself to reaching out to all Catholics, but particularly to young people, by offering them a variety of opportunities to grow in holiness and put their faith in action through the service of the poor. 

This was a decisive moment in my life.  It was a time of reflection, but most importantly, it deepened my relationship with Christ and my love for His Church.  Upon returning from WYD, I was offered the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Society’s St. Louis Council Office.  I energetically accepted the position, and I know my experience at WYD will impel me to work hard every day to further the mission of the Society and to help lead our organization to take part in the New Evangelization which Blessed John Paul II envisioned when he said, "The moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples."

Their commitment to those in need in our community has given new life and new energy to the adult conference in our parish."

These words are shared with us from Marge McGinley,

the spiritual advisor of the Minnie Vinnies

Melanie Anguay is named Executive Director of the Council of Contra Costa County. Melanie previously worked with stores for the Society in Alameda. She had been the Western Region Rep for Youth and Young Adults.

Ryan Carney is named Chief Operating Officer at the Archdiocesan Council of St. Louis. Ryan previously served as the Director of Membership.