Nearly 200 diocesan youth directors and other workers from across the United States came to Little Rock Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 for the annual membership meeting of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.
The “working meeting” at the Peabody Hotel and Statehouse Convention Center is the way youth directors of each diocese can meet in committees and set their agendas for 2008, said Bob McCarty, executive director based in Washington, D.C.
“It’s not a conference,” he said. “This is the week that drives us throughout the year.”
McCarty said the meeting was attended by 130 diocesan directors and 40 “collaborative members,” such as book publishers, and national staff.
McCarty visited Little Rock two years ago to lead youth minister training and was approached by Liz Tingquist, diocesan youth director, about hosting the meeting in Arkansas.
“They knew they were going to sell me,” he said. “We actually move our meeting from time zone to time zone. Liz extended an invitation to come to Little Rock.”
In addition to hosting its membership meeting, the NFCYM hosts a biennial youth conference and biennial youth leader training conference.
“I love Arkansas and I wanted to show off the diocese. I’m proud of our Catholic life here,” Tingquist said of the reason she volunteered to host the meeting.
As the local host, the diocesan Youth Ministry Office tapped local Catholic leaders and Arkansas’ natural resources to add flavor to the meeting. Team Jesus, a teen band at Christ the King Church in Little Rock, and the choir at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock led prayer services. Diocesan employees Vernell Bowen, Elizabeth Reha, Kristy Eanes and Deacon Marcelino Luna also led services and provided music. On Saturday, Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert celebrated Mass for the participants.
Each table was decorated with items explaining some of Arkansas’ better-known contributions, including duck decoys, camouflage material, packages of rice, jars of jam, apple blossom branches, river rocks and “diamond” crystals.
