A heart which is home to affection for God makes a prayer of an unspoken thought, or an invocation before a holy image, or a kiss blown to the Church. It's beautiful when mothers teach their little children to blow kisses to Jesus or to Our Lady. What tenderness there is in this! In that moment the child's heart is transformed into a place of praye...

"… (Young people) will be better integrated into (parish) communities that are open, living their faith, eager to radiate Christ, joyful, free, fraternal and committed. These communities can be settings where they feel that it is possible to cultivate precious relationships." # 220- Christ is Alive – Christus Vivit, April 2, 2019 This past summer I...

...I know that "your young hearts want to build a better world. I have been following news reports of the many young people throughout the world who have taken to the streets to express the desire for a more just and fraternal society. Young people taking to the streets! The young want to be protagonists of change. Please, do not leave it to others...

This weekend our country experienced two horrific mass shootings. And once again gun control became a hot topic. Climate change has reached a critical tipping point, yet we can't agree on action to save the planet. Immigration continues to be a controversial issue, and Americans seem divided more than ever before. Last week the democratic candidate...

…"Drawing together creates the conditions for the Church to become a place of dialogue and a witness to life-giving fraternity". We need to make more room for the voices of young people to be heard: "listening makes possible an exchange of gifts in a context of empathy… At the same time, it sets the conditions for a preaching of the Gospel that can...

The Center for Ministry Development is proud to announce that Bishop Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri has joined our Board of Directors as Bishop Liaison. We rely on our board to embrace the opportunities for supporting ministry development for youth and families in parishes and schools throughout the United States. Our boa...

There is a passage in a novel I was reading where the author describes a person riding on a bus as "radiating despair." I resonated with that image. I have been with people who radiated sadness and despair. I have also been with people who radiate hope and joy.I have been praying with this image. What does it mean to radiate faith? I remember exper...

Congratulations! You are graduating high school and moving on to the next chapter of your life. Did you know that one of the most popular quotes chosen as a senior class motto is "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" - a quote attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson?Today, "what lies behind you" ar...

"Christ is alive, and he wants you to be alive!" Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, 1 Easter and spring usher in a time of new life and growth. As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we reflect on what it means to be an Easter people. Recently, we have been challenged by Pope Francis' words to, above all things, ref...

"Christus Vivit – Christ is Alive" is a remarkable document. This letter to young people reflects the wisdom of the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. Though it is primarily written to young people, it also speaks directly to all of us who share faith and ministry with the young. Below you will find a Top Ten list address...