Family Catechesis-Parish Leadership Support
Youth Evangelization
Family Catechesis
400 E. Monroe
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 354-2323
(602) 354-2432 (FAX)
MaryBeth Mueller
Executive Director
Ryan Hanning
Director of Parish Leadership Support
(602) 354-2321
Carmen Portela
Director of Parish Leadership Support in Spanish
(602) 354-2031
Mike Phelan
Director of Marriage and Respect Life
(602) 354-2355
Victoria Smith
Sr. Admin. Assistant
(602) 354-2323
Stephanie Calleros
Bilingual Senior Administrative Assistant
(602) 3542114
In response to the restored order of the Sacraments of Initiation in the Diocese of Phoenix, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization is implementing a new Young Apostles Formation process for high school age teens in parishes throughout the Diocese. This formation is a direct response to John Paul II’s request in Ecclesia in America:
At the parish and diocesan level it would be helpful also to develop a pastoral outreach that takes account of the changing world of young people. Such an effort should seek to engage them in dialogue, take advantage of favorable occasions for meetings on a larger scale, encourage local initiatives and make the most of programs already in place at the interdiocesan and international levels.
And what of those young people who do not grow out of their adolescent attitudes and find it difficult to take on serious and lasting responsibilities? In response to this lack of maturity, young people need to be invited to have courage and they need to be trained to appreciate the value of life-long commitments such as the priesthood, consecrated life and Christian married life.
(EA, #47)
The Young Apostles Formation process provides parishes with a game-plan to help teens develop the tools for life-long conversion in Christ. Rather than require them to participate, the Young Apostles Formation will attract teenagers’ involvement with an energetic and vibrant process. This formation will not stop at the end of their senior year, but will continue to serve them in their first year out of high school and beyond.
Young Apostles formation process is neither a new youth ministry program nor an alternative to the USCCB’s document on youth ministry, “Renewing the Vision”. This document simply recognizes an effective process of the evangelization of youth found in The General Directory for Catechesis, Ecclesia in America and Mission of the Redeemer. It works with any existing youth programming model, helping parishes to provide opportunities for teens to deepen their faith in Christ. This document will establish an operational framework for the development of parish youth evangelization programs and give direction to the formation of the Directors, Coordinators, Core Members, and volunteer Youth Leaders serving in the evangelization and catechesis of adolescents in parish programs and diocesan events.
Read Young Apostles Formation: Helping Teens Answer the Call to Follow and Serve Jesus Christ.
